


First Love and Second Chances - what if?

by tclovestheboys



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-08 10:37:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 149
Words: 502,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21474634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tclovestheboys/pseuds/tclovestheboys
Summary: An AU fairy taleHarry and Niall are asked to dog-sit for Harry's neighbor Mary while she's gone to visit family in the States... what happens when she returns?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been reading some of the fanfics and for some reason this popped into my head. I don't know anything about England or the guys other than the basics - aside from their parents, all of the characters are fictional - I apologize in advance for being geographically challenged and dragging the story out so much, this is my first time writing in 30 years so please be patient and please send me comments if you like this or any suggestions for future stories.
> 
> enjoy

chapter 1  
Harry's POV:

Life in Holmes Chapel is quiet and nothing much happens here. I met my best friend Niall 3 years ago when he moved here with his Mother, Maura from Ireland and ever since we've been inseparable. The school year was almost over and I was helping my Mum with the yard work when our neighbor Mrs. Williams called my name from near the fence the separated our yards.

"Harry" said Mrs. Williams. I turned off the lawn mower " Hello Mrs. Williams " I said. "Hi Harry, do you have a minute?" she said "sure, what's up?" I said

" Well, I'm going out of town for a month and was wondering if you could take care of Charlie while I'm gone " she said. " Sure, I can do that for you... Where are you headed for so long?" I said. " I'm going to the States to visit my family and friends back home in Michigan " she said, "When do you need me?" I said, " The end of the week. I leave on Saturday morning " she said. "Okay.. I can come by on Thursday and help out with Charlie so you can pack, if you want me to " I said.

" That would be great Harry and please call me Mary.. Mrs. Williams is too formal" she said. "Alright Mary, I'll see you on Thursday " I said and went back to cutting the grass as Mary went in the house. After the yard work was done, Mum and I were sitting out on the patio having some lemonade. " What did Mrs. Williams want to talk to you about?" said Mum. "She's going away for a month and asked me if I could take care of Charlie while she's gone " I said. " Ah, okay.. Where is she going?" asked Mum, " She's going to the States to visit family and friendsand can't take him with her. I'm going to go over Thursday after school so she can pack and I can get to know Charlie better before she leaves on Saturday" I said. " Okay sweetie " said Mum

It's the last week of school - I was hanging out with Niall at lunch. " You want to hang out tomorrow after school at my house? " asked Niall, " I can't, I'm hanging out with Charlie tomorrow " I said. " Oh.. who's Charlie? " asked Niall. " Charlie is my neighbors dog. She's going out of town for a month and asked if I'd take care of him while she's gone. You want to come with me and meet him? " I said. " Yeah. I'd like that " said Niall. " Cool.. bring a change of clothes with you tomorrow " I said as we left the lunchroom and headed to our next class.

The rest of the day was a blur of cleaning out our lockers and organizing text books. After school, Niall & I walked home - parting ways at the park. When I got home, I went to my room to change. I put on a [air of denim shorts and amy Rolling Stones t-shirt. My Mum wasn't home from work yet, so I decided to do some work over at Mary's house. I cut the grass and was pulling weeds in the flower garden when Mary arrived back home. 

" Harry... You didn't have to do that " said Mary. I jumped bc I didn't hear her come out in the yard. " I don't mind Mary, Its just one less thing for you have to do before you go and thought I'd lend a hand " I said. " Well thank you Harry, I appreciate that... Would you like a glass of sweet tea for all of your hard work? " said Mary. " Yes please " I said, wiping my face and hands off on a bandana I kept in my back pocket. We sat on the patio drinking our iced tea and talked about Mary's family back in the States and why she moved to England. 

"My husband, John, was my first love. He was a lot like you" she said "He was smart, funny and liked to help people". I looked at Mary - she was silently crying. "Please don't cry Mary" I said and reached over and held her hand "I'm fine, Harry.. These aren't sad tears, they're happy tears. Its been 10 years since John passed but I've had Charlie, our sons, and friends to help ease the pain" said Mary.

"Why didn't you stay in the States with them?" I said quietly; "We came here on our honeymoon and decided this was where we wanted to live when we retired" she said " so after he passed, I retired and decided to move here... I've made some wonderful friends and I have Charlie"

"When I come over tomorrow, is it alright if I bring my friend Niall with me? I figure Charlie should meet him bc we hang out a lot and he loves dogs" I said

"Of course you can, Charlie would love to meet him" said Mary "Harry?"

"Yeah?" I said

"Would you mind staying at my house while I'm gone?" asked Mary " Just so Charlie doesn't get lonely at night"

"I have to talk to my Mum about it first" I said "but I don't think that'll be a problem"

"Okay" said Mary

After we finished our iced tea, I headed back home - Mum arrived a few minutes later "Hi Mum" I said "Hi Harry, how was your day?" said Mum. "It was good. I did some yard work for Mary" I said " she asked if I could stay at her house while she's gone so Charlie wont be lonely at night... Is that okay Mum?"

"Of course that's all right love" said Mum "and you can bring him over here if you need to stay home"

"Thanks Mum" I said "How was your day?"

"It was good" said Mum "Why don't I make dinner tonight.. You look tired Mum" I said

"Thank you love, that would be nice" said Mum "Then you go relax and I'll get it started" I said

I made grilled chicken and roasted potatoes w/ green beans & onions. It was my favorite that Mum made that I knew I could make without needing her help. I also made some sweet tea like Mary made (that made Mum smile). After dinner, I washed up the dishes and joined Mum out on the patio - drinking more iced sweet tea and watched the sun set. As it started to get dark, I heard Mum sigh and realized she had fallen asleep. I took care of our glasses and then carried her into the house and up to her room. I laid her on her bed and covered her up with a light blanket and kissed her forehead, I closed the door and went to my room to go to bed.

IN THE MORNING...

I woke up and took a quick shower and got dressed for school. I went down to the kitchen, but Mum wasn't there like usual, so I went back upstairs to wake her up. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer, so I opened the door quietly and peeked inside and saw her still in bed.  
I sat on the edge of the bed and reached over to gently wake her up and could feel heat radiating from her arm. She was burning up.

"Mum?.. Are you okay?" I said

She slowly opened her eyes and started shaking. I didn't know what to do to help her, so I ran over to Mary's house and knocked on the door. Mary opened the door

"Harry? What's wrong?" said Mary

"Can you help me?" I said "My Mum is sick and shaking"

"Oh dear.. Lets go Harry" said Mary as we went back to my house "What's her name?"

"Anne" I said

Mary's POV

"Anne?.. Anne sweetie?.. Its Mary. Harry asked me to come help you sweetie. Can you tell me where you hurt?" I said

"All over... everything hurts" cried Anne

"Okay sweetie.. shh, its all right" I said softly as I rubbed her back trying to get her to relax "Harry, call your school and we'll get you excused for the day so that you can help me take care of her. Then I'm going to give you a list of things we're going to need from the pharmacy.. okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said Harry

Harry called the school and I explained the situation and they excused him for the day. Then I heard him talking to someone named Niall and told him about Anne, but that they were still on for this afternoon. I gave Harry the list and stayed with Anne while he went to the pharmacy. While Harry was gone, Anne's friend Maura had come over and was helping me get Anne to the bathroom for a soak in the bathtub. When Harry got back, I told him to wait in his room till Anne was back in her room.

Harry's POV

I couldn't sit around and do nothing, so I went down to the kitchen and made tea and toast while I waited. 

"Harry... Can you bring me a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeved t-shirt please?" called Maura

I ran upstairs to my room for the clothes and handed them to Maura as she headed back into the bathroom. I waited in the hallway till the door opened. Mum was sitting on the side of the tub as I walked in. I picked her up in my arms and carried her back to her room with Maura & Mary close behind me. A chair had been placed near the bed for someone to sit to keep a watchful eye on my Mum.  
Once she was back in bed, I sat down on the edge and looked at her. She looked better, but she looked so tiny in my clothes and so fragile. Someone had braided her hair to keep ot from getting knots and to keep it off her face & neck.

"Harry, lets go downstairs for a bit and let your Mom sleep" said Mary. I looked at Mary and back at my Mum, not wanting to leave her "She'll be fine, Harry.. come on" I nodded and followed Mary & Maura down to the kitchen.

"What's wrong with her?" I said

"She's just overly tired sweetie.. Sometimes when you don't get enough sleep & worry too much, it causes stress on your body. In your Mom's case, it caused a fever and chills" said Mary to Maura & I

"What can I do to help?" I said

"For now, just let her sleep. We'll be here to help you keep her comfortable" said Mary

"Thank you so much, both of you. I didn't know what to do " I said "She was fine last night, I made dinner and we sat out on the patio, then she fell asleep.. she was fine" as I started crying

Mary wrapped me in a hug "Shhh Harry, I know.. I know. Just breathe, slow breaths in thru your nose and out thru your mouth.. There you go, that's it, just breathe.. shh now" she wiped my tears and rubbed my back as I cried on her shoulder.

After a few minutes, I went upstairs and sat down in the chair in my Mum's room and watched her sleep. I fell asleep too.  
I woke up a few hours later hearing voices in the room. As I opened my eyes, I saw my Mum sitting up in bed talking to Mary. They looked at me as I sat up.

"Hey sleepyhead" said Mum with a smile

"I'll let you two talk" said Mary as she left the room

"How're you feeling Mum?" I said as I sat on hedr bed

"Better now, baby" said Mum "I'm sorry for scarring you this morning" looking at her hands in her lap

"Its okay Mum" I said "but I think we need to talk about why this happened"

She sighed "I'm the parent.. you shouldn't have to worry about this" said Mum

"I know that Mum, but if I can do something to make it easier and less stressful for you, then we need to make a plan and talk about things.. please?" I said

" Alright Harry. We'll talk about it tomorrow for now, let's just take today and relax, okay?" said Mum with tear fulled eyes

"Okay.. What would you like for dinner?.. My treat" I said smiling. She laughed "Pizza" said Mum

"Sounds good to me" I said

Niall came over after school and Maura went home. I carried Mum downstairs to the Livingroom and set her on the couch with a blanket and the remote and went to help Mary in the kitchen

"Did you and your Mom have a nice talk?" said Mary

"Yeah.. we're going to talk more about things tomorrow" I said

"That's good" said Mary

"Mary?" I said

"Yeah?" said Mary

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" I said "We're just having pizza and you can bring Charlie over and we can meet him and visit"

"I'd love to Harry" said Mary "Thank you, I'll go get Charlie"

"Okay.. what do you like on your pizza?" I said

"Pepperoni, mushrooms & onions please" said Mary

"Got it" I said smiling and ordered the pizza while Mary went home to get Charlie.

I opened the door to let them in, but Charlie just sat there on the front porch and didn't move to come inside "Is Charlie alright?" I said

"He's fine Harry" said Mary "He's just waiting to be introduced to everyone.. come on in Charlie" and he stood up and came inside "Charlie, this is Harry.. Harry, this is Charlie"

"Hi Charlie" I said as Charlie raised his paw for me to shake "its nice to meet you"

"woof" barked Charlie

"Wow, he's smart" said Niall

"Mary, this is Niall, my best friend I told you about" I said "Niall, this is Mary, Charlie's Mum"

"nice to meet you Niall" said Mary

"Nice to meet you too Mary" said Niall

"Charlie, this is Niall" said Mary as Charlie raised his paw for Niall to shake

"Nice to meet you Charlie" said Niall

"Woof" barked Charlie and sat still looking around the room but when he saw my Mum on the couch, he whined

"That's Anne, she doesn't feel well, but you can be a gentleman and give her a kiss" said Mary

Charlie walked over to the couch, slowly put is front paws on my Mum's lap and slowly pushed himself up and licked my Mum's chin and then sat down in front of her

"Hello Charlie, are you a good boy?" said Mum

"Woof" barked Charlie and wagged his tail

"What breed of dog is he?" asked Niall

"He's an Irish Setter. My husband John & I used to breed them as show dogs. Charlie was our last pup born before he died so I trained him as a therapy dog, We visit the hospital in the children's ward" said Mary "Charlie brings them stuffed animals and makes them laugh"

"Wow!!" said Niall "I wish I had a dog like Charlie, he's cool" 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Harry's POV (continued)

"How are you feeling Anne?" said Mary as she sat down in the armchair near my Mum

"Much better Mary" said Mum "Thank you so much for helping Harry take care of me and for being there for him this morning"

"You're welcome Anne" said Mary "Harry was so panicked this morning, he reminded me of John when our grand-daughter, PJ was born. He thought he was going to drop her, but she's a tough cookie - just like her Dads & Uncle"

"PJ?" I said

"Her name is Pamela Jane, but she prefers PJ bc Pamela Jane is too girly and so we didn't argue with her" explained Mary

"You mentioned she's graduating from University.. What is she majoring in?" I said

"Athletics and Law Enforcement" said Mary "She got her pilots license last year to fly airplanes and helicopters back in Michigan.. She's thinking of moving here with me"

"How old is she?" said Niall & I in unison

"She's 19 (going on 30)" laughed Mary

"wow" we both said in unison again

"Okay, enough about me and my family.. where are you from Niall?" said Mary "I detect an Irish accent in your voice"

"Yes ma'am.. I'm from Mullingar Ireland" said Niall "My Mum & I moved here 3 years ago. She works with Anne.. She was here earlier today"

Maura is your Mom?" asked Mary

"Yes ma'am" said Niall with a mile wide smile

"Ah.. now I see the family resemblance - you have her smile" said Mary and Niall smiled even more

"Thank you Mary" said Niall, blushing slightly

The pizza finally arrived so we sat in the Livingroom and talked about all kinds of things and what we were going to do next year after graduation

"I'm going into law, like PJ" I said

"I'm going for sound engineering in the music industry" said Niall

"We don't know where we're going to go just yet" I said "We'll be looking at Universities and who offers what courses in September"

"We want to go to the same school so we can share a flat and all that so it wont be so lonely being away from our Mums" said Niall

"Do either of you play any sports?" asked Mary

"I play footie and golf" said Niall

"I just play golf" I said

"Does PJ play any sports?" asked Niall

"She plays baseball, football, soccer, basketball and volleyball - when she has time" said Mary

"Hey Harry, I forgot to tell you" said Niall "tomorrow we're having a field day at school - students against the faculty - so we don't have to wear our uniforms and our parents are invited to come watch us kick the teacher's butts" said Niall with a grin

"Mum, Mary.. do you want to come?" I said "You can bring Charlie"

"Sure, I'd love to.. It sounds like fun" said Mary

"I agree" said Mum

"Woof" barked Charlie, which made everyone laugh

After dinner, Mum was feeling tired so I carried her up to her room and then Niall & I walked Mary & Charlie home, then came back and headed up to my room.

"I like Charlie, he's amazing" said Niall

"I know and to think we get to take care of him for a whole month - starting Saturday" I said

I checked on my Mum one last time before heading off to bed. She was sound asleep so I kissed her forehead and quietly closed the door.

"Is your Mum okay?" asked Niall

"Yeah, she's sleeping now" I said "She's been working too much and worrying about things and made herself sick... I was so scared NI, what if it was something worse than lack of sleep and stress?"

"So what what's your plan?... I know you have one bc I know how you think" said Niall

"I think I should get a job" I said "if I do that then maybe she wont have to worry so much,,, What do you think?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea" said Niall "I've been thinking about that too.. seeing as its our last year of school" as we got ready for bed

'Goodnight Ni" I said  
"Goodnight Haz" said Niall

IN THE MORNING...

Niall and I woke up early so that we had time to shower and relax before heading to school for Field Day. Ni signed us up for the obstacle course - which is the only sport I'm good at, so I'm not so nervous about losing - and the relay race, The parents don't have to be there till 10am so Mum doesn't have to worry about being late.  
Ni took his shower first so that I could help Mum get downstairs if she needs me. She looks better today.. her eyes are sparkling, the color is back in her face and she's smiling. We head into the kitchen and sit at the table so we can talk.

"Mum tell me what made you so sick" I said

"I've been worrying about you graduating & leaving and how to pay for University. I know we have a full year to save for it, but every time I think I'm ahead of the game, I fall backwards with new worries" said Mum

"Okay, well NI & I talked a little last night and we agreed that we should both get a job so that we can help you & Maura save up for University and so that you both don't have to worry so much" I said "What do you think?... Will it help?"

"I think it will help a lot Harry, thank you.. I Love You so much" said Mum

I Love You too, so much" I said as Ni came into the kitchen "I better go take my shower, I'll be back in a bit Mum" and went upstairs

Niall's POV

"Are you okay Anne?" I said

"I'm fine Niall.. I was just thinking" said Anne

"Thinking about what?" I said

"About how much you & Harry are alike and how much you've grown up" said Anne "It makes me wonder how your Mum & I got so lucky to have the best sons ever"

I laughed "I have no clue" I said

"How about some breakfast?... I feel like cooking" said Anne

"Sure.. Anything I can help with?" I said

"You make the toast and Tea and I'll make the scrambled eggs, okay?" said Anne

"Yes ma'am" I said

Harry's POV

I finished my shower, got dressed and went down to the kitchen to make breakfast, Mum & Ni were already doing that, so I grabbed the silverware and jam from the fridge and helped set the table. I handed Mum the plates and we sat down to eat.

"Ni & I are going to the bakery and a few other places about getting jobs after school, so we'll be home after that.. okay?" I said

"Okay Harry.. Good luck, both of you" said Mum

"Thanks Mum" I said  
"Thanks Anne" said Ni

We got to the school and headed for the cafeteria to grab bottles of water and to check in. There was a slight hiccup with the relay race, it was at the same time as the obstacle course, so we withdrew our names from the race and decided to hang out with our families after our event. I was to go up against Mrs. Jeffries, the music teacher and Ni was paired up with Mr. Phillips, the drama teacher... Seriously??.. Oh well :)  
Ni & I were talking with our families, telling them about our plans for getting jobs as Mrs. Jeffries walked up to us to wish us 'good luck'.

"Did I hear you say that you & Niall were going to find jobs, Harry?" asked Mrs. Jeffries

"Yes ma'am, we are. Today after field day" I said

"Do either of you know how to play a musical instrument?" asked Mrs. Jeffries

"Yes ma'am.. I can play piano & drums and Niall can play piano & guitar" I said "Niall is teaching me how to play guitar"

"Come with me for a minute" said Mrs. Jeffries

"Okay" I said and followed her to a table. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something on it and handed it to me

"Come to this address and ask for Linda at 4o'clock today, okay?" said Mrs. Jeffries "And bring Niall with you"

"Okay Mrs. Jeffries, thanks" I said

"You're welcome Harry" said Mrs. Jeffries "We better get back" as the announcer asked participants to gather for the event.

I folded the piece of paper and put it in my back pocket so I wouldn't loosed it. As we walked over to the course, I put my hair up in a bun to keep it out of my eyes so I wouldn't trip. Niall & Mr. Phillips went first. Mr. Phillips finished first (for a drama teacher, he moves pretty fast).   
Mrs. Jeffries & I were next. I made ir rhru the tires, up the rope ladder, across the monkey bars and over to the climbing wall (so far, so good). I got over the wall and down the slide. From there, I headed over to the rope swing and made it over the sand pit, then over the hurdles to the finish line. I finished first and Mrs. Jeffries finished a minute later.  
Now I had to go up against Mr. Phillips and I was nervous bc he's good. We got a 5 minute break to get water before we had to head over to the even bigger rock wall and whoever finished first, won the event. We got our equipment on and hooked up. The buzzer sounded and I started climbing. 

I was in the zone.

All I could think of were all of the trees Ni & I climbed to see how far we could go and I flew up the wall, never looking down. I reached the top and hit the buzzer, signaling I had finished. I grabbed my rope and descended, bouncing my feet off the wall as I made my way to the ground. I got unhooked and took off my gear as Niall ran up to me. 

"YOU WON!!.. YOU WON MATE!!" yelled Ni and gave me a high-five 

'Yeah.. wow!!" I exclaimed as Mr. Phillips came over to me to congratulate me on my win

"Congratulations Harry.. great job!!" said Mr. Phillips and shook my hand

"Thank you sir" I said

Ni & I headed over to our families to watch the other events, seeing as we weren't signed up for anything else. As we watched, I told Ni about the note Mrs. Jeffries gave me. 

"We need to wear trousers and a polo shirt.. Its not too dressy, but we wont look like a couple of bums" I said

"Yeah, I agree.. What time do we need to be there?" asked NI

"4o'clock. If we leave here early, we can take quick showers, dress and be there on time" I said

"Sounds good" said Ni

We took a break and had lunch at the food tent. Mary brought a jug of sweet tea. As we ate our hot dogs & chips, I told everyone about our appointment at 4o'clock.

"Where is it at?" asked Mum

"I don't know, she only wrote down the address" I said "but she did ask if we played any musical instruments, so I'm thinking its at a music shop of some kind... I lookef it up on google maps and its only a couple of miles from our house so its close enough that we can walk there, we wont need the car"

"Are you sure?" asked Mum

"Yeah, I'm sure Mum... I'll know more later and if I need the car, we can work out a schedule.. okay?" I said

"Alright sweetie" said Mum

We left the school at 2o'clock bc Mum was feeling tired, so I drove us home. Ni went to his house and said he'd meet me at mine at 3pm. Mary went to her house to finish packing and said she'd see me in the morning.  
I got Mum settled for a nap and went to take a shower. I threw my clothes in the basket, wrapped a towel around my waist & grabbed a clean pair of boxers and headed to the bathroom. I showered quickly, dried off, put on my boxers, checked on my Mum, then got dressed. She was still sleeping when Ni showed up at 3pm, so I left a note on her bed-side table

Mum,   
Its 3o'clock, so Niall & I are leaving. If you need me call me.   
Don't worry about dinner, I'll bring Chinese home.

Love, Harry xoxo

I grabbed my keys, phone and wallet as we headed out the door. We walked in silence, too nervous to say anything to each other. We arrived at the address about 25 minutes later, and sure enough, it was a music shop - T & L Music Shop, to be exact. We were early, so we went to the coffee shop next door for tea and to pass the time till 4o'clock. The tea and the coffee shop were relaxing and we felt better as we entered the music shop.

"Hello, can I help you?" said the man behind the counter - his name tag said his name was Tom

"Yes sir" I said " Our music teacher told us to come here for a job. My name is Harry Styles and this is Niall Horan. We were told to ask for Linda"

"Okay, feel free to look around" said Tom and picked up the phone "Linda, your 4o'clocks are here" then hung up "She'll be right out"

"Thank you" we said in unison, which made him chuckle

A few minutes later a woman tapped me on the shoulder. As I looked up, I was confused - it was Mrs. Jefferies.

"Hi Harry, Hi Niall, I'm Linda. Come with me please" said Linda

We followed her into the office. She sat behind the desk and motioned for us to have a seat. We looked at each other and shrugged, not knowing what was going on until she spoke.

"I need to explain a few things and ask a few questions before we get started, alright?" said Linda, we nodded as she continued "I'm looking to hire a piano & guitar teachers. For now its just for the summer and after school starts, it will be for Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Sound good so far?" we nodded 

"The job pays $20.00 an hour, 5-7 days a week - depending on how many people sign up for lessons - and payday is every Friday. If there are no lessons scheduled, you'll work in the store doing restock and helping customers." said Linda "When you're here, you can call me Linda, but at school, Mrs. Jeffries. Alright?" said Linda.. we were in shock, so we just noded. She chuckled "Relax boys, you've already got the jobs, this is just a formality.. breathe"

We both exhaled, not realizing we were holding our breath.

'The work hours are Monday thru Friday 12-5, Saturday 12-6, and Sundays 12-4" said Linda "Any questions?"

"I'm dog sitting for my neighbor for the next 4 weeks wile she's visiting family in the States. Is it possible to bring him with me?" I said "He's trained as a therapy dog and is very calm, so he wont be a problem"

"That's not a problem Harry, you can bring him with you" said Linda "Niall? Any questions?"

"No ma'am" said Ni

"Okay then, lets do some paperwork for employment and then I'll show you around" said Linda. While we filled out paperwork, Linda continued talking "What size shirts do you boys wear?"

"Large" I said  
"Medium" said Ni

She walked over to a wardrobe cabinet, pulled out 4 shirts and handed 2 of them to me and the other 2 to Ni

"You can wear jeans or trousers with these shirts while at work, no shorts and we'll get you each a lanyard with an ID badge" said Linda "If you need more shirts, let me know"as we started the tour of the store, Linda continued talking "These are the music rooms where you will give your lessons. At the end of the summer, we will be having a music night with all of your students. Have them write a song that they will each perform - one song per student as well as both of you." said Linda "If you need to use the piano here, that's fine, just let Tom & I know" She showed us the stockroom, breakroom, bathroom, and where the cleaning supplies and checklists are kept.

"We carry sheet music for your lessons and blank sheet music for the students to write their own. There are also folders to keep them in" said Linda "You'll start on Monday, but I want you to come in on Sunday to get your lesson plans, supplies and class information so you'll be ready to go on Monday, okay?'

"Sounds good" we said in unison

We said our good-byes and headed to the Chinese restaurant to place our order. While we waited, I cslled Mary and Ni called his Mum, telling them to meet us at my house at 5:30. We got the food, paid for it and headed home to celebrate.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Harry's POV(continued)

Mary & Charlie showed up with sweet tea and red velvet cupcakes for dessert. Dinner was a flurry of excitement as we told themof the good news. Mary clinked her glass to get our attention.

"I would like to propose a toast to Harry & Niall.. Congratulations on your new jobs. I hope you enjoy it and have fun" said Mary "To Harry & Niall.. salute"

"Here, Here" said Mum and Maura in unison as we clinked our glasses together.

"woof, woof" barked Charlie and we all laughed

After dinner, Mum & Maura washed up the dishes, Ni took care of the leftovers and Mary & I gathered up the cupcakes and tea and headed out to the patio to wait for the others to join us. 

"Here's my number Mary, so you can call me while you're gone" I said

"Thank you Harry and here's mine in case of emergency or to send me pics of Charlie" said Mary

"You're welcome... Whate time is your flight tomorrow?" I said

"11am.. I'm all packed and ready to go" said Mary "I have to be there at 9am for check in"

"Would you like me to drive with you so you don't have to pay for parking?" I said

"That would be great Harry.. Are you sure you don't mind?" said Mary

"I don't mind, really" I said "And then you can call me the day before you come back and I'll pick you up at the airport so you don't have to use a car service to bring you home.. its a win win" and smiled

"Well, alright then, that's settled. Thank you Harry" said Mary and kissed my cheek. I smiled, blushing, as the others joined us

"Mum, I'm going to drive Mary to the airport in the morning so I'll text you when I get there and before I leave so you wont worry, okay?" I said

"Okay Harry, drive safe" said Mum

"I will.. always" I said "Oh, before I forget.. Mary, if there's anything that you need around the house while you're gone, make a list and Niall & I will work on it for you... Niall & I are good at repairs and what not"

"I can do that before I leave and show you where I keep the emergency fund in case Charlie gets sick or hurt and in case you need to purchase anything for repairs" said Mary

"Sounds good" I said

A little while later, Maura & Mary said they needed to go home and said their good-byes. Niall walked Maura to her car and I walked Mary & Charlie home.

"I'll see you at 6am Harry" said Mary

"Yep, see you at 6am.. goodnight... goodnight Charlie" I said as Mary unlocked the door

"woof!" barked Charlie, sat down and lifted his paw for Niall & I to shake, then went inside with Mary

"I still cant believe we have jobs teching people how to play music.. AND its our first job too" said Ni "How did this happen?"

"Right place, right time, I guess" I said

Ni nodded and said "Yeah, I guess so".. We set our alarm for 5:30am and went to bed exhausted.

IN THE MORNING...

When our alarm buzzed the next morning, we got up and dressed in joggers and hoodies and went downstairs to make coffee & toast. Mum was sitting at the table reading the newspaper

"Good Morning boys" said Mum cheerfully

"Morning" we said in unison as I poured us both a cup of coffee, sat down at the table and ate a couple pieces of toast Mum offered us. We sat quietly (Ni & I are definitely NOT morning people) till the caffeine kicked in and we started to fully wake up

"We better get going.. See you around noon Mum" I said and kissed her cheek

"Bye Anne" said Anne and gave her a hug

"Bye boys.. Drive safe please" said Mum

"Always.. I Love You Mum" I said

"I Love You too Harry" said Mum

"I Love you Anne" said Ni

"I Love You too NIall" said Mum, smiling

I grabbed my phone and wallet and slid them into the pockets of my hoodie as we headed to Mary's house. I knocked on the door and waited.

"COME IN HARRY" yelled Mary from inside

I opened the door as Ni & I walked inside. The layout of Mary's house was the same as ours. It was comfortably furnished with a couch, 2 armchairs, a coffee table, pictures hanging on the walls, a piano in the corner, an entertainment center w/ a TV, stereo and knick-knacks,  
Mary came down the stairs wearing dark blue sweatpants and a blue & gold University of Michigan hoodfie and lugging her suitcase and a backpack. Her hair was pulled back in a long ponytail. She looked different than she had since I met her. Usually she wore dresspants & jumpers with her hair pulled back in a bun, but now, she looked younger (too young to have a grand-daughter). Ni ran over to the stairs to help take her suitcase as I stood there nstaring at her.

"Harry?.. Are you okay?" asked Mary

"Huh?.. What?... Oh, I'm fine Mary" I stuttered, blushing slightly for being caught starring 

"Let me show you where things are before we leave" said Mary

I nodded and followed her into the Livingroom. She reached up and grabbed a small box off the book shelf, opened it and took out a set of keys. She then walked over to a desk and unlocked a drawer. In the drawer was a metal lockbox and unlocked it.

"This is the emergency fund, if you have to use it, take what you need and be sure to put the invoice in here, okay?" said Mary

I nodded. She reached in and counted some money and put it in an envelope then she wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to me. It said:

'PAY TO THE ORDER OF: Harry Styles, $400.00 for the care of Charlie' - SIGNED Mary I. Williams

"Sign your name under mine, please" said Mary

I signed my name and handed it back to her. She took the paper and put it in the lockbox and handed me the envelope as she put everything away and returned the keys back to the small box and set it back on the shelf.

"There's a file box on my desk that has all of my contacts with phone numbers.. like Charlie's vet, my accountant, my sons - Liam & Louis, if you have any problems and you have my number as well" said Mary

"Okay.. Hey why don't take some pictures real quick before we leave" I said "That way you have some to show your family"

"Okay" said Mary and smiled

We headed over to the couch. Ni & I sat down and Charlie sat in fron of us as Mary took the picture.

"Okay Mary, come sit between Ni & I and we'll take a few group pics on each of our phones" I said

"Alright" said Mary as she sat down.. we took the photos then loaded up the car

The drive to the airport was quiet. I drove with mary in the passenger seat and Ni & Charlie in the backseat. When we got to the airport, we parked in the 'drop off' lot and we all walked Mary to the security checkpoint and then to the terminal gate to check in.  
We sat and waited for the boarding call was announced, then we hugged Mary, wished her a safe flight and to text when she landed (not being sure of the time difference was).

"I will" said Mary as she knelt down to kiss Charlie "You be good Charlie, Mommy's gonna miss you baby" Charlie whimpered and kissed her chin

"He'll be good, wont you Charlie?" I said

"woof" barked Charlie

"Time to go" said Mary as she grabbed her bags and walked towards the gate.

We stayed till the plane left to taxi down the runway then we headed back to the care to head home. Before we left the parking lot, I texted my Mum

TO: Mum  
FROM: Harry  
Mary made her flight and we're on our way home. Do you need me to pick up anything on our way?

TO: Harry  
FROM: Mum  
I'm glad. No love, we don't need anything. We're going to have leftover Chinese for lunch. See you when you get home.

TO: Mum  
FROM: Harry  
Okay Mum. See you soon xoxo

I locked my phone and put it back in my pocket. We pulled out of the lot and headed home. We had been driving for a while when Charlie started whining.

"What's wrong Charlie?" I said

"I think he needs to take a wee" said Ni

"woof" barked Charlie

"Okay Charlie, just a second, lets find a park and take a break... K?" I said

"woof, woof" barked Charlie

We found a dog park and pulled up. I put Charlie's leash on as we got out and walk thru the gate and walked around for a bit. I pulled put my phone and sent my Mum a quick text..

TO: Mum  
FROM: Harry  
We had to make a stop at a park so Charlie could take a wee. I didn't want you to worry if we were a little late.

TO: Harry  
FROM: Mum  
Okay love. Take your time and let Charlie run around for a bit.

TO: Mum  
FROM: Harry  
okay

I locked my phone and put it back in my pocket. As we walked Charlie, I pulled out the envelope Mary gave me and handed Ni $200.00.

"What's this for?" asked Ni

"Its your half of the money for helping me take care of Charlie" I said

"You don't have to pay me Harry" said Ni

"If you hadn't said he needed to wee, he would've gone in the car" I said "Take it, besides you can use the money for new strings for your guitar seeing as we start work on Monday"

"Thanks mate" said Ni

"No problem mate" I said

We stayed at the park for about 30 minutes then got back in the car and continued on home. We pulled into Mary's driveway and headed over to my house. We walked thru the door, took off our shoes and went into the kitchen. There was a note on the table.

Harry,   
I'm at Maura's for a little bit. Text me when you see this.

LOve, Mum oxox

TO: Mum  
FROM: Harry

Hey Mum, got your note. We're home.

TO: Harry  
FROM: Mum  
I was jusdt walking out the door. Be there in a few minutes love

"Mum was at your house. She's on her way back" I said "W hy don't we heat up the leftover Chinese and start some tea so its ready when she gets here"

"Yeah okay" said Ni

Ni started the kettle and set 3 cups at the table with silverware while I plated up and heated the Chinese. Ni was just pouring the water in the teacups as Mum walked thru the door. 

" Hi Mum, we've got lunch ready" I said from the kitchen

"Hi boys.. Thank you.. How was the drive?" said Mum

"Long and quiet, but we made it there and back without a hitch" I said

"Oh good" sighed Mum (I could tell she was worried)

"How was your morning, Mum?" I asked

" It was quiet, I did some laundry, the Maura called from the grocery store bc her car wouldn't start, so I went and picked her up & gave her a lift home" said Mum "WE had to wait for the towtruck to take it to the auto repair shop before we could leaver"

"That dumb car!!.. Seems like its always broken down lately. She needs to just get a newe car already. It was old when she bought it 3 years ago" said Ni

"She'll get a new car eventually Niall, but until that happens, she's going to ride to work with me and get the car fixed" said Mum

"Maybe now that we have jobs, we could help your Mum get a new car Ni?" I said "I figure if we both put our first 2 or 3 pay checks together, we could at least put a down payment on one.. Its worth a try at least"

"That sounds like a good idea, Haz" said Ni

"Its definitely a good start" said Mum

"Yeah, lets do it... Anything is better than that piece of junk she's got now" said Ni "Anne, don't tell my Mum, I want it to be a surprise, okay?"

"I wont say a word Niall" said Mum "This is one surprise I'm going to love seeing"

"Harry?" said Ni

"What?.. Don't give me that look, it was my idea" I said "Fine!! I solemnly swear not to say anything to Maura"

I rolled my eyes in exasperation bc if there's one thing Mum & I share (other than DNA and our address), is the fact that neither of us can keep a secret. So we'll probably tell someone who CAN keep a secret just so we don't slip up and tell Maura.  
After lunch, Mum suggested that we all should go to the lake and go swimming and relax. So Ni & I put our swim shorts on while Mum called Maura and got ready. We put our bags and beach chairs in the trunk, then I went to Mary's and put some food, treats and toys in a bag for Charlie, picked up Maura and headed to the lake.  
When we got to the lake, Ni & I unloaded the bags & chairs and hooked up Charlie's leash and went to find a spot near the shoreline. While we were setting up the chairs, Mrs. Jeffries and her family showed up.

"HI Harry, Hi Niall" said Linda

"Hi Mrs. Jeffries.. Having a Beach Day?" I said

"Yeah, you too I see.. Who's this?" said Linda as she looked at Charlie

This is Charlie.. Charlie, this is Linda, my new boss lady. Can you say hello?" I said

"woof" barked Charlie

"Nice to meet you Charlie" said Linda as two kids came over and sat down on the blanket with Linda

"Are these your children?" I said

"This is Sarah and Brian.. kids this is Harry & Niall, they work at the shop and this is Charlie" said Linda as she made the introductions "Sarah will be one of your students for piano lessons this summer Harry... I've tried to teach her but she doesn't see me as a teacher, so I told her that she could learn at the shop and then we can practice at home"

"Oh cool.. well Sarah, this is a first for both of us, and our first lesson is you can call me Haz, alright?" I said

"Okay Haz" said Sarah

"Are you taking lessons too Brian?" said Ni

"No, I'm spending the summer at footie camp" said Brian

"Who's your favorite team?" asked Ni

"Masnchester United" said Brian "Who's yours?"

"Derby County" said Ni

"That's an Irish Team" said Brian

"That's bc I'm Irish mate" chuckled Ni

"Oh.. that's cool" said Brian "You gotta support the home team at all times, right?"

"Absolutely mate" said Ni

"Okay, enough chit-chat lets go swimming.. come on Charlie" I said "Ladies enjoy the quiet as the five of us ran into the water. We swam till it was almost time to go, so we went to dry off till then. Sarah & Brian gave Charlie treats while our suits dried.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

We dropped Niall & Maura off at their house (NI will be over in the morning to go to the shop). When we got home, Mum made dinner while I gave Charlie a bath to get the sand out of his fur. When I was done, dinner was ready. I gave Charlie his food and we sat down to eat. After dinner, I washed the dishes and made some tea while Mum & Charlie went out to the patio. I made our tea and joined them. Charlie was sitting at Mums feet with his head in her lap while she carded her fingers thru his furred head. I took out my phone and snapped a picture.   
This one is going in my personal collection along with the group selfie we took this morning. I don't have many photos in my collection, but that's okay, These photos are the 'kodak moments' that only happen once every so often... they become the special memories of calm when life feels out of control. I locked my phone and put it in my oocket, realizing that I need to keep it on hand at all times just to document my time with Charlie.

After we finished our tea, we headed inside and up to bed, today was a long day. As I got in bed, Charlie climbed up and laid his head on my pillow next to mine. I kissed his temple "Goodnight Charlie" I said and fell asleep.

I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing. When I picked it up, I saw a text from Mary:  
TO: Harry   
FROM: Mary  
I guess I have some competition. haha. I forgot to tell make sure Charlie doesn't get water in his ears. If he starts scratching his ears, take him to the vet, the name and address are in the file box on my desk. And take the pick-up truck, the keys are in the drivers side sun visor.

Have a good day Harry.. give Charlie a hug for me  
Love, Mary  
I sent a reply:

TO: Mary  
FROM: Harry  
I'm glad you made it safely. We had a good day yesterday. I'll keep and eye on Charlie's ears. You never left me a to-do list so if there's anything that comes to mind, text me. Tell your family I said 'hello' and have a great time. We miss you

Love, Harry & Charlie

and clicked send. I looked over at Charlie (still sleeping) and took a picture to send to Mary with the caption 'we had a sleepover'. I dent the picture, then put it on my screen saver, rolled over and went back to sleep for another hour. The next time I woke up, it was bc Charlie needed to go wee.

"I got a text from Mary this morning, she made it safely and that if Charlie starts scratching at his ears, he needs to go to the vet bc he may have gotten water in them yesterday" I said to Mum as I made a cup of coffee " Ni & I also have to go to the music shop to pick up our ID's & lesson plans. We'll take Charlie with us.. we're also stopping off at the hardware store & nurseryfor some things to do over at Mary's for the week. Mary said for me to use her pick-up truck to haul the supplies"

"Okay love.. I have laundry to do so I'll be busy for a while getting things ready for work tomorrow" said Mum

I texted Ni as I went upstairs to get dressed,

TO: Ni  
FROM: Haz  
Get up lazy bones and get dressed. Charlie & I will be there in 15 minutes to pick you up. Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty cuz we got work to do today at Mary's house

TO: Haz  
FROM: Ni  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm up. See you in 15.

I grabbed my phone & wallet and hooked Charlie's leash and headed to Mary's house. I grabbed some money for the hardware store & nursery and got in the truck with Charlie

"You need to be a good boy Charlie. We've got a lot of work to do today for Mary. You want to help me surprise her?" I said

"woof" barked Charlie

We pulled out of the driveway and headed to Ni's house. I honked the horn to signal to Ni we were here. He walked up to my door looking confused.

"Get in the other door idgit" I said laughing

"This is weird" said Ni as he got in

' I know, but its an American truck so we don't have a choice mate" I said "We'll head to the music shop first and then we're going to pick up some things from the hardware store and some plants from the nursery for a surprise for Mary. Hence the grubby clothes and work boots"

"Cool.. What's your plan?" said Ni

"I was thinking of some flowers in window boxes, a few rose bushes, and an arbor with morning glories or climbing roses" I said "If we get them planted now they'll be full and blooming when she gets back.. so we have all week after work to get it done"

"We can buy the window boxes and arbor already assembled. So all we need is dirt and plants. We could have this done by dinner time tonight" said Ni

"Wow, okay... See, I wouldn't have known that, if you weren't helping me with Charlie. Aren't you glad I gave you half of the money now?" I said

"Yeah, okay, you made your point" said Ni and chuckled

We walked into the music shop and knocked on the office door "Come in" said Linda loudly

"Hi Linda" we said in unison

"woof" barked Charlie

She looked up from her desk as we came in "whoa you two look rough" said Linda

"We've got some yard work to do for Mary today so we came here before heading to the hardware store" I said

"Ah okay, that explains the rough looking clothes" said Linda "You've each got 5 students, all beginners, and here are your ID badges.. Go ahead and get your supplies and have Tom ring them up as 'office supplies' and then you can be on your way... If you have any questions before tomorrow, give me a call"

"Okay.. See you tomorrow" I said

We grabbed dual-pocket folder, beginners guitar & piano lesson books and packs of blank sheet music. Tom rang them up and gave the invoices to Linda.

NEXT STOP THE HARDWARE STORE AND NURSERY

We grabbed a couple of trollies and headed to the garden center of the hardware store. Ni started loading up a trolley with bags of dirt, peet moss and mulchand a shovel (to dig the holes) and then loaded up the other trolley with rose bushes, shrubs, flats of wildflowers and 4 peony bushes (2 for Mary & 2 for Mum) at this point I realized wer'd need to make 2 trips for the window boxes & arbor bc there wasn't any room left to put them in ( and to get more money).  
We unloaded the truck and had my Mum watch Charliewhile we went back for the window boxes and arbor. I grabbed the money I needed and we were off. We came back with the boxes and arbor and got to work.

We set 2 peony bushes in Mary's back yard and the others in mine. WE set the rose bushes where they were going to be planted, placed the arbor at the head of the walkway next to the driveway and the window boxes around the perimeter of the patio in the back yard. We opened bags of dirt & peet moss and mixed them together then filled up the arbor's planter boxes. We planted the climbing roses in each box and watered them with plant food for roses.

Next we planted the rose bushes adding dirt & peet moss and watered them with the plant food { we did this 22 times.. yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I went overboard. Niall already yelled at me for it. But it will be worth it in the end, you just wait and see}. We took a break and Mum brought us sandwiches and lemonade.

"Wow!.. You boys have been busy. Its going to be beautiful when it blooms" said Mum

While Mum & Ni talked, my phone buzzedwith a text from Mary and her family. the caption said:

left to right

me, PJ, Liam, Zayn, & Louis

I stared at the photo. Mary was wearing a blue halter dress with her hair long and flowy. She was beautiful. I couldn't stop staring at the photo. I was brought out of my thoughts when Ni hit the back of my head

"Haz!!… Whatcha staring at mate?" said Ni

"Huh?.. Oh, I got a picture from Mary" I said and showed them. My phone buzzed again with a new text

TO: Harry  
FROM: Mary  
You'll be getting some boxes delivered to my house. I know you'll be working, so I've asked my friend, Ellie to come over during your work hours, in case they arrive before you get home. Can you make sure they get put in the two guest rooms please  
Love, Mary

TO: Mary  
FROM: Harry  
Sure. Does your friend have a key? or should I leave the door unlocked?

TO: Harry  
FROM: Mary  
No, I told her to be there at 10am so that you can let her in.

TO: Mary  
FROM: Harry  
Alright.. Let her know that I'll be there. I have to go, you have a good day, Charlie says 'woof'. We miss you.

TO: Harry  
FROM: Mary  
I miss you too. Good luck at work tomorrow and have a goodnight Harry. Tell your Mom & Maura I said 'hello'

TO: Mary  
FROM: Harry  
I will

"Mary is having some boxes delivered priority shipping this week. Her friend Ellie is going to be here tomorrow morning at 9am in case they're delivered while we're at work" I said "so we need to stay the night at Mary's tonight to make sure Ellie doesn't tell Mary and ruin the surprise"

"Okay harry, well you better get get back to work so you'll be done in time for dinner"said Mum

"Yeah, we still have a couple of hours of work left to do" said Ni

"Are you staying for dinner Niall?" said Mum

"No, I have to get my work stuff together and spend time with my Mum" said Ni

'I'll drive Ni home when we finish up" I said

We planted the peony bushes and got started on the window boxes and sure enough, 2 hours later, we were done. We put all of the tools and remaining bags of dirt, peet moss, and mulch in the garage, washed up and drove Ni home. When I got back, I got in the shower and put on a pair of joggers and a t-shirt and went downstairs for dinner.  
After dinner, Charlie & I went to Mary's house to spend the night. I was feeling restless with nervous energy over my lesson plan and being in Mary's house. I put the invoices in the lockbox and as I was locking up the drawer, I saw a photo in a gold frame... It was of a man in a suit, his head was bowed and a tear was running down his cheek. I remembered the phtot Mary sent me, so I knew this wasn't Liam or Louis, so this must be John.   
I walked around looking at all of the framed photos: The photos of Mary's life. The family photo of a happy family, of Mary on her Wedding day, Mary sitting in an armchair sleeping with a baby on her chest, a photo of PJ hanging upside down from a tree branch, Mary & PJ making snow angels and then I saw a set of 3 photos - they were all attached with hinges - the photos were of John & Mary before the wedding, with a photo in the middle of 2 hands with rings on their fingers resting on a bouquet of roses. The frame was engraved - John & Mary, June 1 , 1980 'True love lasts forever'

I found a photo album that said 'Mary 06-01-1964' on it, so I sat down on the couch to look at it. There were baby pictures, school photos, holiday and birthday photos. While I was looking thru the pictures, I noticed that Mary has greenish-blue eyes, has always had long hair and that PJ looks a lot like Mary. "Mary & John were really young when they got married" I said to myself "She was only 16" I couldn't imagine getting married at 16 having never had a girlfriend. I pulled out my phone and texted my sister, if anyone had an idea what I was feeling or thinking, it was Gemma.

TO: Gemma  
FROM: Harry  
Hey Gem, you busy?

TO: Harry  
FROM: Gemma  
Hey bug. No, I'm not busy. You need to talk?

TO: Gemma  
FROM: Harry  
Yeah  
My phone rand - it was Gemma  
GEMMA: Hey bug.. What's bothering you?

HARRY: Hey Gem, nothing.. really?

GEMMA: Okay, anytime you turn a statement into a question, something is always bothering you so spill it Harry

HARRY: Okay *sigh* What's it like to be in Love?

GEMMA: Whoa, back up Harry, since when do you have a girlfriend? or is it a boyfriend?

HARRY: I don't have either one

GEMMA: Then why did you ask?

HARRY: Well I have met someone, but I don't know if what I'm feeling is just a crush or Love

GEMMA: Ah, okay bug... Let me ask a question

HARRY: Shoot

GEMMA: When you're around this person, how do you feel?

HARRY: My heart races, I'm in awe all the time, my brain goes blank and it gets hard to breathe sometimes

GEMMA: Okay and how do you feel when they're not around?

HARRY: Like I want to sit in the corner and mope, but when I get a text or a picture from them my stomach gets butterflies

GEMMA: Oh bug.. It sounds like you're in puppy love... Its called puppy love bc its your first love and kinda bowls you over.. You have to tend to it like a garden.. The more in Love you get, the more it takes root in your heart and blooms into something beautiful

HARRY: What if the person is older?

GEMMA: How much older?

HARRY: A lot older

GEMMA: Harry? How old is this person?

HARRY: 47

GEMMA: WHAT!?!

HARRY: Yeah

GEMMA: Harry Edward Styles!!.. That's a huge age difference.. Start talking Mister

HARRY: Fine, but you seriously need to calm down and stop yelling at me

GEMMA: I'll calm down when I get the full story... I do have one question before you tell this story tho

HARRY: Okay, What?

GEMMA: Is this person Male or Female?

HARRY: Female... Her name is Mary

GEMMA: Okay, start talking Mister

I told her the whole story and she didn't say one word the whole time. When I finished, Gem finally spoke

GEMMA: How does she feel about you?

HARRY: I don't know honestly, I've only known her for 3 days before she left to go to the States to visit family, and she'll be gone fgor 4 weeks. Ni & I drove her to the airport yesterday and we'll be picking her up when she returns

GEMMA: I think you should tell her how you feel

HARRY: I'll try, Ni & I start our new jobs tomorrow so I'm gonna be pretty busy for at least a week, but I'll try, I promise

GEMMA: Okay bug

HARRY: You want to see a picture of Mary?

GEMMA: Yes please

I sent the picture we took yesterday

GEMMA: Wow!.. She's pretty.. Are you sure she's 47? bc she looks younger, like 32 or 33

HARRY: Yeah I'm sure, I found a photo album with her name and birthdate on it.. It says 'Mary 06-01-1964

GEMMA: Okay, I believe you... Where's Mum?

HARRY: At home.. I'm at Mary's house.. Charlie needed to sleep at his house tonight

Yeah, I lied, partially.. sue me

HARRY: I don't have to be at work till noon so I'll see Mum before she goes to work.. You want me to have her call you tomorrow?

GEMMA: Yeah, that would be nice

HARRY: Okay, just don't tell her what we talked about. I'll tell her after I've talked to Mary

GEMMA: I wont tell her bug.. Keep me in the loop and good luck tomorrow

HARRY: I will and thanks Gem.. Goodnight

GEMMA: You're welcome... Goodnight bug ( and hung up )

I set my alarm, put the photo album on the shelf and went upsatairs to Mary's room with Charlie in tow. Mary's room was painted light blue with white lace curtains, a large wardrobe closet, a vanity with a stool and a king size bed. Her room smelled like lavender & vanilla - just like Mary.  
Charlie & I got in bed and laid down.. "Oh God, her pillow smelled like her too!.. How am I going to get thru the next 4 weeks?... This is gonna be rough" I thought as I drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

My alarm went off at 7:30am.. sunlight streamed thru the curtains. I grabbed my phone and sent Mum a text..

TO: Mum  
FROM: Harry  
Morning Mum.. I talked to Gem last night, she said to call her when you get home from work. Have as good day and I'll see you later tonight.  
Love, Harry xoxo

TO: Harry  
FROM: Mum  
Thanks love.. You have a good day too.. I'll call your sister  
Love, Mum xo

I let Charlie out to wee while I made a cup of coffee then we went out to the front yard to check on the new plants. There wads something missing. The picture in my head didn't look the same as the yard. Then I realized what was missing "I FORGOT THE BIRDBATH!!!" and smacked my forehead. Oh well, I'll pick it up on my way home this afternoon. Charlie sat down and started scratching his ears.

'Your ears hurt, Charlie?" I asked

"woof" he whimper barked

"Okay, I'll call the vet and get you feeling better boy" I said as I rubbed his head,, I found the number and called the vet

THE VET: Hello?

HARRY: Hello, I'm Harry Styles, I'm calling about my neighbor's dog, Charlie. He's been scratching at his ears. Can I bring him in this morning?

THE VET: Charlie.. Charlie.. Oh! Charlie, Irish Setter... belongs to Mary Williams, right?

HARRY: Yes sir.. I'm taking care of him while Mary is on holiday for the month

THE VET: Sorry about that, I'm not at the office yet.. I can come to you if its more convenient 

HARRY: Oh okay, that would be great.. Thank you sir

THE VET: Its no trouble and please call me Robin... What's the address?

HARRY: 4132 Apple Grove Lane

ROBIN: I can be there in an hour.. Is that alright?

HARRY: That's perfect, see you then Robin

ROBIN: Yep, see you then Harry ( and hung up )

Charlie & I went back outside to talk to my Mum before she left for work.. while we were talking, Robin arrived.

"Are you Harry?" said Robin

"Yes I am.. Robin?" I said

"Nice to meet you Harry" said Robin

"Same.. Robin, this is my Mum - Anne" I said "Mum, this is Robin - Charlie's vet

"Nice to meet you Robin" said Mum

"Nice to meet you too, Anne" said Robin

"I had better get to work. Have a good day, both of you" said Mum and kissed my cheek

"Bye Mum, drive safe & don't work too hard.. Love you" I said "lets go in the house, shall we?.. Come on Charlie"

We got in the house aznd Robin sat on the cvouch and checked Charlie's ears.

"Yep you have an ear infection in both ears Charlie" said Robin "put 2 drops of medicine in each ear, twice a day for one week, then bring him to the office next Monday at 10am for a follow up ear exam"

"Okay.. How much do I owe you?" I asked

"$150, seeing as this wasn't an office visit" said Robin

"Would you mind signing an invoice for Mary's records?" I asked

"I don't mind at all" said Robin

I filled out an invoice and had Robin sign it as I got the money out of the lockbox.

"Thanks again for coming over to see Charlie" I said as I shook his hand

"Ity was my pleasure Harry" said Robin "Can I ask you something Harry?"

"Sure" I said

"Is your Mum.. um... married?" asked Robin, nervously

"No, divorced" I said

"Can I ask her out on a date?" asked Robin

"Sure.. here's her number" I said as I entered her number in his phone "She works Monday thru Friday 9-5, and has Saturdays & Sundays off.. just saying" I chuckled

"Good to know, thank you Harry" said Robin

"You're welcome Robin" I said "Make her laugh, respect her opinion, and don't break her heart"

"I can do that" said Robin

As Robin was leaving, Ellie arrived "Hi, you must be Harry, I'm Ellie" she said

"Hi Ellie" I said

"Mary's yard looks great.. Did you do this?" asked Ellie

"Yes I did, along with a friend of mine" I said

"Well you did an amazing job" said Ellie

"Thank you.. Don't tell Mary, she doesn't know about this and I want it to be a surprise when she gets back" I said pleadingly

"I wont say a word, I promise" said Ellie

"Would you like some coffee or tea?" I said

"Tea, please" said Ellie

"When the boxes arrive, leave them in the Livingroom. My friend & I will put them in the guestrooms when we get off from work" I said "Charlie will be going with me to work, so you can relax.. my number is in the file box on the desk if you need anything... I have to go home and get ready for work"

"Okay, Have a good day" said Ellie

"Thanks.. Come on Charlie" I said as I put the keys in my pocket, I texted Ni

TO: Ni  
FROM: Haz  
Hey Ni, you up? Get dressed and text me when you're ready, I'm driving

TO: Haz  
FROM: Ni  
I'm up ands dressed, I was just tuning up my guitar and loading up my backpack. Sere you when you get here

TO: Ni  
FROM: Haz  
I'll be there in 45 minutes

I got dressed, loaded up my backpack, grabbed my phone, wallet, keys & work ID and put them in my pocket. I gathered up some dog food, treats and Charlie's leash, along with a coupled of bowls and put them in a smaller backpack.  
We picked up take out for lunch on our way to work, we clocked in and I grabbed 10 journals for our students so they can write down their ideas for the song they have to write. The day went by fast. Sarah was my last student of the day, showing up at 4o'clock. She ran into the room and right up to Charlie.

"Charlie!! I missed you!" said Sarah as she fell to the floor and hugged him

"woof" barked Charlie

"Hi Sarah.. Where's my hug?" I said and faked a pouty face

"Haz!!" said Sarah and ran into my arms as we hugged each other "Are you ready to get started?"

"I'm ready when you re" I said "Why don't you show me how much you 'didn't' learn from your Mum first"

"Okay" said Sarah

I clicked on the intercom that was linked to the office, knowing Linda would hear it. Sarah knew the scales top to bottom & bottom to top, could read music and play each note correctly, so I asked her:

"Why didn't you let your Mum teach you?" I asked

"Um.. bc I got nervous all the time and we weren't having fun, but I couldn't tell her that without hurting her feelings.. she's my Mum" said Sarah

"I can understand that, but I want you to do something for me, okay?" she nodded as I continued talking "Let your Mum help you practice, if you need it and talk to her. She'll listen and understand, okay?" I said

"Okay Haz" said Sarah and I clicked off the intercom "Haz? Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure Sarah" I said

"Can you help me write a song for my Mum?" asked Sarah

"I sure can, any help you need, just ask" I said "Here's a journal. I want you to write down everything... ideas, thoughts, feelings, funny stories, and anything that made you sad or angry. They will help us write your song, okay?"

"Okay" said Sarah

"And we'll look at it and work on it at the end of every week and if we get stuck, we can ask Niall to take a look at it (he's good at that)" I said with a wink.. that made her giggle

The weeks flew by. Mary & I texted every night before I went to sleepand every morning before work. Before I knew it, there was only one week left before she came back. The boxes had arrived and were in the guestrooms waiting. Mary said that her family would be returning with her on Saturday so I would drive the truck and Niall would drive Mary's care to pick everyone up. Linda gave us Saturday off, so I asked Mum & Maura to help plan a 'welcome home' b-b-q party.   
Robin will man the grill, Mum & Maura offered to make the side dishes and sweet tea, and Ni & I will bring the guests - Gemma would be there before we got back. I put a blindfold in my pocket to cover Mary's eyes for the big reveal back home.   
Friday finally came and I told my students after each class that there wouldn't be any class the next day but they could come in and practice or take the day off and I would see them on Sunday for our weekly writing session.

"How are you doing on your song Sarah?" I asked

"Its going good. I think its almost done, I just can't play it & sding it at the same time, I keep hitting the wrong notes" said Sarah

"Okay, we'll work on it on Sunday nand see what the problem is" I said

"Okay" sighed Sarah and relaxed

Saturday morning, everyone was up and already getting busy with their jobs. Gem surprised us by showing up yesterday so she is helping Mum & Maura as Ni & I headed to the airport. I called Ni's phone and we put them on speaker so that we could stay in contact on the drive to and from the airport. I took the lead. We parked our cars and walked to the gate & then to the private lounge - PJ was flying them home. The pulled up to a stop outside of the lounge and a few minutes later everyone headed for the lounge. Mary came thru the door first, followed by PJ and the others.

"CHARLIE!!!" yelled Maryas she ran to him - leaving her bags behind "Oh!! I missed you so much" as she hugged him, crying

"woof, woof, woof" Charlie was jumping all over whimpering and barking with excitement

"Harry!! Niall!!" cried Mary as we joined her in a group hug - she was still crying

"Welcome home Mary" we said in unison, gaining laughs from the others

She laughed as we pulled apart, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. I grabbed Mary's bags, Niall grabbed PJ's bags and the guys grabbed theirs and we headed to the parking lot. We put the suitcases in the truck bed and closed the tailgate. 

"PJ, Liam, Louis, & Zayn will ride with Niall and Mary will ride with me & Charlie" I said "Ni, keep your phone on speaker, I'll take the lead"

I called Ni's phone, again, and put it on sdpeaker as we pulled out of the parking lot.   
after a while...

"Hey Ni, lets stop off at that dog park so Charlie can take a wee and everyone can stretch their legs" I said

"Sounds good Haz, we're right behind you mate" said Ni

A short time later, we arrived at the dog park and everyone got out.

"Ni you take Charlie and the others, I need to talk to Mary for a minute" I said

"Okay Haz" said Ni "Come on Charlie" as they walked towards the gate to the park

"Mary... um... there's a summer formal at the school next Friday, and... um... will you be my date?" I asked nervously

"That's sweet of you to ask, but..." said Mary

"But?" I said

"Wont your Mom be concerned that I'm your date?" said Mary "I mean with our age difference?"

"No, I already told her I was going to ask you. She was a little hesitant at first, but seeing as how everyone has a date, except you & me, she said that was fine" I said

"Oh, okay then, I would love to go with you" said Mary

"Now that that's settled" I said and took out the blindfoldout of my pocket and gave it to her "I have a surprise for you when we get home, so here's a blindfold to put on when I tell you, okay?"

"A surprise? Harry Styles, what did you do?" said Mary with a shocked look on her face

"You'll see.. besides, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise now, would it" I chuckled as we entered the park to join the others "Hey Ni? Did you ask her?"

"Yep, You?" said Ni

"Yeah we're all good" I said smiling and texted Gem for an update

TO" Gem  
FROM: Haz  
Is everything all set?

TO: Haz  
FROM: Gem  
Yep, we're almost ready.. It'll be ready when you get here... Did you ask her?

TO: Gem  
FROM: Haz  
Yeah and she said yes, so do a happy dance now so you can enjoy the party lol

TO: Haz  
FROM: Gem  
Oh shut up lol

"Everything set Haz?" said Ni

"Yep, right on schedule" I said

A short time laster, we were back on the road. As we approached the music shop, I had Mary put on the blindfold.

"When we get to the house, stay in the truck. I'll help you out. okay Mary?" I said

"Alright" said Mary "I'll be honest, I'm a little scared about this surprise of yours"

"Don't be scared, trust me, you have nothing to be scared of" I said and squeezed her hand and she relaxed

We pulled into the driveway and I walk over to Mary's door as Ni and everyone got out of the car. I opened the door and took Mary's hands to help her stand up.

"Now stand right here, that's it and when I count to 3, you can take the blindfold off. Ready?" I said

"Ready" said Mary

"1... 2... 3!" I said

She removed the blindfold and opened her eyes

"Holy Mother of God!!" said Mary as she looked around at the yard "Oh my God! Harry! You did this?"

"Yeah, with help from Niall" I said as she walked thru the arbor still holding my hand

"Its absolutely beautiful Harry, when did you do all of this?" asked Mary

"The day after you left" I said

"Why?" asked Mary as she looked at me

"Because I'm in love with you" I whispered

"Oh Harry" she cried as she kissed me and said in a whisper "I think I love you too"

I was so happy I kissed her again, this time to an echo of shocked gasps and forgot we weren't alone.

"Oops" Mary & I said in unison as we pulled apart. I cleared my throat.

"Lets take the bags in the house.. there's another surprise out back" I said

I opened the tailgate and removed the bags and suitcases and then we headed into the house. I put Mary's bags in her room, Ni put PJ's in the guestroom, and Louis, Liam & Zayn took theirs to their rooms and then we asll went out to the backyard. I held Mary's hand as I showed her the flower boxes and peonies.

"Why are there ants all over the peonies?" asked Mary

"They attract the ants and the ants feed on the nectar which keeps the ants away from the house" I said, telling her what Ni had said

"Oh well that's a good thing" said Mary

"Everyone, the food is ready, lets say Grace and dig in" Robin announced "Anne, will you lead us please"

"Lord, bless this food and thank you for bringing Mary and her family home safe and sound. Bless this day that we may enjoy it with you. In Jesus name, Amen" said Mum

"Thank you Anne" said Mary

"Hey Dad" said PJ "You want a Garbage Burger? we've got the stuff for it"

"Garbage Burger?" said Ni

"Yeah, you haven't lived till you've had a Garbage Burger, they're the best thing around" said PJ

"Sure baby girl, I'd love one" said Liam


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Cool.. come on Niall, I'll show you how to make one" said PJ "They're messy so make sure to get extra napkins" she said with a smile "Do you want one too Pops?"

"No thanks Peaches, maybe next time" said Zayn

She took a plate and a burger bun, put mayonnaise on both pieces, ketchup & mustard on one half of the bun, a burger on the other half and added cheese, onion, a slice of tomato, pickle chips, & lettuce, put the top of the bun on the burger pile and smashed it together so everything kind of oozed out of the sides.

"here ya go Dad, one perfect Garbage Burger" said PJ and handed Liam the plate

"Thank you baby girl" said Liam as he took the plate and kissed the top of her head

She made another one for herself as Ni made his

"Would you like some b-b-q chicken Pops?" asked PJ

"Yes thank you Peaches" said Zayn

"White or dark meat?" asked PJ

"White, please" said Zayn

PJ put a couple of pieces on a plate and handed it to Zayn

"Thank you peaches" said Zayn and ruffled her hasir

"Geez-o-pete's Pops, lay off the hair" yelled PJ

"Sorry peaches, I had to do it, itsd been a while" chuckled Zayn and walked away

Ni & PJ took their plates to the table and sat down. As Mary & I joined them, PJ said

"Okay, Ni, you ready to have your mind blown? On the count of 3... 1... 2... 3" said PJ

Ni took a bite of his burger and moaned "Holy cow!!" said Ni "PJ marry me" and she almost choked which made us all laugh

"Dude, What?!? said PJ "Have you gone mental?"

"No, I haven't gone mental, whatever that means... I've just tried the best burger ever! My mind has definitely been blown" said Ni

"Oh, well, you're welcome then and no way are we getting married" said PJ "Pace yourself Ni, you'll get a stomachache if you're not careful"

"I'm good PJ, ask Haz, I eat like this all the time" said Ni and I nodded

"Yeah, Ni's good PJ don't worry.. Now if there's food still on his plate uneaten, then you can worry" I said "bc he loves food"

"Okay.. Hey Dad, you & Pops up for a run in the morning?" said PJ

"How far were you planning to go?" asked Liam

"I have to go at least 10 miles. You think you can handle that, Old Man?" said PJ playfully

"Bring it baby girl.. $20 bucks says you tap out before I do" said Liam

"Ha! $40 bucks says I'll be carrying you home on my back cuz you pulled a muscle like you did last time.. Old Man" said PJ

"You're on!!" said Liam

"You want to come Pops? Nana? we're gonna need witnesses so Dad doesn't chicken out" said PJ

"Oh no! Don't drag me into this young lady, this is your challenge and I value my sanity too much to watch you two try and outwit each other" said Mary " I'll stay right with icepacks and crutches for the loser of this battle"

"I'm with Nana on this peaches, sorry" said Zayn

"Cowards.. Y'all know I'm gonna win, you might as well pay up now and save yourself the agony of defeat.. Old.. Man" teased PJ

"I'll go as your witness PJ" said Louis

Awesome! Rock on Uncle Lou.. I knew there was a reason I loved you more" said PJ

"Well someone has to bear witness to your greatness, it might as well be me" said Louis with a wink

I leaned over and asked Mary "Do they always joke around like that?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it" said Mary "PJ knows Liam's limit, she wont push hin too far"

"Oh okay.. Would you like to take a Charlie for a little walk with me?" I said

"Yeah that would be great" said Mary

"Hey Charlie, you wanna go for a short walk?" I said

"woof" barked Charlie

We grabbed Charlie's leash as we walked out of the house and down the road to the park, holding hands. We sat on a bench and let Charlie run around. 

"I'm glad you're back. I missed you" I whispered

"I missed you too Harry" said Mary and leaned her head on my shoulder

"Can I kiss you again?" I whispered

Please" whispered Mary and tilted her head up as I leaned down and pressed our lips together

I slid off the bench to the bench and between her legs to deepen the kiss as Mary wrapped her arms around my neck. I licked across her bottom lip, she parted her lips I explored her mouth savoring the taste and feel of it. I was in Heaven as she ran her fingers thru my hair,   
I moaned and placed my right hand on her cheek and my left hand on her waist. This moment was perfect and Mary felt like home - familiar & safe, yet new and exciting, My heart was racing and the butterflies were dancing in my stomach. When our lips parted, we were flushed and breathing heavy, gasping for air. Mary leaned her forehead to mine with her eyes closed.

"Are you alright princess?" I whispered

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just a little out of practice is all. I haven't kissed anyone since - "said Mary and stopped

"Since John?" I finished for her

"Yeah" sighed Mary

"Its alright princess, there is no rush here" I said "We'll go at yor pace and if all we do is kiss and hold hands for now, that's fine... I'll wait for you"

Mary looked at me, as if to see if I was telling the truth or not and when she saw the sincerity on my face, she sighed.

"How is it that someone so young, can be so wise & patient beyond their years?" said Mary

"That is a question for the ages" I said and we laughed

"We should head back before they send out a search party to come find us" said Mary

"Okay princess.. Come on Charlie, lets go see Ni" I said and put his leash back on and headed back home

When we reached the house, we stopped beneath the arbor and kissed one more time before heading to the back yard. The table was cleared off and everyone was talking and laughing.

"Welcome back lovebirds" said Louis & Gem in unison and started laughing

"Where'd ya walk to?" asked Ni

"The park.. no place fancy" I said

"Did you enjoy the view?" teased Gem with a wink

"Oh shut up Gem and get your own view why don't ya" I said, blushing

"Ouch.. low blow there bug, be nice" said Gem

"I'm always nice.. Its not my fault you're so high maintenance.. Maybe if you weren't so picky all the time, you'd have a boyfriend by now" I said

"Harry Edward Styles! That was uncalled for. Apologize to your sister" said Mum

"Come here Gem" I said as she walked over to me and hugged her "I'm sorry, Mum's right, that was mean.. shh don't cry, please?" I released the hug and wiped her eyes with my sleeve "There now, no more tears.. You wanna see something cool?" she nodded "Okay, have a seat...hey Charlie, come here a minute" as he ran over to me "Charlie, this is my sister, Gemma.. now I know you have a girlfriend, but, could you be a gentleman and give her a kiss on the cheek?'

"woof" barked Charlie, and walked over to Gemma, gently put his paws on her lap and reached up and kissed her cheek then sat down and laid his head in her lap

"How did you do that?" said Gem in shock

"Mary trained him, but he met my boss's daughter a month ago and she taught him to kiss her cheek" I said "You need to thank him " I whispered

"Thank you Charlie.. Are we friends now?" asked Gem

"WOOF!!" barked Charlie

"Where's your footieball Charlie?" I said "Go get it and ask PJ & Ni if they want to play" as he ran off "Watch this Mary" I whispered

Charlie got his ball, rolling & kicking it till he got close to PJ and bumped it into the air. It landed in Ni's lap, then he sat down and barked.

"Good job Charlie" said Ni and looked at Mary "We've been weorking on that for 2 weeks when you mentioned that PJ was coming back with you"

"Wow.. good boy Charlie" said Mary

"So Robin.. Did you ask her yet?" I said, looking at Mum

"Ask me what?" said Mum

"Not yet" said Robin

"Times a wasting mate, its now or never" I chuckled

"Anne, will you be my date for the summer formal next Friday?" asked Robin

"oh.. I'd love to" said Mum

"Now we just need dates for Gem & Louis to make it an event" I SAID

"Het Gemma, you want to be my date and show the lovebirds how its done?" said Louis

"Sure, why not, it'll be fun" said Gemma

"Be nice Lou.. You remember that time you put dish soap in the washing machine and flooded the house with bubbles?.. Mom boxed your ears for a week.. don't think she wont do it again" said Liam

"You did what?" said Ni & PJ in unison

"Oh, I like him" said Gem weith a smile

"Gee thanks for giving Gem that bright idea Lisam" I said and rolled my eyes

"Lou, behave.. Listen to your brother" said Mary

"But Mom, the bubbles was his idea, not mine.. I was trying to clean it up!!" said Louis, loudly

"Babe? Was it your idea?" said Zayn

"Oh don't give me that look Zayn.. Mom, quit teaching him 'the look' " said Liam

"I have no idea what you're talking about Liam" said Mary "That's all Zayn dear"

"Liam? Spill it!.. Don't make me go 'Marine Cortps' on you" said Zayn

"Oh this is getting good" said PJ to Ni "Go ahead Pops, go all Semper Fi on his ass" she laughed "Ooo you gonna get it now Old Man"

"Pamela Jane Williams! watch your mouth young lady" said Mary

"Oh crap! Sorry Nana, sorry everyone, I didn't mean to swear" said PJ

MARY'S POV

"Its alright sweetie, that happens sometimes... right Harry?" said Anne

"That was one time Mum and if you remember correctly, the only reason it happened in the first place was bc Gemma tripped me and I cracked my head open" said Haz

"Well, now that we've taken the bus tour down memory lane, can we get back to who exactly flooded the house bc it wasn't me" said Louis " Just like it wasn't me who put dish soap in the fountain at the zoo"

"THAT WAS BILLY DOOGAN'S IDEA!!" yelled Liam

"Dad!!" said PJ " You ain't gotta yell, geez-o-pete's, calm down before you have a stroke for cryin out loud" said PJ "Now, lets move on, this is getting ridiculous, sorry Nana, but who gives a flying fig who did what when so & so were kids?.. You're adults, so start acting like it!" and walked over to Liam and smacked the back of his head

"Hey!" shrieked Liam

PJ covered his mouth with her hand "Knock it off Dad.. right now" said PJ "Not another word.. just nod if you understand me Dad" Liam nodded "Good"

"PJ, sometimes, you scare me" said Louisd

"One more word Uncle Lou and you're next" said PJ 'Nod if you understand Louis" he nodded "Good.. now who wants to play poker?... Uncle Lou, why don't you & Pops go get some beer or something while I go get the cards out of my backpack"

"Sorry Peaches, but you're not old enough to drink" said Zayn

"Actually Zayn, the only ones not old enough to drink is Harry & Niall" said Gem "The legal drinking age in England is 18... I'm a lawyer, its mu job to know the lawe"

"When is your birthday Harry?" asked PJ

"February 1st" said Haz

"No way.. That's mine too" said PJ

"That's freaky" said Louis

"Oh shut up Louis, I think its super cool!! We share the same birthdate and according to Twitter, that makes us twins"" said PJ and giggled

"Hey Haz, seeing as PJ's legal, why don't you take her to get the beer and grab the rest us who can't or don't drink some sodas and Red Bulls" said Ni

"Yeah, I can do that if Zayn, Liam & Mary don't mind" said Haz "We can take the truck"

"Dad? Pops? Nana?" asked PJ

"Yeah, go ahead... Drive safe Harry" said Zayn

"Always" said Haz

"We'll be back in a bit y'all" said PJ as they left

"I can't believe you let her go" said Liam

"Li, she's an adult now, we can't treat her like she's a toddler" said Zayn " She's been on her own for 4 years while she was at school.. let her go babe"

"Zayn's right Liam" said Anne "I know its hard to do, but its one of those things that we've all had to go thru as parents.. PJ is a smart & confident young lady so relax and know she's on a good life path"

"Okay" said Liam

"Okay now that PJ's gone and we've been given a reprieve from serious bodily injury" said Louis " Fess up Li bc you know it wasn't me that flooded the house"

"I wasn't there Lou, but I always suspected it was Billy after the incident at the zoo" said Liam "He was always doing stupid shit like that... among other things"

"Other things?" I said "Like what?"

"Like spying on the girls soccer team in the locker room at school when we were in high school, to name one" said Liam "That was the straw that broke the camel's back and we stopped hanging out together"

Damn Li.. you sure know how to puck your friends" said Louis "I never liked him, but I kept my mouth shut bc he was your best friend since, what? Third grade?"

"Yeah, but he was different back then Lou" said Liam "He changed after his parents got divorced, but I stuck by him bc his world imploded in on him"

"I thought he changed after you had PJ" said Louis "Because he never came around much"

"No, he changed just after I met Dani.. that's when the divorce happened" said Liam

"Who's Dani?" asked Ni

"PJ's Mom.. she died giving birth" said Liam "Then I met Zayn 2 years later - we got married 3 years ago"

"Oh, I'm sorry" said Ni

"That's alright Niall" said Liam "I had Mom, Dad & Louis to help me take care and raise PJ" as PJ & Harry came thru the door

"Wow, where did the party atmosphere go?" said PJ "Gee maybe we should take these pizza's and stuff and go find another party Haz"

"Oi! I heard pizza!.. Give us the pizza and you wont get hurt" said Ni

"Ni, you hurt us and I'll make Charlie rip up your Eagles t-shirt" said Haz

"You wouldn't dare" said Ni

"You calling me out mate?" said Haz "Because I'll do it, I can be in the truck and back before you even hit the park"

"Damn.. fine Haz, I wont hurt you, you know I love that t-shirt more than I love pizza" said Ni "but seeing as the pizza is here and the shirt isn't can we have the pizza now?"

"Hey Mom.. What was the most popular car in 1968 and what color was it?" said Liam

"The Ford Mustang GT Convertible - powder blue, white leather interior, chrome bumpers & fenders with a V-8 Hemi engine" I said

"Wow, how do you know all that?" asked Ni

"My Dad had one and I drove it when I was 16 getting my drivers license" I said "My Dad loved that car.. he drove me to the church on my wedding day in it with the top down" Harry reached over and held my hand "Okay, this is getting depressing.. PJ go on Spotify and play one of your party playlists and for God's sake someone hand me a beer"

"You sure Mom?" said Louis "Last time you drank beer, you got verbal with a cop and told him to stick it where the sun don't shine bc he tried to stop you from swimming to Canada"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever.. you see a lake anywhere around here? I think I'm safe Louis" I said

"Mary can I talk to you for a minute, privately?" said Haz

"Sure Harry" I said


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

MARY'S POV (continued)

We walked over to Anne's yard and sat doen.. Gemma spoke as we left

"Let Harry talk to her.. He'll change her mood back, she's in good hands" said Gem

"I've never seen Nana act like this before" said PJ

"There's a reason for that baby girl... When Papa died, Nana went to a bad place in her mind. It took her almost 6 months to come back, but she had a hard time" said Liam "She moved here to recover.. she just needs to talk about it and clear her head"

"She got quiet after hearing that Harry & Niall weren't 18.. I think she feels guilty for having feelings for Harry" said Anne

"What's wrong princess?" said Haz

"Why didn't you tell me" I whispered

"Tell you what Mary?" said Haz

"That you weren't legal?" I said

"I thought you knew and it never came up when we talked" said Haz "Mary I turn 18 in 7 months and 21 days and I'll still be in school till the following June"

"But I'm the same age as your Mom" I said

"Yes you are and I'm 2 years younger than PJ.. do you remember what I said at the park earlier? (she nodded).. I meant that Mary, we will go at your pace and if that takes 7 months and 21 days, then so be it, but I'm still in Love with you and that's not going to change" said Haz "In my mind I know our ages are a major factor in this, but you have a beautiful soul that is forever young and that is what I fell in Love with... To me age is just a number. Sometimes you feel older and sometimes you feel younger.. I may be 17 now, but I wont be 17 forever, so take a chance with me.. please"

"I can't have children any more Haz, you deserve to be a Dad someday" I said

"Right now, I'm too young to be a Dad, and having a child isn't even a priority Mary, but when or if that day comes, we will talk about it together" said Haz

"Okay" I said

"John was your first everything.. your first love, husband and father to your children.. He was your first thought of the day and your last one at night, but that was back in Michigan" said Haz "Here in England, you are my first Mary, and I want all of my firsts to be with, of, and about you"

"Kiss me" I whispered

We leaned in and pressed our lips together. This kiss was soft and gentle, it was a kiss of reassurance, of patience, and felt like home.. when we pulled apart, I was smiling.

"Are you ready to go back?" said Haz

"Yeah, I'm ready" I said

"Do you still want that beer?" asked Haz

"No" I said

"Okay lets go back then" said Haz and held my hand

"Welcome back Mary" said Anne and took my hand "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks and I'm sorry for my behavior, I was rude" I said

"You weren't rude, you just had a bit of a shock, is all that was" said Anne

"How can you be so calm?" I asked

"Because age is just a number and once you break that number down, it becomes.. inconsequential and irrelevant in matters of the heart" said Anne

"See? I told you princess" said Haz

"Okay lets play a game we can ALL play.. I'll be right back" I said and grabbed the Trivial Pursuit & went back outside "Seeing as we have more people than the game requires, we'll play a couple's version.. everyone get a drink and then we'll start - Haz can you get me a glass of sweet tea while I set up the board please"

"You got it princess" said Haz and went inside and came back out with my tea and a Red Bull

"Haz & I will go first.. If your team gets the wrong answer, that team has to take a drink so pace yourselves... This question goes to Gem & Louis" I said

'What was the name of Madonna's first movie?'  
LOUIS: Desperately Seeking Susan  
"CORRECT"

"okay this question is for PJ & Ni" said Louis  
'What NFL team plays every year on Thanksgiving?'

"What does NFL stand for?" asked Ni  
"National Football League" said PJ  
"Oh okay, got it, I think" said Ni  
PJ: the Detroit Lions  
"CORRECT"

"Okay this one goes to Nana & Haz" said PJ

'In what year did Queen Elizabeth II become Queen?'  
HAZ: 1953  
"CORRECT"

"This question is for Liam & Zayn" said Haz

'What country is singer Avril Leveign from?'  
ZAYN: Canada  
"CORRECT"

"This one is for Anne & Robin" said Zayn

'How many members are there in the House of Commons?'  
ANNE: 636  
"CORRECT"

"This question is for whoever answers first so think before you answer" said Anne

'Who was the youngest U.S. President and who was the youngest elected U.S. President?'  
HAZ: Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest, but John F. Kennedy was the youngest elected  
'CORRECT"

'What band was named for the drummer and the bass player?'  
HAZ: Fleetwood Mac  
"CORRECT"

"Last question" said Robin

'What does the initials A.D. stans for?'  
HAZ: Anno Domini  
"CORRECT"

"How did you know that Haz?" asked Louis

I read the dictionary.. I got bored one night and just started reading it.. it took me a week" said Haz

"When did you do that?" asked Ni

"About 3weerks before you moved here" said Haz "I also read all of the encyclopedias in the school library"

"And you remember all of it?" asked Louis

"Yeah, I remember every book I've ever read" said Haz "Mr. Robinson, he's the school shrink, says I have an idedic memory, which means my brain retains information and spits it back out like Google"

"Then why am I teaching you guitar? You should already be able to play it" said Ni

"Not really Ni, I can read about it andx remember what I read, but trying to remember finger placement is different and that's where my problem is" said Haz

"that's why he learned the piano. He watched me play for 3 months" said Anne "I was on the phone talking to my Grandmother and Harry started playing it.. it knocked the breath right out of me"

"And now you teach piano lessons" I said

"Yep.. and of all of my students, Sarah is a prodigy I swear, but she can't read music, so I record the songs that she listens to and she plays them back, every note & tempo perfectly" said Haz

"You know she's supposed to write a song as part of her lesson.. How is that going?" asked Ni

"She's already got the lyrics written, we're working on the melody right now.. she plays it out and I write the notes down on paper" said Haz "The new problem we're working on is her nerves.. when she sings, her hands start shaking so bad, she hits the wrong notes"

"I used to have that problem" said Ni

"What did you do to get over it?" asked Haz

"I just imagined I was alone, it put me in the zone. Once I relaxed, it became second nature, like breathing" said Ni

"Oh okay, I'll try that" said Haz

We had finished our dessert when PJ suggested we build a bonfire and sing songs. Ni went over to Harry's and got his guitar and their song journals and started playing some songs. It was nice and man, they sound amazing when they sing together.

Hey Ni can I borrow your guitar?" said Haz

"Sure Haz" said NI and handed the guitar to Haz

"This song is called 'Two Ghosts' " said Haz and started playing

"That was beautiful Haz" I said "When did you write it?"

"I don't remember, let me check" said Haz and pulled out his phone "Um.. June 2001... why?"

"Oh God!: I whispered

"What's wrong Mary?" said Haz

"You're going to think I'm crazy" I said "You all will"

"No we wont Mary, tell us" said Anne

"Starting around January 2001, I started hearing a voice in my head. I thought I was going crazy.. then the voice started singing, and I was like 'okay Mary now you're really going off the deep end'... I heard that song off & on for almost 6 monthsand then it stopped. Just like that (and snapped my fingers), nothing" I said "And then the voice came back and it sang a different song"

"Do you remember the other song Nana?" asked PJ

"Yeah, I used to sing it to you when you would have a bad dream" I said

"Sweet Creature?" said PJ and looked at Haz

"Holy shit!" said Haz and got smacked upside the head by Ni "Sorry... no one knows that song except me & Gran cuz I wrote it in the hospital when she was sick"

"Sweet creature, had another talk about where its going wrong, but we're still young, we don't know where we're going but we know we belong.. and oh we started two hearts in one home, its hard when we argue, we're both stubborn I know, but oh, sweet creature, sweet creature, wherever I go you bring me home.. sweet creature, sweet creature, when I run out of road, you bring me home" I sang

"I heard you too" said Haz

"I apologize now for what I'm about to say and don't smack me Mary" said Ni

"Okay Ni, say what you need" I said

"The same thing happened to my grandparents.. Call it 'Love at first sight' or whatever you want, but Gran said they were 'soulmates' " said Ni "Being someone's soulmate, age has no meaning or reason"

"Mum hand me your phone, please" said Haz "Mary humor me for a minute.. Describe the baby you saw just after PJ was born" and showed Anne's phone to Ni

"I don't know if it was a boy or a girl and all babies are born with blue eyes, but the baby had tons of curly brown hair, a tiny button nose, prominent dimples when the baby would smile and whenever someone would sneeze the baby would pucker up and copy the sound" I said

Anne gasped as Gemma sneezed and Harry puckered his lips and copied the sneeze.

"Did the baby look like this?" said Ni as he turned the phone towards me

"THAT'S THE BABY I SAW!!" I yelled


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

"Mary, this baby is Haz" said Ni

"Holy fucking shit!!!" exclaimed Louis & Liam in unison

"I'll let that one slide this time boys, don't do it again" I said

"I think we should let Mary & Harry have some time alone with Niall & PJ" said Anne "Give them a chance to process all of this, they'll tell us about it when they're ready"

"Thanks Mum" said Haz and gave her back her phone

"You're welcome baby, I'll see you in the morning" said Anne "Mary, if you need me for anything, give me a call"

"Thank you Anne" I said "So if I'm understanding this right, Harry & I were supposed to be together since before either of us were even born, right?"

"Yes essentially" said Ni

"So what? Fate sent me John to cut me a break bc Harry wouldn't be born for another 14 years?" I said as tears ran down my face

"You can't think like that Mary" said Ni "Time gave you a happy life with children and present and future grandchildren. John was who you needed in that moment till his time was over and Harry's life began to join yours. When you moved here neither of you were ready to be one, so time waited till now"

"Okay, that makes sense" said PJ

"It does?" I said

"Nana think about it.. Papa died 10 years ago, you heard that song 10 years ago, and during that dark time of grief & loss, Time sent you two songs to get you thru it" said PJ "And I'm sure if you remember all of the bad times, you'd see that Time gave you a song every time"

"Oh God!!.. Come on, you gotta see this" I said as I ran into the house "I made this scrapbookto keep myself sane after John died.. maybe you can help me make sense of it" and gave it to Haz

"What's in it Nana?" asked PJ

"Drawings, letters and songs" I said "I started it in 2001 thru 2007"

"What happened in 2007?" asked PJ

"I met Haz" said Ni "That was the the year my Mom & I moved here"

"That's also when the songs changed and sometimes wouldn't for long stretches of time" I said "After that I learned to tune out the songs and moved on" as Haz ran upstairs crying and then I heard a door close and locked

I went upstairs to see my bedroom door was closed and I could hear Haz crying. It broke my heart to hear hear his sobs so I called Anne

"Anne, I need you to come over.. Haz is crying in my room with the door locked and he wont open it" I said "Okay, Thanks Anne" and hung up

"I'm here Mary, he used to do this a lot when his Dad & I would argue.. I have to pick the lock.. Are you okay, Mary?" said Anne

"I'm fine, I'm just worried about Haz" I said

Anne had the door unlocked a minute later. Haz was kneeling at the foot of the bed crying. Anne walked over and knelt down on the floor next to him.

"Shhh Hazzabear, Momma's here baby " said Anne softly

"Momma?.. Oh Momma!" cried Haz as he flung himself into Anne's arms

"Shh its alright baby, what's got you so upset?" said Anne

"Scrapbook... Pain... couldn't open it" said Haz between hiccups

"Come on baby, just breathe, that's it, slow deep breaths" said Anne "That's better baby, now tell me what happened that led you here"

I felt useless as Haz explained why he was so upset. It broke my heart - I never meant to hurt him like this.

Momma, its starts in 2001 thru 2007!.. 7years, Momma, 7 years of pain & grief... I couldn't open it" said Haz

I went to the stairs "PJ, find a letter dated Feb. 1st, 2004 and bring it here please" I said

"Okay" said PJ as I went back to my room

"Shh baby, I want you to hear something, okay?" said Anne, Haz nodded as PJ came in with the letter and read it:

Feb. 1, 2004  
Hello sunshine,   
Happy Birthday young man, I'm guessing you turn 10 today.I heard you say to your Mom 'its my birthday. Why do her friends have to be here?'. I'm also guessing 'her' is your sister, huh? I know its your special day, but be nice and have fun.  
Thank you for the song, what is it called? You sing like an angel. I was having an emotional day, see, its also my grand-daughter PJ's birthday today - she turns 12, The reason for the bad day is bc John loved birthdays and wanted to share them with everyone, so as I said, be nice to your sister's friends and have fun.

Love always,   
The dream at the end of your rainbow

"My dream" whispered Haz "You were my dream.. You were singing my song to PJ and I fell asleep drawing a rainbow"

"For all of my bad days, you would send me a song and it made me smile, then I qould write you a letter. and on the times you had a bad day, I would send you a song" I said "The scrapbook is about how you helped me keep going when all I wanted to do was stay in bed and not live my life. I am so sorry Haz, I never thought about what that book would look like to you... Please forgive me"

'I'm sorry for scaring you princess" said Haz "Thanks Mum, I Love You"

"You're welcome baby, I Love You too, to the moon and back, and for always" said Anne and kissed Haz's cheek before she left.

I woke up curled into Haz's side, my head lying on his chest, I laid there listening to his heartbeat and his gentle snores and sighed. The clock said 7:30am 'ugh.. too early' I thought and closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

PJ'S POV

I woke up and checked the time on my phone, it was 7:30am. I got up and went to my room. I took my clothes off and put on a pair of shorts & a tank top, grabbed my Ipod, a hair tie & my running shoes and headed for the door. Ni was still sleeping so I closed the door as quietly as possible and put my shoes on, pugt my hair in a loose bun, put in my earbuds, hit play as I put my Ipod in my pocket and headed towards the school.  
I ran around the track till my phone buzzed signaling I had run 10 miles and headed back home. When I got there, Ni was still sleeping so I went upstairs and took a shower. After my shower, I put on a pair of skinny jeans & a camisole and finger combed my hair. I knocked on each of the bedroom doors and announced " BREAKFAST IN 30 MINUTES SLEEPYHEADS" and headed for the kitchen.

Charlie was scratching at the door so I let him out.. it was 9o'clock. I made coffeeand got out the eggs, bacon, sliced up a tomato and chopped up some potatoes. Once the bacon was cooked, I fried the potatoes in the bacon grease and got started on the scrambled eggs. When everything was ready, I went upstairs and opened all of the bedroom doors.

"Breakfast is ready get your lazy butts up or I'll throw a bucket of ice water in your face" I said and went back to the kitchen. Ni was the first one up.

"Morning poppet" said Ni

"Morning teddy bear" I said "Coffee is made, and breakfast is almost ready"

"What's on the menu?" asked Ni

"Scrambled eggs, bacon & home fries" I said

"I'll repeat what I said last night... will you marry me?" said Nias he walked up behind me and kissed my shoulder "You smell like peaches, apples & baby powder"

"Be right back.. these people need to get their lazy asses up" I said "Ni cover your ears and put your coffee down, its gonna get loud in here in a minute" as I grabbed an airhorn out of my backpack, Ni followed me upstairs" You've had enough time to get up on your own so now..." 

I pulled the trigger as the airhorn sounded There were a few thuds, several 'Jesus Christ!' and a 'Pamela Jane Williams are you trying to kill us?'... Ni was laughing so hard, he couldn't breathe.

"GET UP!!.. MOVE IT!!, MOVE IT!!, MOVE IT!!" I yelled "Come on Ni, they'll be down in a minute, once their hearts restart"A minute later, everyone came down to the kitchen

"Young lady ifyou ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll put you over my knee and paddle your ass so bad, you wont be able to sit for a month.. understood?" said Nana

"Drastic times called for drastic measures and y'all pushed me to my limit " I said " Yes ma'am.. Sorry Nana" and dished up the food "Get yourselves some coffee and take a seat before everything gets cold"

"Mhm.. Toxic potatoes, bacon & eggs.. Yep, she's trying to kill us, alright" said Louis

"Well if I'm going to die, at least I'll die with a full stomach and a smile on my face" said Ni and everyone laughed

"How did you sleep baby girl?" said Dad

"Well, after Haz had his meltdown, I slept loke a baby" I said

"Yeah, sorry about that PJ" said Haz

"That's okay Haz, it happens sometimes. I had one not too long ago.. Sometimes you just need a really good crying jag to reset your brain" I said "So.. wht's the plan for today?"

"Ni & I have to go to work at noon, but we'll be back at 4" said Haz

"I thought you & I could take Anne & Gemma dress shopping" said Nana

"That sounds like fun" I said

"And while you're gone, your Dad, Louis & I will unpack your boxes" said Pops

"Okay, but leave the boxes that say 'pictures & misc' . I want to unpack those myself please" I said

"Sure thing peaches" said Pops

"Haz, you & Ni can take the truck. It looks like it might rain today" said Nana "Better safe than sorry sunshine" as she kissed him

"Alright princess" said Haz and kissed her back

"Sunshine? Princess? I think I'm gonna be sick" said Louis "Oh for crying out loud, get a room"

"We had a room" said Nana and looked at me "Till someone tried to kill us"

"Geez-o-pete's! I said I was sorry.. what, you want me to slit my wrists and write it in blood?" I said "Besides if y'all had responded, I wouldn't have had to do that in the first place"

"Yeah right, PJ" said Louis "Thanks to your little stunt, I've got a knot on my head from hitting the nightstand when I fell out of bed"

"Oh poor baby. Boo-freaking-hoo . Next time get up and you wont have that problem" I said as I popped a piece of potato in my mouth

"Oh my God, I'm in Love" said Ni, resting his chin in his hand as he watched me

"Okay dress shopping.. I need info.. formal means I need a long dredssd, right Nana?" I said

"Yes sweetie" said Nana

"Okay, Ni, what's your favorite color?" I said

"Hmm.. on you?" said Ni, I nodded "A pale yellow or lavender"

"Okay, I can do that.. I hope" I said

"What's your favorite color Haz?" I asked

"I like all kinds of colors, but if I have to choose one, I'd say raspberry pink" said Haz

"Wow, okay, is there another color, just in case?" I asked again

"Cerulean blue.. like Ni's eyes" said Haz

I looked at Ni's eyes "Wow, that's, wow okay" I stammered

"Your eyes are violet" said Ni "Now I've had biology, how in the hell did you end up with purple eyes?"

"It skipped a few generations" said Nana "My Mother had violet eyes.. My Mother was from Scotland and she used to say that a banshee changed all of the women's eyes in town who had brown eyes, purple bc she hated the color brown.... that's the legend anyway"

"Mystery solved" I said smiling

"Scottish & Irish" said Ni "Could make some beautiful babies"

"Whoa, slow your roll there tiger, we haven't even gone on a date yet" I said giggling

Dad & Pops choked on their coffee at that "Lets hold off on the topic of babies until you're at least 30" said Dad "We're too young to be Grandpas"

"Oh but it was okay for me to be a Grandma at 29?" said Nana

"Yeah okay.. never mind" said Dad

"Subject change" said Louis

"Gladly" said Pops

"Louis what's your favorite color so I can tell Gemma" I asked

"Black or Red, either one is fine" said Louis

"My Mum will want a black dress PJ, don't let her.. Try and get her to find one in a deep weine color or a deep Christmas green.. She has too many black dresses" said Haz

"Will do Haz" I said "That's settled, what about you guys?"

"Ni & I are wearing regular suits & ties.. nothing fancy" said Haz

"A suit & tie works for us too" said Dad

"Wow okay then, we're all set" I said "What time do we need to be there?"

"7 o'clock" said Ni

"Ellie is going to come stay with Charlie" said Nana

"Why isn't she going?" asked Haz

"She gets claustrophobic in large crowds" said Nana

"Okay, that just leaves hair & make-up and that's my job " I said "Oh, and the accessories"

"I'll take care of the accessories sweetie" said Nana

"That's it then, the checklist is completed" I said

"We better get reay for work NI.. don't forget your guitar NI" said Haz

"Alright Haz" said Ni "You ladies have fun"

"Have a good day you two" said Nana

"You too princess, see you after work" said Haz and kissed her forehead

"You two go get dressed, we'll take care of the dishes" said Pops

"Well Charlie, looks lke its just you & me to make our own fun" said Louis

"woof!" barked Charlie

"Do you have a pair of heels I can borrow to make sure the dress isn't too short?" I asked Nana

"We'll get shoes there sweetie" said Nana

"Oh okay" I said

"But yes, I do.. wear a skirt & blouse or a dress bc we're going out to lunch afterwards" said Nana

"They're still packed" I said

"Then come to my room and we'll find you something to wear" said Nana

We picked out a denim skirt, a white dress shirt and a pair of denim covered heels for me to wear and took them to my room and got dressed. I pulled my hair off to the side so that it laid on my left shoulder and tied a white ribbon around it to hold it in place. I added a little mascara and lip gloss and I was ready. I went to Nana's room to see if she was ready.

"Need any help Nana?" I asked

"Yes please, I can't get my hair right" said Nana

I did a reversed French braid in Nana's hair ending it in a high ponytail. Nana did her make-up and I picked out an outfit for her while the curling iron was heating up so I could finish her hair. I went to my room to get a can of hairspray and earrings and headed back to her room. As I was putting the finishing touches of Nana's hair, we heard a knock on the front door.

"That's Anne & Gemma.. lets go" said Nana

We grabbed our purses and went downstairs. Uncle Lou let out a whistle as we entered the Livingroom.

"You ladies look amazing" said Louis

"Thank you love" said Anne "Do you want to take my car or yours?"

"We'll take your car Anne, that way the boys can use mine if they need it" said Nana "Liam call Harry if you need to go somewhere, he'll talk you thru programming the GPS"

"Okay Mom" said Dad "You ladies have fun and drive safe"

"Always love" said Anne as we headed out to the car.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

PJ'S POV (continued)

"I asked our dates their favorite color... Gem yours is Red, Anne yours is a dark Christmas green, Nana yours is cerulean blue, and mine is a pale yellow" I said "Gemma, you're with me and Anne, you go with Nana... look for something jaw dropping, we don't want the men to have a stroke, just something sexy and strapless will do"

"Divide & conquer ladies... Good luck" said Gemma

"Here Nana, this is the color you're looking for" I said, handing her a ribbon

"Thanks PJ" said Nana

"That's Harry's favorite color? I always thought it was raspberry pink" said Gemma

"He said both colors, but said to surprise him" said Nana "come on Anne"

"Come on PJ" said Gemma as we parted ways in search of dresses

Gemma, Nana & I found our dresses, but Anne was still looking, unable to find a style she liked.

"Okay Anne, lets go classic renaissance... something simple, off the shoulder with sleeves, flattering, but not clingy... maybe in a velvet" I said "Ah yes, here it is"

"Oh! Its beautiful.. Thank you PJ" said Anne

"Go try it on and lets see how you look" said Nana

Anne came out "Oh Mum! You look gorgeous" said Gemma

"Absolutely stunning" said Nana

"A timeless classic" I said "That dress was made for you Anne"

"You think so?" said Anne

I walked over to Anne and turned her to the mirror "Do you know what I see?" Anne shook her head "I see a woman who raised 2 children by herself and has earned a second chance.. Robin is a lucky man and he loves you" I said "You want to hear a secret?" Anne nodded "Robin asked Harry if he could ask you out on a date"

"He did?" said Anne, I nodded

"Harry wants you to be happy and after you got sick, he knew you weren't" I said "Harry knows Robin weill make you happy"

"Now this dress means a new start to your second chance" said Nana "If anyone deserves a second chance Anne, its you"

"They're right Mum" said Gemma "I know I just met Robin yesterday, but I sawe how nervous he was to ask you out. When you said yes, Mum, his face lit up, he cares about you"

"Okay, go change and lets go have lunch" I said

"PJ, here's my card, don't let them pay for anything.. I'll meet you out front" said Nana

"Okay Nana" I said

MARY'S POV

I went to the men's side of the dress shop and walked up to the counter,

"I need 6 different color ties please" I said

"Yes ma'am" said George "What colors do you need?"

"I need a red one, a pale yellow, a dark green, 2pale pink ties and one in this shade of blue" I said and handed him gthe ribbon "And can you put them in their own boxes please"

"Yes ma'am" said George as PJ showed up

"All set PJ?" I asked

"Yep, all set Nana.. What are you doing over here?" asked PJ

"Getting ties for the guys to match our dresses" I said

"Oh okay, well here's your card and the invoice" said PJ

"Thanks sweetie, go wait ewith Anne & Gemma, I'll be out in a minute" I said

"Here you go ma'am" said George "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"6 pairs of cufflinks, silver or white gold please" I said

"Yes ma'am.. EWhats the occasion?" asked George

"A summer formal" I said "I'm in charge of the asccessxories"

"Ah, I see.. well you have excellent taste ma'am" said George

"Thank you" I said

"Okay thsats 6 ties and 6 pairs of cufflinks" said George

"Correct" I said as I handed him my credit card and signed the receipt "Thank you George, for asll of your help.. You have a nice day"

"You too ma'am" said George with a smile

I joined the ladies and headed to the car and off to have lunch. We went to an Italian cafeand finalized our plans for Friday while we waited,

"Oksy, we'll keep the dresses at Nana's seering as we'll be getting ready there and the guys can get ready over at your house" said PJ

"Good idea" saidn Gemma

"When you come over on Friday, make sure your hair is wet so I can prep it, and bring your make-up and whatever hair do-dads you've got" said PJ

"Do-dads?" said Anne

"Sorry, when I ramble, I go southern" said PJ "Um.. hair ties, barretts, hair combs, whastever you weant me to use in your hair" 

"Oh okay" said Anne

"The only item left on the list is the accessories" said PJ "And that's Nana's job"

"Our accessories are already at home, and I got the ties and cufflinks for the guys so we're all set there sweetie" I said

"Okay and we need to hit a beauty supply place bc the airport wouldn't allow my hot rollers and curling iron on the plane" said PJ "I would've packed them, but I needed them to do my hair for graduation"

"There's a place not too far from here where you can get them" said Gemma

"Oh good" said PJ and relaxed

I looked at my watch "Lets finish up her and get PJ's things and head home. Haz & Ni will be home in 45 minutes" I said

"Okay Nana" said PJ

We went and picked up 6 boxes of hot rollers, 2 curling irons, 2 bottles of mousse, a can of hairspray, and 3 packs of bobby pins and headed home, We were getting our things out of the trunk as Haz & Ni pulled into the driveway. Ni let out a low whistle.

"You ladies look gorgeous" said Ni

"Thank you" we said in unison

"Need any help?" asked Haz

"You can take these" said PJ and handed the bags of hot rollers and stuff to Haz & Ni "We can get the rest"

"So what color dresses did everyone get?" asked Ni

GEMMA: Red  
PJ: Pale yellow  
MARY: Cerulean blue  
ANNE: Dark green

"Wow, we cant wait to see them" said Haz

"You'll see them on Friday and not a day before" I said "And don't even think about sneeking a peek at them either"

"Now lets get changed, I'm making dinner tonight" said PJ

"What's on the menu tnight, PJ?" I asked

"Fajitas and Taco Salad" said PJ

"Chicken or steak?" I asked

"Chicken" said PJ "And don't ask me to marry you Ni"

"Damn" said Ni

"She's on to you Ni, pace yourself mate" chuckled Haz

"Need any help?" asked Anne & I

"No thanks, I got this" said PJ

"Well if you do, just holler" I said

"I will" said PJ "I'm going to go change.. see ya downstairs"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

PJ'S POV

I went to my room and changed into a pair of cutoff jen shorts and my camisole, threw my hair up in a messy bun, grabbed my radio & CD case and headed to the kitchen. I plugged in the radio, popped in Frankie Valli & the Four Season, hit play and jacked up the volume full blast - cuz the master needs tunes.  
I was in the middle of cutting vegetables and dancing when I heard the fridge door opening.

"If you value your life, leave now.. you're ruining my mojo" I said

"Sorry peaches" said Pops

"Don't let it happen again Pops" I said as Pops left the kitchen, I heard the conversation outside

"Whoa, she let you live?" said Dad

'Barely, she said if I go back in there again she'll kill me. She didn't even look at me, she just pointed the knife she was using at me till I left" said Pops

"I keep telling you babe, Don't mess with the master's mojo" said Dad

"That's what she said!" said Pops

"So no one can go in there when she's in the zone?" asked Ni and tuned them out as I continued making dinner

"OW!! SON OF A BITCH!! DAD!! HELP!!" I yelled

I heard dad run into the house with Pops right behind him

:PJ! What happened?" said Dad

"Grease popped.. hit me.. in the eye" I cried

"Okay PJ, calm down baby girl, come over to the sink and we'll flush your eyes" said Dad "Zayn get the first aide kit from our room"

"Is she alright Liam?" said Nana

"Don't know yet Mom, I gotta get the grease out of her eyes" said Dad

"I got it babe" saqid Pops

"How bad does it hurt PJ?" said Dad "10- severely and 1 - being no pain"

PJ: 2

"Okay good" said Dad

"Sorry for swearing Nana" I said

"That's okay sweetie" said Nana

"Someone turn off the stove before the chicken burns" I said "Okay everyone the master is going to talk you thru making dinner while Dad checks my eye. Haz, finish browning the chicken and add the bowl of peppers & onions"

"Okay, on it" said Haz

"Haz carefully hand Nana the pan of taco meast and Nana add it to the veggies in the stew pot and mix it with your hands. Ni, open the bags of doritos, leave them in the bag and hand them to me" I said as I crushed up the doritos "How's the onions looking Haz? They should start to look translucent"

"Yep right on target" said Haz

"Okay to the right of the stove is a measuring cup with Fajita seasoning in it. Add it to the chicken and mix igt well. Once its mixed, turn off the burner and set the pan at the back of the stove. Ni hand the doritos to Nana, Nana pour them into the stew pot and continue mixing with your hands" I said "How's it looking Nana?"

"Looking good sweetie" said Nana

"Okay rinse your hands Nana" I said "How bad is it Dad?"

"No skin damage baby girl" said Dad "Hand me my pen light babe... I'm gonna look at your eye baby girl, try and keep your eye open"

"Okay" I said "Gemma there's 3 bottles of French dressing in the fridge, open 2 of them and give them to Nana. Nana add them to the pot and mix it with the big spoon. Once its mixed it should look wet like Mac & cheese, if it doesn't we'll add the third bottle.. let me know how it looks"

"It looks perfect sweetie" said Nana

"NI hand me my purse please and a bottle of water" I said "This damn pen light is giving me a migraine"

Ni handed me my purse and I reached in and grabbed a bottle of medicine, opened it, shook out 3 pills, closed it and put it back in my purse, then took the pills with some water.

"Thanks Ni" I said "Don't give me that look Pops"

"3 pills, peaches?" asked Pops

"My doctor said 3 is fine, but no more than 4 in 24 hour period. So give it a reast, I'm not going to over dose, untwist your panties and sit down before I puke" I said

"What is it you always say PJ?" asked Nana

He is you  
You are him  
I am me  
and we make three

To the moon and back  
and around again

He is you  
You are him  
I am me  
and we make three

When we're old & gray  
and up in Heaven

He is you  
You are him  
I am me  
and we make three

When I become Us  
and Us becomes many  
in the end

He is you  
You are him  
I am me  
and we make three

forever and always

"Okay baby girl, what's your pain level now?" asked Dad

PJ: 1

"Good" said Dad and sighed "Now open your eyes slowly, right eyefirst, to check your vision"

"Just a second Dad" I said as I reached back in my purse for my contact lens cases "Hold these Pops & open the purple one, don't spill the solution"

"You wear contacts?" said Dad

"Dad, you know I do" I said "Did I scare you so bad that you forgot?"

"Yeah, I guess you did baby girl" said Dad "Your vision should be fine. The grease hit the lens"

"Okay, the left ones out" I said "Dad, put your index finger on the lens and gently use your thumbnail and lift the lens from my eye and put it in the lens case"

"Okay got it" said Dad and put it in the contact case

"I'll wear my glasses for a couple of days and let my eye heal" I said as I grabbed my glasses and put them on "Okay y'all can breathe now, and don't you dare say I look cute in glasses"

"I was going to say you look hot in glasses" said Ni "bc its the truth"

"Okay, enough chit-chat dinner is getting cold. Lets set the table so Ni can get his proposal off his chest" I said and we can eat.. we need bowls, lunch plates and the burrito shells"

I stood up, grabbed a trivet off the wall, grabbed the pan of Fajitas off the stove and set it at the table.

"Haz there's a bottle of wasabi sauce in the fridge, on the door. Can you put it on the table please" I said "Now everyone help yourselves to as much Taco Salad as you want, trust me, there's plenty"

We said Grace and ate dinner, and yes, Ni proposed, again, god he's so cute.

"So PJ" said Nana "When did you get glasses?"

"Last year during finals. I was having a bad week. I got a migraine nearly every day so I went to the campus eye doctor and she said I was wearing my contacts too much and said that all of my studying was causing eye strain which is why I was having constant migraines so I got the glasses and the migraines eased up" I said "Once school was over, the migraines stopped.. till tonight that is, but its gone now so its all good"

"How long have you been getting migraines?" asked Dad

"Since second semester of my first year" I said

"How many times have you taken them since graduation?" asked Pops

"Twice.. before our flight and tonight.. why?" I asked

"Can you do me a favor?" asked Pops "Next time you get a migraine, don't take the pills, okay?"

"Okay Pops" I said

"How's your Gran, Ni?" asked Anne

"She's alright for now. She keeps asking for Mom" said Ni

"What's wrong with her?" I asked

"Don't know.. She's been bad for a while" said Ni

"Sounds like she has BHS" said Pops

"What's BHS?" asked Ni

"Broken Heart Syndrome" said Pops "I saw it a lot back home.. remember Mrs. Abernathy, Li?

"Yeah, she was a nice lady" said Dad "Poor thing lost her husband just after their 71st Anniversary.. she passed away two weeks after he did"

"Damn" whispered Ni "Gramps died 2 years ago.. I talk to her every morning on Skype.. she knows I love her but when the time comes, I can't go to her funeral"

"Why Ni?" asked Gemma

"Because, I barely made it thru Gramps funeral.. It was bad. I didn't eat or sleep for 4 days. I was a basket case.. I can't go thru that again" said Ni

I reached for Ni's hand "If you change your mind, just let me know. I'll get you there, come Hell or high water, just say the word Ni" I said

"How can you get him there PJ?" asked Gemma

"My friend Becca is flying my helicopter over. She should be here some time on Thursday" I said

"You have a helicopter?" said Haz

"Yeah, it took me 3 years, but I bought it. I made the final payment last week. She'll leave Michigan tomorrow, refuel in Nova Scotia, stop for another refuel on a Naval Carrier and then she'll land nearby" I said "Then she'll leave here to head basic training at Camp Le Juene at Paris Island" I said

"Basic training?" asked Ni

"Becca's joining the Marines to be a fighter pilot" I said

"Is she single?" asked Louis

"Slow your roll Uncle Lou, Becca is married to the Martine Corp. She's the 4th generation to join up.. to get to Becca, you gotta go thru 10 cousins, her Dad, 3 Uncles, 7 Great Uncles and the General" I said "You wont make it"

"Damn" whispered Louis

"How did you & Becca Meet?" asked Nana

"We were college roommates" I said and rubbed my temples

"You okay PJ?" asked NI

"My eyes are hurting and I can feel my migraine coming back, but I'm fine" I said

"Why don't you go lie down for a while sweetie, we can clean up the kitchen and put everything away" said Nana

"Okay Nana, Thanks" I said as I got up from the table and went upstairs


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

NIALL'S POV

"Liam, hand me PJ's purse" said Zayn

Liam handed Zayn the purse, he looked inside and took out the bottle of pills, then took out his phone.

"What are you looking for babe?" asked Liam

"Side effects of the pills" said Zayn "I'm worried about these migraines and I don't think these pills are working properly"

"What does it say?" I asked

"Mood swings, fatigue, loss of motor function" said Zayn "Li she can't take these any more, they're addictive and she's been taking them for almost 4 years. We need to keep an eye on her for the next 48 hours and get rid of these pills"

"I can stay with her tonight" I said "I'll keep her door open in case she needs you"

"Thank you Ni" said Zayn

"Hey Haz, can you run and grab my joggers and a t-shirt and bring them to PJ's room for me?" I asked

"Sure Ni" said Haz

Hopefully she'll sleep and wont have any issues tonight" I said "Mary, do you have a paracetamol?"

"What's that Ni?" asked Zayn

"Its a pain killer, in case her head hurts. Its not what she's used to, but it may ease the pain a bit"

"Oh okay, that's fine" said Zayn

"Yes, I have some, I'll bring it up when we're finished here Ni" said Mary

"Thanks Mary" I said as I headed to PJ's room

I opened the door to PJ's room and walked in, leaving the door partially open. I took my shoes off and tucked them under the bed. As I laid down next to PJ, I could feel her shaking, as if she was freezing. I rubbed her back and she whimpered. 

"Shh, its alright poppet, I'm here, try and relax" I whispered

"It hurts Ni, everything hurts" cried PJ

"I know poppet, I know it hurts its going to take time, but it will go away, I promise" I said as I continues to rub her back "Are you cold?"

"No and I can't stop shaking" said PJ

"PJ, there's something you need to know" I said "but you need to listen and stay calm okay?"

"Okay" whispered PJ

"Those pills you were taking had some bad side effects and if taken, can make a person addicted. The reason you're shaking is bc your brain is craving those pills. The shaking is going to get worse, but once its out of your system, the shaking will stop, okay?" I said

"Okay, thank you for telling me Ni" said PJ "What are the other side effects?"

"Mood swings, fatigue and loss motor function" I said

"So what you're saying is I'm going to be a happy ranting bitch with insomnia and twitches.. oh great" said PJ

I chuckled "Yeah pretty much" I said "but we'll get you thru it, poppet, just don't make it personal and don't hold it in. Yell, cry, and find an outlet for your anger"

"Okay Ni" said PJ

"I want you to promise me, that you will let your Dads & Mary take care of you. Let them do whatever they want to make you better and don't fight them. Alright?" I said "Promise me PJ"

"I promise" said PJ

"Now get some rest or at least try to. I'm staying right here with you all night" I said

A while later Haz came into the room with Mary.

"Hey Ni, I got your clothes" whispered Haz

"Set them on the dresser. I want to tsalk to you two in the hallway" I whispered "I'll be right back poppet"

"Okay, hurry back" whispered PJ

I got up and went into the hallway to talk to Haz & Mary when Liam & Zayn joined us.

"I told PJ about the pills side effects and she knows what to expect. She's hurting right now, but she's tolerating the pain. Right now the pain is at a 2 but she's at least trying to rest. If she starts twitching, I don't want her walking so treat her like a baby and carry her up and down the stairs. If she wants to go for a run, follow her in the car and don't let her go past the park.  
"If she yells, cries, punches or kicks anyone don't get mad and Mary, this is the hardest part, if she swears let her. She's going to get angry and say she's sorry a lot just let her. And to keep her safe from herself, you need to hide or get rid of anything sharp. Right now she's fine but we don't how much damage those pills caused.  
"A week from tomorrow ( Monday ) we need to make 2 doctors appointments for her. One is for a physical and the other needs to be with a therapist to help her work thru this emotional trauma" I said "For now we treat the symptoms as they come. I'd like to see her sleep thru this, but she wont do that unless she wants to. She's also going to get sick so we need crackers, orange juice, a multi vitamin, yogurt and fruit ( strawberries, blueberries, bananas & grapes ), ice cream and ginger ale. There can't be any alcohol in the house.. When a person quits their addiction, they look for something else to fill that hole, so no beer, wine, nothing. Got it?"

"Got it" they all said

"I lived thru this with Greg and if we can help PJ get thru this with little to no chance of having a relapse or a mental breakdown there's a good chance she'll pull thru better than ever" I said answering their unspoken question

"I'll go get those things while you're at work.. Liam & Zayn can take the afternoon shift" said Mary "Here's the bottle of pain killers Ni.. 2 tablets every 8 hours as directed"

"Thanks Mary, I better get back to PJ" I said "Goodnight" and got changed for bed.

I laid down and pulled PJ in close and rested her head on my chest and felt her relax as I kissed her head.

"Goodnight poppet" I whispered and drifted off to sleep

PJ'S POV  
IN THE MORNING...

I woke up lying on Ni's chest. He looked tired even tho he was fast asleep. I moved my head to his shoulder and tucked my face into his neck. He smelled of cologne & cinnamon, it was Heaven. I kissed his neck and felt his arms tightgen around my waist. I knew he was awake.

"Good Morning my heavenly sunshine" I said  
"Good Morning poppet" said Ni "How are you feeling?"

"Right now, I feel good" I said "No headache, no aches, no twitches, so far"

"Good to hear" said Ni and smiled

"What time is it?" I asked

Ni checked his phone "6:45am"

I groaned "Too early" I said and snuggled deeper into him

"That's okay poppet. We can stay right here before we need to get up" said Ni

"Okay" I said rubbing my hand across his chest "Wanna make out while we wait?" as I kissed his neck, he moaned

"We can't poppet, the door is open" said Ni

I got up and closed the door then got back in bed "Not any more" I said as I slid under the blankets and kissed him, but he didn't kiss me back. I looked at him and could see his hesitancy. "Ni I'm okay, this isn't a mood swing, I've been wanting to kiss you for 2 days" and kissed him and this time he kissed me back.

"No hickies poppet, we don't want your Dads to kill us" said Ni

"Yeah okay.. for now" I said as I kissed his jaw "we'll just have to put them where they can't be seen, shirt.. off"

NOTE: Sorry y'all I couldn't go into detail... Feel free to use your imagination <3

"That.. was amazing" I said

"Yeah.. it was" said Ni, breathlessly

I snuggled into him resting my leg between his.  
"Ni?" I said  
"Yeah?" said Ni

"Will you be my boyfriend?" I whispered

"I would love to" said Ni and kissed the top of my head "I was going to ask you, but it never seemed like the right time"

"I know" I giggled "Who knew the drama that would unfold"

"I know right?" chuckled Ni

"This maybe too soon but..." I said as I looked him in the eye "I Love You, Niall Horan"

"I Love You too Pamela Jane Williams" said Ni

"You know, the way you said my name, just now, it sounded beautiful" I said

"Oh really" said NI raising his eyebrows "well its a beautiful name poppet"

'what's your middle name?" I asked

"James" said Ni

"Niall James Horan" I said together "NJ" I said giggling and he laughed loudly

"No way poppet.. Haz would never let that one go" said Ni

"Okay sunshine" I said

"I like that one" said Ni "sunshine makes you smile"

"Then sunshine it is" I said

"So do you want poppet or Pamela Jane" asked Ni

I looked up at him and bit my lip "Hmm.. I like both, but maybe just Pamela" I said

"Pamela it is,, and poppet, of course" said Ni "How would you like to spend 4 days in Ireland before the school year starts back up?"

I sat up "Are you serious?" I said

"Yeah, I'm serious" said Ni

"I'd love to, but what about work?" I said

"I'll talk to Linda about getting the time off, don't worry about that poppet" said Ni "I work 7days a week and haven't missed a day thatwas scheduled so I'm sure asking for the time off wont be a problem"

"Oh okay then" I said and kissed him "I'll fly us there"

"Nope, no you're not" said Ni

"Why not?" I asked

"Because you're going to be nervous" said Ni

"Why would I be nervous?" I asked

"Because you'll be meeting my family" said Ni "My Dad, brother & his wife, nephew, Aunts, Uncles and cousins"

"Wow, okay, I'm not flying us there" I said

Ni's alarm went off "We better get up and get dressed before someone knocks on the door" said Ni

"Okay" I said and got up

"That shirt looks good on you" said Ni with a wink'


	12. Chapter 12

NOTE: Now I am fully aware that Harry did not write 'Little Things', but for the sake of the story, he did.

PJ'S POV (Continued)

"I like it bc it smells like your cologne & cinnamon" I said "Ready?"

"Yep, all set" said Ni and opened the door "Don't forget your glasses poppet"

When we got to the kitchen, my phone rang - its Becca and put it on speaker

PAMELA: Hey Becks, long time no hear.. What's up?

BECCA: Hey Pajama Girl, I was going thru the checklist on the bird and it wouldn't kick over. The General has a mechanic coming from Selfridge Air Force Base to take a look at it, but I might not be able to leave till tomorrow

PAMELA: Damn it.. Is that going to mess up your return?

BECCA: No, The General is coming with me so we'll be riding back on a C-130 to get me there on time

PAMELA: The General is coming here?

BECCA: Oh come on Pajama girl, you know he still feels bad about dislocationg your arm and wants to make sure you're okay

PAMELA: Yeah okay, I can't wait for you to get here.. I have some good news... hold your socks for this one Becks

BECCA: Hold your socks.... Holy shits & giggles! You got a boyfriend!! (Ni started laughing uncontrollably)

PAMELA: Yeppers Becks

BECCA: Is that him laughing?

PAMELA: Yeah that's him, his name is Niall, N-I-A-L-L

BECCA: Hey Niall, I'm Becca

NIALL: Hello Becca, Pamela's told me all about you.. Can't wait to meet you

BECCA: Pamela? Ooo its serious if she's letting you call her that.. Same here Niall, take care of her, she's very precious to us

NIALL: I will.. Fly safe Becca

BECCA: Always.. I'll call you before take off and give you our ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)

PAMELA: K Pajama girl out

BECCA: Roger.. copy.. out (and hung up)

"Pajama girl?" said Ni

"Yeah cuz I always wore pajama pants to my classes" I said

"Ah, okay now it makes sense" said Ni

"What makes sense?" said Nana

"My nickname Becca gave me at school" I said

"What did she call you>" asked Nana

Pajama girl cuz I always wore pajama pants to all of my classes" I said "Becca called a few minutes ago.. there was a problem with the chopper so the General is having a mechanic from Selfridge Air Force Base take a look at it for me. Becca will call before take off, hopefully tomorrow to let me know when she'll get here"

"Oh okay sweetie" said Nana "How are you feeling?"

"Amazing" I said "I feel like I could run a marathon"

"You want some coffee Pamela?" asked Ni

"Yes, please sunshine" I said

"Pamela? Sunshine?... Did we miss something here?" said Haz

"I don't think so.. Did they miss something sunshine?" I asked

"Hmm.. Oh.. just the part thsat you & I are a couple now" said Ni

"Oh yeah, we're a couple now" I said smiling as Ni walked up behind me and hugged me around my waist

"When did this happen?" asked Nana

"This morning after a very productive make out session" I said.. Ni blushed red as a tomato

"A Productive... make out session" said Nana slowly

"Oh yes, a VERY productive session" I said looking pointedly at Nana

"Oh... OH!!" said Nana "well.. okay then"

"What?" said Haz

"I'll tell you after I've had my coffee Haz" said Nana

"Okay princess" said Haz

"Y'all are gonna have to make your own breakfast this morning.. I'm under strict oders to relax from my doctor" I said giving Ni a wink

"Then what would you like for breakfast sweetie?" asked Nana

"I'm having taco salad for breakfast" I said "So where's Dad, Pops, & Uncle Lou?"

"I sent them to the store for a few things. They should be back soon" said Nana "They didn't sleep very well last night.. In fact, they didn't sleep at all bc they were too worried about you to relax themselves"

"Damn them" I said "How am I supposed to let them take care of me & what's coming down the pike if they're not taking care of themselves?"

"They'll sleep when they see you're alright" said Nana "Today, its you & me while Ni & Haz are at work"

"Okay Nana" I said "Sounds good"

"I'll be right back poppet, I have to call my Mom" said Ni

"Okay sunshine" I said " Tell her I said 'Hi' and to have a safe flight"

"I will" said Ni and went outside to the front porch

NIALL'S POV

I called my Mom "Hey Mom" I said

"Hey darlin how's PJ doing?" asked Mom

"So far, so good... Mom, do you srill have Gran's ring?" I asked

"Yes, why?" said Mom

"Because I need it.. I'll be coming home after work to pack a bag.. I'm staying with PJ while you're gone" I said "Can you put it on my dresser?"

"Okay darlin.. Are you sure about this?" asked Mom

"Yeah, I'm sure.. Don't say anything to anyone Mom.. We'll tell them.. I'm gonna Skype with Gran and tell her on my break" I said "I Love You Mom"

"Oh, I Love You too darlin" said Mom "And don't worry, I wont terll anyone"

"Thanks Mom" I said "Have a safe flight and we'll see you when you get back" and hung up

I called Greg next "Hey Niall.. How's it going?" said Greg

"Hey Greg" I said "Everything"s good here.. Is Gran awake?"

"Yeah, you wanna talk to her?" asked Greg

"Yeah, can you hand her the phone?" I said

"Okay, here she is" said Greg

"Hello?" said Gran

"Hello Gran, Its Niall" I said

"Oh Niall.. How are you baby boy?" asked Gran

"I'm doing good Gran, the reason I'm calling, is to tell you I have a girlfriend and I want your blessing to giver her your ring" I said

"Oh baby boy, I'm so happy for you.. Yes you have my blessing" said Gran

"Thanks Gran, I Love You, to the moon and back" I said "Pamela says 'hello' and that she's thinking of you"

"I Love You too baby boy" said Gran "That's sweet of her, tell her thank you for me"

"I will.. I have to go to work now Gran" I said

"Alright baby boy.. Have a good day and be safe" said Gran and hung up

As I was finishing my phone call, Liam, Zayn & louis pulled into the driveway. Louis saw mr walk towards the car.

"I'll take the bags in the house. I think Ni wants to talk to yo you two" said Louis

"Okay, thanks Lou" said Liam

"Is PJ okay?" asked Zayn

"She's fine Zayn" I said "She actually slept thru the night"

"OH good" said Liam and relaxed

"But I do want to talk to both of you tho" I said "I asked Pamela to be my girlfriend this morning"

"I see" said Liam "So what do you want to talk about?"

"Well as you know, I still have a year of school left asnd University after that" I said

"Yes, we know" said Zayn

"Well I want to propose to Pamela on Friday before we go to the summer formal, so I'm asking for your permission and blessing" I said "It will be a long engagement, unless she decides otherwise, but not before I graduate"

"Can we talk about this and give you our answer tonight when you get off work?" said Zayn

"Sure, sounds good" I said "Do me a favor tho? Don't tell Pamela"

"We wont tell her" said Liam

"thanks" I said and shook their hands

Well that's done, noew I just have to not get nervous.. 'Yeah, right, sure NI. Just breathe mate'. I kept saying that to myself as I went back in the house. I looked at my phone, it was 9:45am.. I had plenty of time to spend with Pamela before work. Pamela was lying on the couch looking at her phone when I came in.

"Hey poppet" I said as I lifted her legs and sat down, pulling her legs acfross my lap

"Hey sunshine.. Everything all right?.. You were on the phone a long time" said Pamela

"Everything's fine poppet.. I told Mom I was staying with you while she's gone & I called Gran to tell her about us" I said

"How's Gran doing?" asked Pamela

"Today's a good day" I said "I thought we could take a pic and send it to her before I go to work"

"Sure, she'd like that" said Pamela "Lie down with me and we'll take the pic for you to send her"

I did as told and snapped a few pics with my phone and a few with her phone so she could send one to Becca. I sent Greg a text..

TO: Greg  
FROM: Niall  
I'm gonna send you a picture of me & Pamela. Please show it to Gran.  
Niall xx

I sent the picture to Greg, one to Mom and one to Dad with the caption: Niall & Pamela - The Happy Couple... we'll visit before school starts. Love, Niall xx

"So what are you & Mary going to do today?" I asked

"Nana wants to make some pies, so while she makes the dough, I'm gonna peel and slice the apples" said Pamela

"Sounds like fun" I said "When I get home, I'll help you unpack the rest of your boxes if you want, and if you need any nails for hanging pictures, text me and I'll bring some from home"

"Okay" said Pamela "And after that, maybe we can cuddle for a bit"

"Most definitely" I said "now set your phone down and relax for a bit" and kissed her temple

Pamela sighed and rested her head on my shoulder asd I rested my hand on her hip.

"NI.. Ni.. wake up, Its time to go to work" said Haz "Your stuff is in the truck, lets go mate"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming" I said "Pamela, I have to go, but I'll be back soon poppet"

"Okay sunshine, have a good day" said Pamela "I Love You"

"I Love You too poppet" I said and kissed her good-bye

When I got in the truck, Haz started the engine "So you and Pamela had sex" said Haz

'Yeah we did" I said "Haz, it was amazing, definitely life changing"

"I'm sure it was" said Haz

"Haz, if I tell you something, will you swear on your life not to tell anyone.. not even Gem & Mary?" I said

"Of course Ni" said Haz

"Okay.. I called my Mom and asked for Gran's ring, then I called Gran and asked for her blessing and asked Liam & Zayn for their permission and blessing" I said "I'm going to ask Pamela to marry me on Friday before we go to the summer formal, if Liam & Zayn allow it"

"Wow Ni" said Haz "You're completely head over heels for her, aren't you"

"Yeah, I'm 100% gone for her mate" I said

"I'm happy for you Ni, really & truly" said Haz

"Thanks Haz" I said "You & Mary are next, you know"

"I know and we'll get there mate" said Haz

"Have you written your dedication for your song yet?" I asked

"Not yet.. I don't want her to hear it by accident" said Haz

"If you want, you can tell it to me and I can write it down for you, that way it wont be ruined" I said

"Yeah, we can work on it between lessons" said Haz "its not a lot, just short & sweet"

"What's your song title?" I asked

"Little Things" said Haz "Have you decided which song you're going to sing?"

"Either 'This Town' or "Flicker'.. I haven't decided" I said as we pulled into the shop's parking lot.

the day went by fastand I was just putting my guitar in its case when Haz & Sarah came in the room.

"Hey Ni, I brought Sarah to hear your songs" said Haz

"Oh okay" I said and got my Ipod out of my backpack and cued up the songs and handed it to her "Just hit play" 

I finished packing my supplies while Sarah listened, After a few minutes, Sarah handed me my Ipod… she had tears in her eyes

"They're both beautiful songs Ni" said Sarah "But Flicker.. that's your song.. it spoke to me, that's the song you need to sing"

"Thanks Sarah" I said and handed her a tissue

I felt the same way with Haz & I's songs.. They pull at the heart which makes them timeless" said Sarah

"I never thought of Flicker like that" I said "You should be a music teacher like your Mom when you get older.. You'd be great at it" I said

"You think so?" said Sarah

"Definitely" said Haz & I in unison

We left work and headed to my house. We got to my room and the box was sitting on my dresser 'Thanks Mom', I thought as I opened the box to look at it.

"Is that the ring?" asked Haz

"Yeah.. Haz, what if she says no" I whispered

"She wont" said Haz

"But..." I said

"But nothing Ni, she loves you" said Haz "Listen to me Ni.. She may not be ready now, but if you tell her you'll set a date when she's ready, she'll say yes.. if there's no pressure to rush into it"

"Okay" I said

Haz & I packed a bag and put the ring in my backpack and headed to Mary's house. When we got there, Liam & Zayn were sitting on the porch.

"Go ahead in Haz, Liam & Zayn look like they want to talk" I said

"Okay Ni, see you inside" said Haz

"Hey Ni" said Zayn & Liam in unison

"Hey Liam, Zayn" I said and sar down

"We've talked about it and made a decision" said Zayn, looking from me to Liam

"You have our permission & blessing to ask Pamela" said Liam

"Thank you" I sighed and shook their hands "Thank you so much" and went inside

"Everything okay?" asked Haz

"Yeah, its a go for Friday" I said smiling

"Yay!!" said Haz and gave me a high-five


	13. Chapter 13

NIALL'S POV (Continued)

The next few days passed by, Pamela never had any withdrawl symptoms and her headaches were minor compared to before. She's also started wearing her glasses more which has helped her headaches a lot. Haz & I picked up our suits from the dry cleaners and put them in Haz's room at Anne's, and I put the ring box in my dress shoes so it wouldn't get misplaced.

Friday morning Pamela woke me up before the sun did

"Good Morning sunshine" said Pamela  
"Good Morning poppet" I said kissing her gently

"Mmm a girl could get used to this" said Pamela as she kissed my neck

I chuckled "Yeah, I feel the same way poppet" I said and lifted her chin to kiss her lips

We had our 'make out session' a few times that morning. Pamela straddled my hips resting on top of me when she spoke..

"You ready for another go?" asked Pamela

"Seriously? I don't think I can move poppet" I said breathlessly

"Then let me take the lead" said Pamela "You wont have to do anything, unless you get your energy back"

A LITTLE WHILE LATER....

"Oh God.. I can't move" I said panting "Next time no more than 2 make out sessions or I wont make it to graduation"

"Yes doctor" giggled Pamela

"I would just like to say one thing before we get up tho" I said

"What's that" said Pamela as she ran her fingers thru my hair

"Your mouth is a gift from God" I said

She laughed "You sweet talker" said Pamela "If you're not careful, I may have to handcuff you to the headboard and never let you leave"

"You promise?" I said teasing "Don't make a promise you can't keep poppet"

"Care to test that theory sunshine?" said Pamela

"Hmm.. I would but.. Lets save that theory for Ireland" I said "Promise"

"Oh Ireland is going to be fun" said Pamela "Now get up lazy bones" and smacked my ass cheek

"Hey!! I'm physically incapacitated here" I joked "Have merct ma'am, I'm fragile" I laughed

"You? Fragile? Yeah right" said Pamela "Don't make me go get Haz to drag you out of that bed mister"

I gasped "You wouldn't dare" I said in disbelief

"Yeah? Try me mister" said Pamela "You have to the count of 3 or I'm calling Haz"  
"No, don't" I begged

PAMELA: 1  
NIALL: Seriously Pamela, don't  
PAMELA: 2  
NIALL: Poppet please  
PAMELA: 3

She opened the door "HAZ CAN YOU HELP NI OUT OF BED PLEA-"

I lunged for the door, naked "HARRY EDWARD STYLES, IF YOU COME UP HERE, I'LL KILL YOU!!" I yelled and slammed the door "You're gonna get it now little missy" I said as I slowly wealked towards her

"No, Ni, No.. I'm sorry" said Pamela laughing as she backed up and then darted towards the bed, jumping up on it and standing up against the headboard "Don't you dare mister"

I put on my joggers "You're gonna pay for that poppet" I said and lunged for the bed as she squealed, jumping off the bed and bolting out the door.

"You gotta catch me first slowpoke" said Pamela laughing

"Oh, I'll catch you, you little minx" I yelled and ran after her

She shrieked as she ran down the stairs "Don't you dare Niall James Horan" said Pamela "I'll scream!!"

"Scream all you want no one will stop me" I said joking "You.. Will.. Pay"

PAMELA'S POV

I could tell Ni was joking, but I also know I pushed the joke too far. I ran around the coffee table and onto the couch grabbing 2 toss pillows to defend myself.

"Ni, I'm sorry... please don't" I said not knowing what was to come

"I told you not to do it, Pamela... repeatedly" said Ni

I threw a pillow as he advanced - he blocked it. I threw the other pillow & he blocked it again.. okay, time to beg for mercy.

"Please sunshine, I'm begging you, be gentle" I whispered

"Punishment should not be gentle for disobeying poppet" said Ni

"Punishment for disobeying?" I said "Oh shit"

This can only go 1 of 2 ways.. 1) Playfully or 2) a whole different ball game... I'm praying its the first one. I just stood there, I couldn't move.  
I squealed when he flung me over his shoulder and smacked my butt and squealed again when he flung me on my back on the couch. He pinned my legs with his thighs and held both of my hands above my head with one hand and started tickling me with his free hand... Definitely option #1 and started laughing.

"No Ni.. stop, no Ni.. Don't .. Ni" I said while laughing "NI, Ni, Ni, stop.. I'm gonna pee my pants if you don't stop" I begged but he wouldn't ease up

I saw my Dads, Nana & Haz

"OH GOD" I laughed "SOMEONE MAKE HIM STOP.. I'M GONNA PEE MY PANTS... HELP ME!!!" I yelled laughing

"Are you gonna do that again" said Ni

"NO! I SWEAR! I WONT DO THAT EVER AGAIN" I screamed "I PROMISE!!!"

Ni stopped and up off of me. I rolled off the couch and headed for the bathroom.

"OUT OF THE WAY!!... MOVE IT PEOPLE!!... I GOTTA PEE!!" I yelled as I ran and barely made it "NIALL JAMES HORAN, YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!!!" I threatened

"What was that all about?" I heard Dad ask Ni

"A joke taken too far" said Ni "She started it"

"Be prepared for the aftermath" said Louis

I came back downstairs taking a drink from a water bottle and flung it in his face.

"THAT is for making me pee my pants and causing bruises all over my ribs & stomach" I said as I lifted my shirt

"Told ya" said Louis as he drank his coffee

Dad, Pops & Haz stood there with their hands over their mouths silently laughing.

"I'm sorry poppet" said Ni

"Next time when I say 'stop, I'm gonna pee my pants', trust that I'm not lying and STOP!!" I said

"Okay poppet" said Ni "forgive me? please?"

"I'll think about it" I said "Now go put a shirt on and I'll get you a cup of coffee before Uncle Lou drinks it all"

"Yes ma'am" said Ni

"You big meanie" I said and smacked his butt as he walked past me


	14. Chapter 14

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

"You see what I have to put up with?" said Ni "This abuse I tell ya" as he walked away

"No sunshine, that's a sneek peek to me getting my revenge for the bruises" I said "You just wait.. Ireland hasn't seen anything yet"

"Oh shit" said Ni as the color drained from his face "I'm a dead man"

"Yes, yes, you are, Ni" said Louis "It was nice knowing ya man"

"Oh shut up Uncle Lou" I snapped " or you're next"

"What did I do?" said Louis

"Inciting a panic" I said

"What time is Gemma & Anne coming over for hair & make-up?" I asked

"Sometime between 12 & 1:30pm" said Nana

"Okay good that gives us time to shower, prep our hair and have some fun before we start rushing around here like chickens with our heads cut off" I said "I hate feeling rushed.. It makes me insanely bitchy"

"Ni & I picked up our suits from the dry cleaners yesterday and they're at Mums waiting for us" said Haz

"Good" I said 

"The dresses, shoes and accessories are all up in my room all ready to go" said Nana

"Okay good" I said

Haz's phone buzzed... must be a text message

"Oh whatever" mumbled Haz

"Everything okay Haz?" I asked

"Huh?.. Oh, everythings fine" said Haz "Wrong number"

Just then, my phone rang. I answered, not checking the caller ID and put it on speaker

PAMELA: Your time, my dime.. Talk now or I'm hanging up

BECCA: Hey PJ

PAMELA: Hey Becks,, what's up?

BECCA: We're about 5 minutes out PJ,, I've got your coordinates and will be landing a quarter click from you and we're hauling ass

PAMELA: Copy that Becks see you (as I ran upstairs) in 3

BECCA: Roger.. out ( and hung up )

I started getting dressed in a rush "What's wrong poppet?" asked NI

"Becca & the General are on they're way like right now" I said as we heard the choppers and ran downstairs

"THEY'RE HERE" I yelled running out the door with Charlie, Haz & Ni right behind me

"CHARLIE, STOP!.. SIT!" I yelled "CHARLIE STAY"

The birds landed and the engines cut off. Becca & the General got out of their bird while the soldiers and pilot in the other bird remained inside. I snapped a salute.

"General, sir, welcome to Holmes Chapel" I said

"At ease" said The General and returned the salute "Your keys Captain"

"Thank you sir" I said and saw Becca "Becks Baby!!" and ran to hug her

"Hey Pajama girl" said Becca "Who all is this?"

"Becca, this is my Mom- Mary, Haz- Moms boyfriend, you know Uncle Lou, my Dad- Liam, my Pops- Zayn... and this is Niall- my boyfriend" I said "Everyone, this is Becca" and pointed my thumb over my shoulder "and that's the General"

"And who is this, Captain?" asked the General

"This is Charlie sir" I said "Charlie, this is the General.. can you give him a salute?"

Charlie sat up and raised his paw, covering his eyes at the General

"Impressive Charlie, at ease" said the General and returned the salute

"Good boy Charlie" I said

"How long can you stay General?" asked NI

"About 30 minutes son" said the General "Why?"

"Pamela & I would like to talk to you about a private matter, if you have the time sir" said Ni

"Alright, I'll tell our lift to sit tight" said the General "Take 30 men"

"Yes sir General" said one of the soldiers

We all walked back to the house. Becca, NI, the General & I sat down on the porch.

"Zayn could you hand me those pills please" said Ni as Pops went in the house

"What do you want to talk about son?" asked the General as Pops handed Ni my bottle of pills

"Sir, Pamela was given these pills while she was at school for migraines" said Ni "we looked them up online, and found that they have addictive properties and severe side effects"

"I see" said the General

"Pamela has been taking them for almost 4 years" said Ni "and even tho she hasn't had any signs of withdrawl yet, as its only been 6 days since she last took them, I suspect the damage from them may not show up till much later"

"What can I do Niall>" asked the General

"Can you look into the doctor who gave the pills to Pamela and warn anyone who maybe taking them please sir" asked Ni

"I can do that" said the General "Thank you for telling me about this Niall, Pamela is much loved in our family... Give me your number so I can keep you updated on what I find out"

"You're welcome sir.. She's important to me & my family as well" said Ni

"When I get back to the ship, I'll have the ship's on board doctor find out what is in these pills and his reccomendations for how to proceed" said the General

"Thank you sir" said Ni "Poppet, I have to get Haz and head to work.. Have fun with the ladies and I'll see you tonight... Becca, stay in touch and good luck at flight school" he shook the General's hand and gave Becca a hug

"It was nice to meet you too Niall" said Becca

"Haz! Time to go mate!.. Grab our bags and put a hustle on it" yelled Ni

"What do you do Niall?" asked the General

"Harry & I are music teachers. I teach guitar & Harry teaches piano for now" said Ni "Until school starts back up that is"

"Ni & I are going to Ireland next month to visit his family" I told Becca "His Mom is there now taking care of her Mother"

"Really, wow that's great Pamela" said Becca

"Where in Ireland Niall?" asked the General

"Mullingar sir" said Ni "Sorry sir... HARRY EDWARD STYLES!!.. DONT MAKE ME CALL YOUR SISTER TO TWIST YOUR EAR OFF!! MOVE YER ARSE YA TWAT!!"

"I'm here ya idiot!.. And don't you dare call Gemma or I'll call Deo, so there" said Haz "ya wanker"

"You kiss her with that mouth?" said Becca

"Yes ma'am, every chance I get" said Ni and gave me a wink & kissed my forehead "I Love You poppet"

"I Love You too sunshine" I said

"OI!.. lovebirds don't make me call Liam & Zayn to pull you two apart" said Haz "Truck leaves in 30seconds Ni"

"GIMME A DAMNED MINUTE STYLES!!" yelled Ni "General, could you come with me please?"

"Sure Niall" said the General as they walked to the truck

"I wonder why Ni left?" I said "He didn't have to go for another hour"

"Who knows" said Becca "Did you sleep with him yet?"

"Of course" I said

"Did he know you were a virgin?" asked Becca

"No and I suspect he was too, but he never said and I didn't ask" I said

"So?.. How was it?" asked Becca

"It was amazing.. toes curling, mind blowing amazing" I said

"Woohoo you go Pajama girl" said Becca

"What do you think NI & the General are talking about" I asked

"If I had to guess? You" said Becca "Niall's concerned about those pills and your health, and he's determined to hold someone accountable... He doesn't blame you, got it?" 

"Got it, but at some point, I have to ask myself why did I keep taking them when they didn't do the job and get rid of the migraines?" I said "I'm scared Becks... what if..."

"Don't go there PJ, just don't" said Becca "I know you're scared honey, I am too, but whatever you find out or happens, lean on Niall... trust him to protect you"

"What's wrong PJ?" asked the General

"She's scared sir" said Becca "She's afraid of what those pills have done to her health"

"Listen to me PJ.. be scared, be worried, be angry.. you have every right, but talk about what you're feeling sweetheart" said the General "I suspect Niall is familiar with addiction of some kind"

"Yeah, his brother" I said "It caused his parents divorce.. when he found out about the pills, he told me about the side effects and symptoms of withdrawl" I said

"Smart young man" said the General

"Yeah, he is.. He even told my Dads what foods to get, a care schedule, and doctors appoints for me" I said "One for a full health screening and one for a therapist for emotional trauma... and LOTS of relaxation"

"Like I said, he's a smart young man" said the General as Gem & Anne walked up

"Hey PJ, who's this?" asked Gemma

"Hey Gemma, Anne.. This is my best friend Becca and her Grandfather, the General" I said "Becca, General, this is Harry's sister & Mother"

"Ladies, its nice to meet you" said the General

"Oh!.. you're the one who dislocated PJ's shoulder" said Gemma

"Yes, I am" chuckled the General

"Gemma! Be polite" said Anne

"Its alright Mrs. Styles" said the General

"Anne, please" said Anne

"Of course Anne" said the General "Well Becca we had better go and let the ladies get their hair done"

"Yes sir" said Becca and gave me a hug "Chin up and focus on the positives PJ"

"Love you Becks" I said

I hugged the General "Thank you sir.. fly safe... Love you" I said

"You're welcome Captain.. always... Love you too young lady" said the General "I have to say, the abundance of flowers in this yard is absolutely beautiful"

"Thank you" said Anne "Harry & Niall planted them while Mary was visiting PJ last month"

"Amazing.. How long did it take them to do all of this?" asked the General

"About 6 hours, start to finish" said Anne

"He does good work.. my wife would love a garden like this back home" said the General

"We better go sir" said Becca "Anne, Gemma, it was nice to meet you.. I wish we could stay longer, but we need to get back to the ship"

I snapped a salute "Semper Fi sir" I said

"Oo rah Captain" said the General and returned the salute as they walked away

"Damn, he's married" said Gemma

"Gemma!" I said

"What?.. He's gorgeous" said Gemma

"He reminds me of my Dad" said Anne "When I was your age, Pamela""Well lets go inside and get your hair prepped and then we'll have lunch" and went inside

"Pamela? Is that you?" asked Mom

"Yeah, Anne & Gemma are here too" I said

"You better go take a shower first sweetie" Said Mom "They can wet their hair in the kitchen if it dries before you're done"

"Okay, be back in 20 minutes" I said ans went upstairs

"Take your time sweetie" said Anne

I took my shower, gathered up my bags, and make-up and headed to the kitchen to set up.

"Okay I have a few things to hand out before we get started" I said " My honorary Mom says that when you meet people that you consider to be family, you get them something that shows your style but is practical, so these are my way of showing that.... Gemma, I never had a sister, but if I did, I hope she would be like you" and handed her a box "Don't open it yet... Anne, I think of you as my Aunt and the best part of my family. You're calm and understanding and I know if I ever need advice, I can come to youand see everything clearly" and gave her a box "Nana, You are my Mom, you always have been. You were there for all of my firsts and when I needed you, you were there. You helped Dad raise me, while you raised him. You taught me how to dance, how to have no fear, and how to live life with reckless abandon... And now with everything looking uncertain, you're right here and that means everything to me" I said and gave her the final box

"Now you can open them" I said

As they opened their boxes, the tears flowed like water. It was a good think we didn't have any make-up on or we'd all look like a hot mess.

"Now enough with the water works, we have work to do" I said "I also got us all bra & panty sets with garters and stockings to wear under our dresses" and handed them out

"How did you get our sizes?" asked Gemma

"I had Pops get your sizes when we were dress shopping" I said "He's my personal stylist... Pops says you can wear what you want under your every day clothes, but every woman should have a matching ensemble when they have a formal occasion they have to dress up for"

"He's right" said Anne

"Mom, I need your help covering a couple of tattoos" I said

"You have a couple of tattoos?" asked Gemma & Mom together

"Yeah, a friend of a friend is a tattoo artist and needed to show what they could do, so I volunteered" I said "would you like to see them?" and removed my robe from my shoulders and moved my hair out of the way

"Has Ni see them yet?" asked Gemma

"No, not yet" I said "The only person who has seen them is Becca cuz she was with me when I had them done"

"They're beautiful Pamela" said Anne

Mom covered my tattoos and then they all went to change into their ensembles & robes while I cut up some fruit and made tea for us to have while we got gorgeous when Dad & Pops walked in.

"Hey peaches" said Pops  
"Hey baby girl" said Dad

"Hey Dad, Pops" I said "What's up?"

"We came to get our dress shirts" said Dad

"How did the gift giving go?" asked Pops "and the other things?"

"It was great and the personal ensembles were a hit" I said

"Oh good.. I was hopeing they would like them" said Pops

"Yeah.. Mom loves hers, she even started crying" I said

"Well you were the daughter she never had" said Dad

"Are you wearing your black suits?" I asked

"Yes peaches, why?" asked Pops

"You should wear white dress shirts Pops, live a little" I said "The others are, and this isn't the occasion to wear a black dress shirt"

"Okay peaches, white dress shirts it is" said Pops

"Thank you" I said and kissed their cheeks as Dad went upstairs "come on ladies, times a wasting here"

"Be right down sis" said Gemma

"Babe I can't find our ties" said Dad

"They're with your suits over at Anne's Dad" I said

"Oh okay, thanks baby girl" said Dad

"Tell Haz, Ni, Robin & Louis to over and get their ties when they're dressed and ready" I said

"Okay peaches" said Pops

Mom, Gem & Anne came down the stairs in their robes and slippers and we got busy with hair and make-up. When we were all made up and our hair was styled to perfection, we went upstairs to get dressed and then gathered in Mom's room to get our accessories.

"Now there are a few letters that need to be read so have a seat please" said Mom Pamela can you read them please.. I wont be able to read them without ruining my make-up"

"Sure Mom" I said and read the first letter

My dearest Mary,  
I am writing this as a good-bye and as a request. First let me say I wish you all of my love and best wishes for a happy and loving life. I wish your father & I could be there, but if you're reading this, then just now we are together and happy.

I have a few things that I'm leaving you and there are letters explaining my wishes. You were my greatest joy and a blessing in my life. Don't ever forget that.

Love always & forever, 

Mary Marcella Williams

"Go ahead sweetie" said Mom

To Whom it may concern,

I regret never having more daughters so this is a request you can reject or accept.. I'm hoping for the latter. This box was given to me for my first Mother's Day after Mary was born and reminded of all the little moments that I was in store for. Please take this gift from Mary with my approval & blessing. You mean a lot to her - like a sister.

Sincerely,

May M. Wallace - Williams

Mom handed Anne the box "Don't open it yet Anne" said Mom "Continue Pamela"

To Whom it may concern,

This gift was from my first love, Mary's father. He gave it to me on our first Valentine's Day, before we got married. Take this gift and pray it brings you the love of your life, and pass it on to your daughter when the time comes.

Sincerely, 

Ms. Mary Marcella Wallace

Mom handed a box to Gemma and then looked at me "Pamela, my Mother gave me this on my Wedding day. I never had a daughter so I knew it would stay with me... then you were born and I knew it belonged to you" said Mom "Now open your boxes... and despite what my Mother wrote, you can not reject these gifts, you are my family"

"Oh Mary" gasped Anne & Gemma "Are you sure about this?" said Gemma

"Absolutely" said Mom "Now lets put these on shall we?.. Our men will be here shortly... the ring goes on your right hand and the bracelet on your left.. Pamela, your bracelet goes on your right wrist"

"Mom we're here" said Dad from the stairs 

"We'll be there in a minute Liam" said Mom "Now... we're ready. The men aren't ready, but they'll recover... Gemma you lead the procession, then Anne, then Pamela & I will be last"

"Here we come" I said


	15. Chapter 15

NOTE: I am also aware that Niall's birthday is September 13th... Just breathe y'all its all good

Chapter 15

Gemma went down the stairs first, then Anne, then Me and then Mom. We each carried a matching tie and a box of cufflinks. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop... Dad was the first to speak.

NIALL'S POV

"Wow.. Ladies, you look stunning" said Liam

"Perfection personified" said Zayn

"I must be in Heaven bc all I see are Angels" said Louis

"Wow Mom... Gemma... Princess you look amazing" said Haz

"I agree with Harry" said Robin

"Pamela you're breathtaking" I said

"we each have your ties and a pair of cufflinks" said Mary "Liam, Zayn, these cufflinks were John's and now they're yours"

"Thank you Mom" said Liam & Zayn "Pink ties Mom?" said Liam

"That happens to have been your father's favorite color" said Mary "and you two are the only ones married"

"Okay Mom" said Liam as he put on Zayn's cufflinks

"Ladies, present your ties and cufflinks to your dates " said Mary

Pamela dipped into a curtsy and held up the tie and cufflinks

"Kind sir, please accept these humble gifts of love and appreciation" said Pamela

"Thank you m'lady, I humbly accept" I said in return and bowed... everyone clapped

"Nicely done Pamela" said Robin

"Yes!, Thank you Robin" said Pamela " 4 years of Shakespeare finally paid off, huh Dad?... I guess it wasn't a waste after all now was it"

"Yes baby girl" said Liam

We put on our ties and Liam helped us with our cufflinks. It was time and I was nervous as Hell. I took a deep breath and went for it.. it was now or never.

"A few weeks ago, I met this amazing woman and fell in Love. In those few weeks I was captivated by her laugh, her smile, the way she rolls her eyes, her eyes, and all the tiny things that make her special. Every time I see her face light up or when she was vulnerable, I was drawn like a moth to a flame, wanting to be consumed.  
"Pamela, I saw my present & my future in your eyes. I asked you to marry me twice and both times, you said 'NO' bc you weren't ready. I've asked your Dads, my Gran & the General and they all said yes and gave me their blessing. It may not be this year or next, or several years down the road, but I Love You and I'm willing to wait until you say you're ready so Pamela Jane Williams, Will you Marry Me?"

silence... Then Pamela dropped to her knees

"Yes, Niall James Horan, Yes... You crazy beautiful man.... A thousand times to the moon and back and for the rest of forever" said Pamela "I Love You too sunshine"... She held out her hand as I slid the ring on her finger, then we kissed - still sitting on the floor

"Oh my God... that was beautiful... Oh great now I'm a crying hot mess" said Gemma as she grabbed the box of tissues and passed it around dabbing her eyes

"We need a toast" said Anne

"On it" said Zayn "Come on Louis, give me a hand here"

"Coming Z.. Come on Li, lend a hand" said Louis

"Show us the ring Pamela" said Gemma as Pamela held out her hand "Its beautiful.. Where did you get it Ni?"

"It was Gran's ring. My Mom has been holding for me" I said " I asked her to leave it on my dresser for me before she left"

"Oh gosh.. we need to take pictures to send to Becca, the General, Gran, and Ni's Mom & Dad said Pamela "Gemma use my phone and Haz use Ni's"

"How long have you been planning this Ni?" asked Mary

"Since Sunday when I asked Liam & Zayn for their permission & blessing for Pamela's hand"" I said

"You asked for Permission?" said Pamela

"Yes poppet, I asked for permission" I said " If I had asked you without permission, my Dad would have come here and shot me... Its an Irish thing"

"Well.. the General was right" said Pamela

"What was he right about poppet?" I asked

"You're a smart young man" said Pamela "And I'm never letting you go... And"

"And?" I asked

"And we're getting married this year" said Pamela "On September 23rd"

"WHAT?!?!" said Liam & Zayn in unison "Don't you think you should wait till Ni is 18 and graduated?"

"Ni turns 18 on the 23rd of September... its perfect bc he'll never forget our Anniversary" said Pamela "plus if we're married before Ni graduates, then we can look for a 2 bedroom apartment when he knows where he & Haz will be going for University"

"Okay we have sparkling cider per Ni's request, , everyone take a glass" said Zayn "To Pamela & Ni, may God bless and keep you safe and busy with many babies"

"HERE!, HERE!" cheered everyone

"Ni, Pamela" said Anne "There are a few things to remember... 1) tell each other 'I Love You' every day... 2) never go to bed angry... 3) be patient with each other... 4) respect each others opinions & feelings... 5) commit the little things to memory... 6) always apologize - even if its not your fault and 7) communicate & listen - holding things back causes more pain than necessary"

"Thank you Anne" I said as my phone rang - unknown number.. I put it on speaker

NIALL: Hello?

THE GENERAL: Hello Niall, its the General, I have some good news.. Is pamela there?

PAMELA: I'm here sir, go ahead

THE GENERAL: I'm going to let Dr. Forrester give you the news

DR. FORRESTER: Pamela, Niall, Dr. Forrester here, I analyzed the pills you sent me. There are addictive properties, but there is nothing that would cause any damage to your body or organs. I do agree with Niall to see a therapist with your emotional health, but as far as I can see, you're going to be just fine

"WOOHOO" everyone cheered

NIALL: Thank you sir that is the second bit of good news we've had tonight... General sir, are you still there?

THE GENERAL: I'm here Niall

NIALL: General sir.. Pamela said yes

THE GENERAL: Congratulations Niall, Captain

PAMELA: General sir I have 2 requests

THE GENERAL: Name it Captain

PAMELA: 1) I need Becca and the entire family here in full dress blues... and 2) I want you to officiate my wedding, this year on September 23rd

THE GENERAL: Captain it would be my honor & privilege to officiate your wedding and we'll all be there - even Becca

PAMELA: Thank you sir we'll see everyone Sept. 23rd invitation to follow..copy

THE GENERAL: Copy that Captain... General - out ( and hung up )

I saved the General's number to my contacts and sent him the picture of me & Pamela and put my phone in my pocket.

"I sent the picture to the General" I said "Its almost 7:30 we better get to our cars. and if you're driving, no drinking. I know we aren't that far, but lets not take any chances. Drive safe everyone"

"Okay driving assignments" said Pamela  
1) Haz & Mom - Mom's care - got the keys?  
"Got em" said Haz  
2) Robin & Anne - Robin's car - keys?  
"Got em" said Pobin  
3) Dad & Pops - Mom's truck - keys?  
Haz tossed the keys "Got em" said Dad  
4) Gem & Lou - Gem's car - key?  
"Got em" said Gem  
5) Ni & I - Anne's car - keys?  
Anne handed the keys to Ni "Got em" I said

"Then we're all set" said Pamela "We can get our things tomorrow afternoon unless there's something you need tonight"

"Sounds good" said Louis

"Ladies grab your wraps before leaving. Ellie has a key so we can lock the door" said Mary

"Ni did you lock the house?" asked Anne

"Haz locked up Anne" I said

"Okay" said Anne

"Men be a gentleman and open the ladies door before you get in the car or truck" I said

"Oh he's definitely a keeper" said Zayn to Liam

"BE CAREFUL OF OUR DRESSES!!" yelled Pamela

"Yes Ma'am" said the men

"Ni?" said Pamela

"Yes poppet?" I said

"Do you think its wrong, if I don't want Dad or Pops to walk me down the aisle?" asked Pamela

"No poppet, I don't think its wrong" I said "Its your wedding. Having said that, they'll be disappointed and are going to want to know why. You're their only daughter this is their only chance to do that for you"

"Its judt that I can't choose one over the other, but I don't want both of them to walk down the aisle with me in between, it doesn't feel right" said Pamela "I want to walk down the aisle by myself"

"Tell them that, just as you told me... they'll understand poppet" I said

"Okay" said Pamela "Who do you want for your best man and one groomsman?"

"Haz" I said "and Louis"

"I want Becca as my maid of honor and Gemma as a bridesmaid" said Pamela

"Okay, would you like a flower girl?" I asked

"Sure but who do we know that would do that for us?" asked Pamela

"My boss Linda, her daughter's one of Haz's students, she's 6 years old" I said "If we asked her, I'm sure she would like that and Charlie can be our ring bearer"

"I have to say, the vision I'm seeing is cuteness overload" said Pamela "I want you to wear this suit without a tie"

"This sui is fine, but it doesn't look as nice without a tie" I said

"Okay you can wear a tie - a white one" said Pamela

"Alright, what color bridesmaids dresses do you want?" I said

"Well its a September wedding, so its still summer, but not quite fall.... I have no clue" said Pamela

"Okay, we'll come back to that one later" I said " What about flowers?"

"Wildflower like the ones in the flower boxes in the backyard and roses" said Pamela "And trees strung with faerie lights, and white rose boutineers"

"Poppet you need a wedding planner to put this together for you in 2 months" I said "It'll take 6months to get the amount of trees you want"

"Maybe we should have an outdoor wedding that way we can use the trees in the yard" said Pamela "Wedding planners cost too much, if we can't work in what we want in our time frame, then we'll find something that does work"

"Okay poppet" I said "this discussion is going to need everyone's input"

We arrived at the school and parked. I walked over to Pamela's door and took her hand to help her out of the car.

"Lets wait inside for the others" said Pamela

"Okay poppet" I said "I can't wait to dance our first dance with you" and kissed the back of her hand

"We need a song for our first dance as Mr. & Mrs." said Pamela "We don't have a song"

"We'll find one poppet" I said "We have time to find one we love"

"I need to find my wish book" said Pamela

"You have a wish book?" I asked

"Yeah, Mom said when I turned 16 that every girl should have a wish book for their wedding day" said Pamela "I've been working on it for 3 years... Becca even put somethings in it that I didn't think to put in it"

"Then we'll start with that and what we have to work with" I said "Its a good place to start and add what we've already talked about"

"Yeah good plan" said Pamela "Now, no more wedding talk. Lets have some fun"

"Agreed" I said


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

NIALL'S POV (Continued)

We waited for everyone and then went into the hall... 'Damn did we make an entrance or what' I thought. We found our table and seated the ladies before taking our seats, as I looked around, I saw Linda and her family.

"Will you excuse us for a moment" I said to everyone "Linda & her family are here.. Come on poppet, I want to introduce you"

"Okay" said Pamela, as she stood up, I placed my hand on the small of her back as we walked over to their table

"Linda, I didn't know you were going to be here" I said

"Niall" said Linda "Yes.. I'm on the faculty, so come every year... Who's this with you?"

"Linda, this is Pamela, my fiancee" I said "Pamela, this is Linda, her husband Tom, and their kids Sarah & Brian"

"Hello, its nice to meet all of you" said Pamela "Sarah? You're Charlie's girlfriend?" and smiled

"Yes ma'am" said Sarah "Charlie's a cutie pie"

"Yes he is" giggled Pamela

"Fiancee?" said Linda "You said she was your girlfriend last time we spoke"

"I proposed earlier today" I said

"Congratulations" said Tom and shook my hand

"Can I see your ring?" asked Sarah

"Sure" said Pamela and walked over to Sarah and held out her hand

"Oh gosh, its beautiful" said Sarah

"Thank you" said Pamela "Ihave a special question to ask you Sarah"

"Okay" said Sarah

"Will you be the flower girl at our wedding?" asked Pamela

"Oh gosh! You mean it? Really?" said Sarah and looked at me, I nodded

"I mean it" said Pamela "Charlie is going to carry our rings and bc you're his girlfriend, you just have to walk with him... please?"

"Can I Mom?" asked Sarah

"Of course you can" said Linda

"Yay!!" said Pamela & Sarah together and hugged

"When is the wedding?" asked Sarah

"September 23rd.. Ni's birthday" said Pamela "So he'll never forget our Anniversary" and laughed

"I'll remember poppet" I said "I always remember important dates"

"Not always" said Sarah

"What!?" I said faking shock "I always - "

"You forgot my birthday" said Sarah "Haz remembered, you forgot"

"In my defense, young lady, Haz told me that day" I said

Mhm, you keep telling yourself that mister" said Sarah

"Sarah quit being cheeky" said Brian

"Thanks Brian, us men gotta stick together" I said and gave him a fist bump

"Hey, did you hear?... Man U & Derby County are playing a charity game next weekend" said Brian 

"What? No way!" I said

"Yeah, its gonna be epic" said Brian "We're gonna kick yer butt mate"

"Be careful Brian" said Pamela "Where I come from, those are fighting words"

"Derby's gonna kick the pants off Man U" I said

"Boys... calm down" said Pamela "They're both good teams and its for charity, remember that"

"Yes ma'am" said Brian

"You know about Manchester United and Derby County?" I said in shock

"Of course silly, I followed every game of the FIFA World Cup" said Pamela

"Where are you from Pamela?" asked Linda

Michigan.. I just graduated from the University of Michigan last month" said Pamela "I have a degree in Athletica with a minor degree in Law"

"Really... well if you're looking for a job, there's an opening for a Physical Education teacher this year" said Linda "Coach Stockton is retiring, this was his last year. I can recommend you for the job, if you like"

"Wow!.. Really?" said Pamela and looked at me, I nodded "That would be great, Thank you Linda"

"Consider it my wedding gift to you" said Linda "I'll talk to the board on Monday and shoot Niall the details"

"Thank you" said Pamela "Oh gosh.. Ni can I borrow your pocket square? I think I'm gonna start crying.... This has been one emotional day, I swear" and dabbed her eyes

"Emotional in a good way, I hope" said Linda

"Oh most definitely" said Pamela "When you talk to the board, refer to me as PJ Horan please... seeing as Ni & I are getting married a few weeks after school starts"

"Of course Pamela... I think that would be the best thing to secure the job" said Linda

"Oh geez... Now I'm gonna start crying" I said and wiped my eyes

"Oh Ni" said Pamela and gave me my pocket square "Its been one heck of a day"

"Well yeah, you think?" I said with a sniff

"We better got share the good news" said Pamela "I'll let you know when I need Sarah so we can get her dress Linda"

"Sounds good.. It was a pleasure to meet you Pamela and again, Congratulations" said Linda

"You too Linda" said Pamela as we walked back to our table

"Gentlemen, lets go get sparkling cider for our dates.. We have some celebrating to do" I said

"What else are we celebrating?" asked Haz

"I'll tell you - " I was cuty off

"WE will tell you when you get back" said Pamela

"Yeah, what she said" I said chuckling

"Then we'd better get those drinks" said Louis

PAMELA'S POV

"Have you been crying? asked Mom

"Yeah, but they're happy tears" I said "Today has been a whirlwind of good news. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed by it all I guess"

"Well just breathe Pamela" said Anne as she squeezed my hand

"Thank God you're wearing water proof mascara or you'd look like a hot mess" said Gemma

"Yeah, I know" I said Laughing

The men arrived back at the table with our drinks and took their seats.

"Go ahead poppet, tell them" said Ni

"I may have a job here when school starts" I said "Apparently Coach Stockton is retiring.. this was his last year. Linda is going to to talk to the school board on Monday, so if I get the job, I'll be the new Physical Education teacher and Coach"

"WOOHOO! You go Pamela" said Uncle Louis "Congratulations!"

"Wow, that's great Peaches" said Pops

"I'm so proud of you baby girl" said Dad

"Like I said when we got our jobs Ni... Right place, right time" said Haz "Congratulations Pamela"

"Yep you called it Haz" said Ni

Robin stood up "Pamela, Ni, tonight the stars have aligned and bestowed you with continued good health, a new life together and a new job... May they continue to bless your lives in the future" said Robin "Raise your glasses to many more blessings"

"Here, Here!" said everyone ads we clinked our glasses

"Cheers to the happy couple" said Louis

"And we have a flower girl & a ring bearer" I said

"Who is that going to be?" asked Mom

"Sarah & Charlie" I said "Talk about cuteness overload.. they're perfect for the wedding... every wedding needs the 'cute factor' "

"Good choice Pamela" said Haz

"Thanks Haz" I said

"Any other wedding plans you want to spring on us?" said Gemma

"Not yet, I'll spring them on you tomorrow after I've found my wish book" I said

"Its on your bookshelf in your room" said Pops

"Thanks Pops" I said

"You have a wish book>" said Gemma

"Yeah I started it when I was 16" I said "I've been working on it for 3 years"

"I have one too" said Gemma "We should compare books"

"Then you HAVE to help me plan this shindig" I said "cuz half the stuff Ni & I talked about, I have no clue what I want"

"Of course I'll help, that's what sisters do for each other" said Gemma

"Yes!! Thank you Gem.. I Love You, you're the best" I said and gave her a hug

"Um.. Pamela?.. Can't.. Breathe" said Gemma

"Oops, sorry Gem" I said and let go

"That's alright baby bear" said Gem

"Y'all need to stop with the cutsie nicknames" said Louis "I can't remember them all and its making my head hurt trying to keep them straight"

"Oh be quiet Uncle Lou" I said "Uncle Boobear"

"Don't call me that Pamela" said Louis

"Whatcha gonna do, Uncle Boobear?" I said in my little kid voice and pouted

The whole table laughed "Nothing.. snickerdoodle" said Louis with a smirk

"Oh! You did not just go there" I said

"Oh yes, snickerdoodle, I went there" said Louis "Twice... you want to go for a third?"

"Not here and not tonight... I'm in too good of a mood to be trifled with" I said "And if you ruin this dress, I'll drag you home hanging from the tailgate of the truck... Understood?"

"Understood... Truce?, for now?" said Louis and held out his hand

"Truce.. for tonight" I said and shook his hand

"The calm before the shit storm" said Pops

"Agreed" said Dad

"Excuse me poppet... snickerdoodle?" said Ni

"I'll explain later" I said "Promise"

"Okay poppet" said Ni "Ms. Williams, may I have this dance?"

NIALL'S POV

"Ooo nice Segway there Ni" said Liam

"Thank you Liam" I said

"Why Mr. Horan, I would love to" said Pamela in a southern drawl as we headed out to the dance floor

MARY'S POV

"Oh they're good" said Zayn

"Yeah, they're so sweet it makes my teeth hurt" chuckled Louis

"You better watch yourself Louis" I said "You're not off the hook for calling her that nickname yet. You may wake up in the morning with no eye brows and shaving crème in you shoes like last time"

"Yeah" said Liam "You almost went blind, or did you forget that?"

"When was this?" asked Gem

"When Pamela was 10" I said "Pamela was hiding in a tree when she heard Louis's then girlfriend call him 'boobear', well, she was laughing so hard she fell out of the tree... she broke her arm and leg and Louis said it was her fault for snickering, and called her snickerdoodle, which made her irate" I took a drink "She bought some hair remover when she got the casts off and put it on Louis's eye brows when he was sleeping, then took some of John's shaving crème and put it in his sneakers. It was a living Hell for... what Liam? 2 weeks?"

"Yeah almost 3... Dad made them sleep in the same room till they apologized" said Liam "That lasted about 6 weeks and nearly destroyed Louis bedroom... holes in the walls, ripped curtains, broken light fixtures, broken chairs, broken beds & bed frames, broken models cars, beheaded Barbie dolls, broken picture frames, shredded pillows... it was rough - that room looked like World War III broke out"

"Yeah, who knew an aluminum baseball bat in the hands of as pissed off 10 year old could do so much damage" said Louis "Not to mention the black eye, broken nose and cracked ribs I got trying to take the bat away from her"

"Damn mate... And she let you live?" said Haz

"Liam stepped in and didn't give her a choice" said Louis "He gave her a spanking that I felt... scared me to death bc Liam isn't a violent person. When it was over, they were both crying and she apologized"

"What were you thinking mate?.. You gotta apologize this time Louis, cuz if Ni has to protect her from you, you're a dead man" said Haz "You know Pamela was joking when she said that, you need to apologize before this escalates any further"

"Haz is right Louis" said Gemma "Maura, Ni's Mom, told me how Ni went ballistic on his brother when Greg slapped her. He put Greg inn the hospital with a broken jaw"

"Oh shit" said Louis "Be right back"

Louis went out to the dance floor and tapped on Pamela's shoulder. They talked, hugged, then Louis kissed her cheek and came back to the table and sat down.

"Crisis averted and all is forgiven" said Louis

"Oh thank God" said Haz and put his face in his hands "mate, you & Pamela need couple's therapy bc you two act more like brother & sister than you do Niece & Uncle... If I had done something like that to Gemma, I would've died a slow and painful death"

"He's right Lou" said Zayn "I know you love Pamela, but I think that 6 weeks together broke something between you two"

"Yeah.. she scared the shit out of me... literally" said Louis "I'm not joking, her eyes changed color"

"What?" I said "What color did they turn?"

"Red" said Louis "They were purple one minute, then she punched a hole in the wall and when she turned around, they were blood red... I thought I was loosing it cuz then they changed back to purple.. then Liam stepped in and it never happened again, so I never said anything"

"Oh god" I whispered

"I don't think she even realized it happened" said Louis quietly "It was like flipping a light switch and as I said, it never happened again"

"All of this happened from a silly nickname? said Haz "What did you do after the hair remover & shave crème incident Louis? bc I know you did something"

"Louis/… What?" I said

"I dumped my ant farm in her bed" said Louis

"The fire ants? said Liam "They could haver killed her"

"Oh dear God" said Zayn

"Geez what is this? True Confessions - UK edition?" said Louis

"From therapy session to confessional in 3 minutesd flat" said Gemma

We all started laughing as Pamela & Ni sat down

"What's so funny?" said Pamela

"Yeah, what did we miss?" asked Ni

"An impromptu therapy session/confessional" said Haz "We'll fill you in tomorrow mate"

"Okay, well we're taking a dance break and then we're all going back out there for some fun" said Ni

"Fun sounds good rtight now" said Haz

"Agreed" said Liam & Zayn

"Well I'm taking my shoes off before we go back out there" said Pamela "I damn near twisted my ankle in these heels"

"Not used to wearing heels Pamela?" asked Gem

"Not used to dancing in them actually" said Pamela "Slow dancing is fine, but any faster than that is dangerous for me in heels"

"I understand Pamela" said Anne " I have the same issue"

"I brought some flat ballerina slippers just in case these heels became an issue" said Pamela and removed them from her purse

"Oh bless you Pamela" said Anne "I'll take a pair please"

"What else you got in there?" asked Ni

"Hmm.. lets see" said Pamela and looked inside her purse "Lock pick.. slippers.. lipstick.. handcuffs.. condoms... the usual stuff every woman should have in her purse"

"WHAT!?!?" said Liam and almost choked on his drink

"Yep, sounds about right" said Gem "But you forgot the stiletto's with the killer 10 inch heel"

Pamela smacked her forehead "I knew I forgot something" said Pamela

"Excuse me?" said Haz in shock

Ni & Louis busted out laughing

"Dude... The look on your face" said Louis wiping his eyes "They were messing with you Haz"

"Oh that was priceless" said Pamela "You're good Gem.. way to shock the piss out of your brother... absolutely priceless - high-five girlfriend" and smacked their palms together

"Thank you" said Gem "its nice to finally have someone to tag-team with against him, instead of him & Ni tag-teaming me"

"Oh are you two in for it" said Louis "Pamela can get sneaky when it comes to playing dirty tricks on people... you have been warned my friends"

"That's okay, I'll just tickle her till she pees her pants again" said Ni and looked at Pamela

"That's not even funny Ni" said Pamela

"No, its not but right now, its all I've got to defend myself against you, you little minx" said Ni as Pamela handed out the slippers and put her slippers on

"We can leave our shoes under our chairs" I said

"Okay people, lets go" said Pamela "Come on Don Juan, spin me around the dance floor" and crooked her finger motioning for Ni to follow her ":I'm not in heels any more lover boy, come get me" and darted off

"Oh, you little minx" said Ni and ran after her


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

MARY'S POV (Continued)

"Who knew Pamela was a cocktease" said Louis

"Don't call my baby girl that, she's a good girl" said Liam

"Liam, man, she's 19 and going to be married in 2 months" said Louis "If you think she's still a virgin, you're the one who needs therapy"

"Amen Louis" said Gem as she looked at Haz and rolled her eyes

"Gem... forget it, I don't want to know" said Haz "Mom, don't say a word" and covered his ears

"Fine, I wont say it" said Gem as Haz uncovered his ears "sometimes you act like such a baby Haz"

"Gem, there are somethings I would prefer to be blissfully ignorant about, thank you very much" said Haz "Mom is still a virgin and we were the products of immaculate conception"

Everyone laughed

"I like how you think Haz" said Liam

"My sweet baby boy" said Anne "All boys think that way from the time they're born till the day they die.. its part of the bond between Mothers and their sons"

"Agreed" said Liam, Louis, Zayn & Robin together

"Just like every parent knows their child will grow up and eventually have sex and trust that they know, if they have any questions or problems, they can come to their parents and talk it out" said Anne

"Agreed" said Gem

Haz sighed "Agreed" and rolled his eyes

"Harry Edward Styles... roll your eyes at me again and I'll roll them into the back of your head" said Anne politely

"Yeah, I REALLY like her" said Louis "Anne, you are my favorite"

"Careful Louis" said Haz "She's made grown men cry in the corner like a toddler.. She's dangerous when she yells at you quiet like that"

"And don't ever roll your eyes at me" said Anne

"Yes ma'am" said Haz "Sorry Mum"

"Apology accepted" said Anne

"Come on, lets go to the dace floor before Pamela comes back and drags us all out there by our ears" said Louis "bc she'll do it"

"Mary, I can't dance... I can slow dance, but I can't dance" said Haz

"That's okay Haz, I'll show you" I said "Just follow my lead or watch the guys... all dancing is, is reading how people move to the music" as we heading to the dance floor

HARRY'S POV

'I hope I don't embarrass myself' I thought as we walked out onto the dance floor> A slow song was playing as I held Mary in my arms. God, she smelled good, like lavender & vanilla. The butterflies were dancing in my stomach again.. I so want to be with her tonight but I was waiting for her to be ready. I know she's worried about my age, but I'm hoping after what Mum said, that she's ready (Patience at this moment, is highly overrated).

"Haz?" said Mary "Are you alright?"

"Huh?.. Oh, sorry, I'm fine Princess" I said

"You don't look fine" said Mary "Your face is flushed and your heart is racing"

"I was just thinking" I said

"About what?" asked Mary

I whispered in her ear "I was thinking about you.. and what you'd look like out of that dress"

"Oh really" said Mary "I was thinking along those same thoughts about you... out of that suit"

"Really, and what do you think we should do about that?" I whispered in her ear

"Take me home Haz and make love to me" whispered Mary

"Okay princess" I said

We said our good-byes and made our way to the parking lot. I opened her door and kissed her gently.

"I Love You princess" I said

"I Love You too Hazzabear" said Mary

The drive home was quiet till Mary spoke "Haz.. I'm nervous.. its been so long"

"I know princess, I am too" I said "I think its normal to be nervous, I mean, if we weren't then I don't think we would be here at this point"

"True" said Mary "I know you're right, its just.. I want this to be special for us"

"Princess this is special" I said "This night, this moment, us, I don't think it could get much more special" and kissed the back of her hand

We pulled into the driveway and I helped her out of the car. As we headed for the house, we paused under the arbor.

"After tonight, I'm never leaving this house" I whispered "Tonight my life begins... with you"

"Are you sure?" said Mary "What about Anne?"

"She's right next door" I said "She'll understand princess, trust me, I know how she thinks. She'll be happy for us bc I'm happy with you"

"Okay Haz" said Mary "I trust you"

We walked into the house. It was empty and Charlie was asleep in his bed.

"Where's Ellie?" I said confused, she was supposed to be here

"I don't know" said Mary "You head upstairs, I'm going to let Charlie out for a bit and then I'll be right up"

"Okay princess" I said "Don't take too long"

"I wont" said Mary "Come on Charlie, lets go out"

"woof" barked Charlie as he stretched and followed Mary outside

I went to Pamela & Ni's room and grabbed some condoms where said they were and went to Mary's room. There were boxes all over the bed, so I gathered them up and set them on the dresser and removed my shoes & socks and tucked them under the foot of the bed. I took off my suit coat & tie and carefully laid them over the back of the vanity chair till morning. Mary came in removing her shoes, jewelry, and the pins from her hair as she stood with her back to me.

"Can you help me with the zipper" said Mary "It gets snagged on the material"

I reached for the zipper and pulled it down, kissing her neck and shoulder as her dress pooled around her feet, she turned around, looping her arms around my neck as we kissed. I unhooked her bra and tossed it to the floor. Her skin felt like satin on my fingers.

"You're still dressed" said Mary thru the kiss "Let me" as she unbuttoned my shirt, pushing it off my shoulders and undoing my cufflinks, allowing my arms to free themselves from my shirt.

Once we were free of our clothes, I closed the door and locked it, then walked back to Mary.

"Up" I said

Mary looped her arms around my neck and gave a little hop as I lifted her thighs and cradled her butt in my arms. I walked us over to the bed, lowering Mary to the pillows. I settled between her legs and just looked at her.

"You are so beautiful" I said "My dream at the end of the rainbow come true"

"The dream that made me wait for you" said Mary "The dream that made me commit your songs to memory, becomes reality tonight, my love"

"Princess, please make me a promise" I said "If I ever hurt you, for any reason, you'll tell me"

"I promise" said Mary "I know its the last thing either of us wants to happen, but I promise, to always tell you how I'm feeling, good or bad... I Love You Haz"

"I Love You too Mary" I said

NOTE: Sorry y'all, but this is as far as this scene goes... Feel free to use your imagination.

All I could see were fireworks going off in my head.. All I could feel was our heartbeats beating in sync... It was the most perfect moment of my life.

"Do you feel that?" I said "Our heartbeats are in sync"

"Yeah, wow" said Mary "That was.. mind blowing.. toes curling.. amazing"

"Complete and total bliss times Infinity" I said as our breathing became more normal

"Haz, baby, pull out gently" said Mary "I'm just a little overly sensitive"

"Are you sure you're alright?" I asked as pulled out of her warmth

"I'm fine Haz, really" said Mary as we kissed

"Are you tired princess? I asked, whispering

"No, not yet" said Mary " I was just thinking how perfect tonight was"

"It was" I said "I wonder why Ellie never showed up tho… Its not like her"

"I don't know" said Mary "Wait, Haz.. did you check your phone?.. maybe she texted you when we were dancing"

I grabbed my phone off the bedside table and unlocked it. No text, but there was a missed call from an unknown number and a voice mail.I hit the button for my voice mail and put it on speaker:

"Um.. yes, Hello.. This is Constable Rothsdale calling for Mr. Harry Styles... Sir, if you could call me back, it would be appreciated... There's been an accident... Thank you"

I hung up and called the number on speaker

"Hello?"

HARRY: Yes, this is Harry Styles calling for Constable Rothsdale… Is he available?

"Yes sir.. one moment please.... Constable, phone sir, someone named Harry Styles sir"

ROTHSDALE: *thank you officer* Mr. Styles?

HARRY: Yes sir, that's me.... What happened and whose been hurt?

ROTHSDALE: There was an accident earlier this evening on Old Pine Road. Your number was the only one in the driver's phone. I'm sorry if I worried you sir

HARRY: Its alright Constable... Who was the driver?

ROTHSDALE: A Ms. Ellie Winthrop sir

MARY: Is she all right??

ROTHSDALE: Yes ma'am.. She's at the hospital in critical condition, but stable according to the Doctors

MARY: What happened?

ROTHSDALE: Drunk driver Ma'am.. hit her car head on.. When we got here, she kept saying 'Charlie' but there was no contact for anyone by that name

MARY: Charlie is our dog... She was supposed to spend the evening with him but never showed up... she was supposed to be here at 7pm

ROTHSDALE: It took us a few hours to clear the wreckage when one of my colleagues found her purse and phone... I called you as soon as we got her to the hospital sir

MARY: How is the other driver?

ROTHSDALE: He died at the scene ma'am... He wasn't wearing his seatbelt 

MARY: Oh God... Was anyone else hurt?

ROTHSDALE: The man's daughter was in the car with him... She has some cuts and bruises, but she's fine... We're trying to locate next of kin, but haven't found anyone yet and she hasn't talked to anyone since she got here and told the nurses her name.

MARY: Keep looking Constable, we'll be there shortly... The child shouldn't be left alone, can you stay with her?

ROTHSDALE: Yes ma'am.. They're both at the local A&E IN Holmes Chapel, it was the closest.. I'll stay with her till you get here ma'am

HARRY: Thank you Constable.. We appreciate you calling us.

ROTHSDALE: You're welcome sir

MARY: What's her name?

ROTHSDALE: Jessica Aimsworth

MARY: Okay, thank you... we'll see you soon... Good-bye sir

ROTHSDALE: Good-bye ma'am ( and hung up )

"shit" I said with realization

"What's wrong Haz?" asked Mary

"I told Mum the reason we were leaving was bc Ellie wasn't feeling well" I said "I'm sorry, I was nervous... It was stupid"

"Its alright Haz" said Mary "We didn't know about the accident then, this isn't a jinx of any kind... The accident happened before we even got there"

"I still feel bad about lying tho" I said as I pulled on a pair of Ni's joggers and a jumper

"Haz, right now, there's a little girl who is scared, alone, and in need of a friend" said Mary "Lets focus on her... for now"

"Okay princess" I said and kissed her forehead "Keep my phone and wallet in your purse please, I have no pockets"

"Okay... got the keys?" asked Mary

"Downstairs" I said "I gotta grab some shoes from Mums"

"Okay, you get your shoes and I'll call Ni & Pamela" said Mary

"Okay" I said and left the house


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

MARY'S POV

I called Ni as I hooked Charlie's therapy harness around his chest

NIALL: Hey Mary

MARY: Ni listen carefully... Ellie was in a car accident tonight - she's at the local A&E... Drunk driver, died at the scene... Haz, Charlie & I are heading to the hospital... Have everyone stay here till we get back, okay?

NIALL: Will do Mary... Drive safe and call if you need us

MARY: Will do Ni ( and hung up )

Haz came back just as I grabbed a pink fluffy bunny and a purple fuzzy blanket from the hall closet.

"Time to go to work Charlie, there's a little girl who needs a friend" I said

"Woof" barked Charlie and sat down waiting to leave

"All set princess?" asked Haz

"All set" I said

We went out to the car, opened the door to the back seat as Charlie hopped in and sat down, I hooked the seatbelt around him and then got in my seat and did the same. Haz clicked his seatbelt and started the car.   
As we drove, I brushed my hair into a fluffy ponytail and checked myself in the mirror.

"Oh god Haz.. you think you left enough love bites?" I said "My neck is completely covered" and grabbed my make-up bag

"Sorry princess" said Haz "I wasn't exactly thinking at the time.. plus, I wasn't planning on us going anywhere else tonight"

"Yeah, okay, but no more love bites above the collar bone" I said

"Yes princess" said Haz "I'll just have to find other creative places to put them" and squeezed my thigh

"Oh be quiet and drive" I giggled "Now when we get there she's going to be traumatized by the accident so let Charlie & I work till she feels comfortable with us.. okay?"

"Okay princess" said Haz "You let me know when or if you need me"

"Thanks Haz" I said

We parked the car as I grabbed my things. I Unbuckled Charlie and unhooked his leash from its leash lock and headed for the reception desk.

"Hi Cheryl.. Charlie & I are here to see Jessica Aimsworth - car accident earlier this evening" I said

"Hi Izzie, Hi Charlie... She's been moved to the pediatric ward, room 318" said Cheryl "Who is this with you?"

"This is Haz, he's a close friend" I said

"Here's your visitors badges for you and Haz" said Cheryl "stay as long as you need"

"Thank you Cheryl" I said "How is she?"

"Scared... she hasn't spoken since she got here, poor thing" said Cheryl "The only person she's said anything to was Ms. Stacey, she managed to get her name, that's it"

"Okay, now I know what she needs" I said "Charlie, show time"

We took the elevator to the 3rd floor.

"Why did Cheryl call you Izzie?" asked Haz

"I go by Isabel here bc there's 4 Mary's on staff in pediatrics" I said "The kids call me Izzie bc its easy to say and remember"

"Ah okay... I like Izzie" said Haz

"You would" I giggled... We got to room 318 and knocked on the door

"Come in" said a man's voice

"Charlie, stay" I said and went inside "Hello, I'm Izzie, we spoke on the phone" and held out my hand

"Constable Rothsdale ma'am" and shook my hand "Thank you for coming, this is Jessica Aimsworth"

In the bed was a little girl, may be 7 or 8 years old, with curly blond hair and big blue eyes. She was so tiny and was hugging her knees to her chest and staring at nothing.

"Jessica?" I said as she looked at me "Hi, my name is Isabel, but you can call me Izzie... Can I sit down with you?" she nodded "I have a couple of friends with me... Would you like to meet them?" she nodded "Charlie, Haz, can you come meet Jessica?"

Haz & Charlie entered the room and Jessica gasped

You look like my Daddy" said Jessica

"Who? Haz?" I asked and she nodded

"He has the same hair and eyes as my Daddy" said Jessica "Can he come sit by me?"

"Sure little one" and motioned to Haz to come closer "This is Harry... But you want to know what I call him?" I said playfully

"What?" whispered Jessica

"I call him Hazzabear" I giggled and Jessica covered her mouth & giggled

"Hi.. Hazzabear" said Jessica

"Hi beautiful girl" said Haz

"You can call me Jessie" said Jessica

"Jessie, it is then" said Haz

"Charlie, up top" I said as Charlie hopped up on the bed and laid down

"Oh you're a beautiful puppy" said Jessie

"This is Charlie.. he gives people special kisses" I said "Can Charlie give you a kiss?"

"Yes please" said Jessie

"Charlie, this is Jessie, can you give her a special kiss?" I said

Charlie whined "I know Charlie, she's alright" I said

"What's wrong?" asked Jessie

"He's afraid he'll hurt you" I said "But if you lean down and point where you want a kiss, it will make him feel better and less afraid of hurting you"

Jessie leaned down "Its alright Charlie, you can kiss me anywhere you want.. you wont hurt me" said Jessie

Charlie lifted his head and licked Jessie all over her face, causing her to laugh "Okay, okay, Charlie, be a gentleman" I said giggling

"Jessie?" said Haz

"Yes Hazzabear?" said Jessie

"Is there anything I can get you?" asked Haz "Juice, water, hot cocoa?""

"Um.. a juice please" said Jessie "and maybe some Nacho Doritos?"

"Absolutely" said Haz "Be right back sweetness" as Haz walked out of the room

"Hazzabear loves you, you know" said Jessie

"How can you tell?" I asked

"When you talk, his eyes light up" said Jessie

"Is that so?" I said and she nodded "Can I aske you some questions, to help the doctors?" Jessie nodded

"Where's your Mom?" I asked

"In Heaven with Grandma & Grandpa" said Jessie "It was just me & Daddy"

"Where were you and your Daddy going tonight?" I asked

"We were going to church, cuz I couldn't sleep... bad dreams" said Jessie "Any time I have a bad dream, Daddy takes me to church and plays the piano till I fall asleep"

"He sounds like a very special Daddy" I said

"He was... except when he got drunk" said Jessie "When he drinks he - " she took a deep breath and whispered "he hurts me"

My heart dropped "Its alright Jessie, he can't hurt you any more" I said "I have something for you" and gave her the bunny and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders

"Izzie?" whispered Jessie

"Yeah?" I said

"I know Hazzabear loves you, but... Does he?.. Like my Daddy?" asked Jessie quietly

"Oh baby, no" I said as I held out my arms "Come here Jessie" and she climbed onto my lap and wrapped me in a bear hug, she cried "Shh, its alright baby.. Let it out Jessie" and rubbed her back to soothe her, but her cries became heartbreaking sobs & hiccups "Shh, its alright baby.. just breathe Jessie.. that's my girl, just breathe" as her sobs & hiccups quieted and she fell asleep in my arms.

"Thank you Isabel" said Rothsdale "Now that we know she has no family, we can move forward... poor thing"

"When will she be released?" I asked

"As soon as we can find her a placement" said Rothsdale

"Then get her released bc she's coming home with me... Tonight" I said "After what she's been thru, she needs safety, peace & quiet"

"Are you sure?" asked Rothsdale as Haz walked in

"Sure about what?" asked Haz

"Jessie has no family and was sexually abused by her Dad" I said "She needs to come home with us.. Haz she just has to" as I started crying "I can't leave her here"

"Shh princess... If you want her to take her home with us, then we will" said Haz "The Constable can come by as needed and make sure she's healthy, happy, and safe till we can make her a permanent member of the family"

"Its settled then.. I'll let the doctors know and have them come talk to you both" said Rothsdale

"Haz go out to the nurses station and ask for Ms. Stacey" I said wiping my eyes "and ask her for some clothes for Jessie please"

"Okay princess" said Haz and left the room

A short time later, Haz came back with the clothes and Jessie's doctor.

"Thanks Haz" I said as I took the clothes

"Hi Izzie, I heard Jessie is going home with you" said the doctor "She doesn't have any restrictions, but I would like to see her gain some weight.. I suspect she hasn't eaten in a while"

"She said her Dad hurt her... sexually" I said "Can you recommend a female doctor for her please?"

"I'll have that for you with her release papers" said the doctor "When you get her home, give her a bath, 1/2 a pain killer, and something to eat... she'll be tired, but she'll feel better in the morning"

"I'm going to talk to Rothsdale while you get Jessie dressed" said Haz "and call Ni"

"Okay Haz" I said "Have Pamela make Jessie some scrambled eggs with at least 4 eggs"

"Okay" said Haz as he walked out with the doctor.

HARRY'S POV

Constable Rothsdale was standing at the nurses station doing paperwork when I walked over to him.

"Excuse me, Constable?" I said

"Yes Harry?" said Rothsdale

"Do you have Jessie's home address?" I asked

"Yes, why?" asked Rothsdale

"I was hoping to go to there tomorrow and pack her clothes and things so she has what she needs with her" I said

"Its not a safe area Harry" said Rothsdale "Give me your address and I'll get some colleagues to help me and I'll bring them to you tomorrow"

"Oh okay, sounds good" I said "The address is 4132 Apple Grove Lane, Holmes Chapel... Pack everything in her room, bathroom, & any movies, books, etc. … if you need extra vehicles or hands, call me"

"Alright Harry, thank you" said Rothsdale and shook my hand

"I have all of the information Izzie asked for" said the doctor "I just need a signature to release Jessie into your care"

"Okay, Izzie should sign the forms" I said

We headed back to Jessie's room. I knocked on the door and waited.

"Come in" said Mary

When we entered the room, Jessie was dressed and sleeping again.

"Here, I'll carry her while you sign the release papers" I said "Hand me my phone princess"

"Oh, I forgot I had it" said Mary and dug it out of her purse

"That's alright, I forgot too" I chuckled and called Ni

NIALL: Hey Haz.. everything all right, mate?

HARRY: "Ellie's fine, she'll be released in a couple of weeks if she improves... Put me on speaker Ni, there's more

NIALL: Okay... Go ahead mate, we're listening

I explained the situation to a collective gasp. There was crying in the background.. I could tell it was my Mum.

HARRY: So we're bringing Jessie home with us... Pamela, we need you to make her some scrambled eggs with at least 4 eggs and some toast.. She hasn't eaten yet today

PAMELA: Okay Haz

HARRY: Gemma, I need you to draw a bubble bath

GEMMA: Okay bug

HARRY: Lou, we need to borrow a t-shirt for Jessie to sleep in and yours are the only one she can wear without drowning in it

LOUIS: Okay Haz

HARRY: Ni call Linda and tell her what's going on and that we'll be in as soon as we can tomorrow

NIALL: Okay Haz

HARRY: Mum, I need you to go to my room, in my bedside table and get a toothbrush, 2 hair ties, a pair of fuzzy socks out of my dresser, and a pair of pajama pants & a t-shirt so I can return Ni's joggers and jumper when we get there

ANNE: Okay Harry

HARRY: I think that's everything I can think of for right now.. If there anyone can think of something I may have forgotten, go ahead and take care of it... we're getting ready to leave so we'll be there soon... Love you ( and hung up )

"Okay princess, its all in motion and will be ready when we get there" I said "Do you have her things she came with?"

"I have them, give me your phone and I'll put it back in my purse" said Mary as I handed her my phone "Do you have the keys?"

"I set them on the table next to the bed" I said

"Okay, I've got them" said Mary

"I'll carry her" I said "She's not that heavy.. poor thing is worn out"

"I'll sit in the back seat with her in case she wakes up" said Mary

"Good idea" I said "It may be traumatizing to be in a car at night for her for a while, at least with you next to her, she may relax if she wakes up"

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking" said Mary "Lets go home Hazzabear"

"Right behind you princess Izzie" I teased

Once we were in the car and buckled in, I had Mary hand me my phone and hooked it up to the radio and turned on my driving playlist and headed for home. When we pulled into the driveway, Jessie was still sleeping. Mary unhooked Charlie while I scooped Jessie out of the care, then Mary led the way to the house and opened the door as we headed inside.

"We're home" I said softly as we walked into the kitchen, I uncovered Jessie's face "This little one is Jessie"

"Oh Haz, she's beautiful" said Gemma "Poor little darling"

"Her dinner is ready Haz" said Pamela softly

"Jessie, hey peanut" I said softly, nudging her gently to wake her up "Jessica.. time to wake up sleepy girl.. we're home"

"Mmm wanna sleep" said Jessie and snuggled deeper into my arms

"I know you do, but you need to eat first and take a bath" I said "I want you to meet our family too"

"Okay Hazzabear" said jessie and yawned & rubbed her eyes with her palms "Wow there's a lot of people here and in such pretty dresses too... They look like the Disney princesses in my movies"

"They do look like princesses, don't they?" said Ni "Hi Jessie, I'm Niall"

"Hello Niall, nice to meet you" said Jessie "Hazzabear, can you put me down please?"

"Sure peanut" I said and set her on her feet

"Thank you" said Jessie "Where's Izzie?"

"I'm not sure peanut" I said

"She took Charlie outside" said Mum

"Oh okay.. Jessie, this is my Mum, Anne" I said

"This is your Mom?" said Jessie "Nice to meet you ma'am... you're pretty, just like my Mommy"

"Oh, thank you sweetie" said Mum 

"This is Gemma, my sister" I said

"Wow you look like Ariel" said Jessie

"I do, don't I?" said Gemma "I love Ariel"

"I like Belle" said Jessie "She gets to dance in a big ballroom"

"Do you like to dance?" asked Pamela

"Yeah - HOLY COW!! YOU'RE BELLE!!" yelled Jessie and crumpled to the floor covering her mouth, her eyes as big as saucers

Pamela laughed "Close sweetie, my name is Pamela" and sat down on the floor next to Jessie "Izzie is my Grandma"

"Izzie is your Grandma?" said Jessie "This is one hue mungo family"

"Hue Mungo?" said Pamela "Where are you from Jessie?"

"We moved here from Savannah Georgia" said Jessie "After Momma, Grandma & Grandpa died bc Daddy was too sad"

"I thought so" said Pamela "I bet you like to climb trees, go fishing and play dress up"

"I love to do all of that" said Jessie "Grandpa used to take me hand fishing up North, Momma taught me how to climb the big Oak tree in the back yard and Grandma made me dresses and let me wear her floppy garden hat & raid her jewelry box to play dress up"

"No way, you're foolin me" said Pamela

"I'm not" said Jessie as she held up her hand "If I'm lyin, I'm dyin"

"My, my, my, I do declare" said Pamela in a southern drawl "You are truly a southern belle"

"Oh she's good" said Jessie and looked at me "I like her"

"She's mine" said Ni

"Prove it" said Jessie and looked at NI

"She's wearing my ring" said Ni , showing Jessie Pamela's hand


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

NOTE: I apologize if the topic of sexual abuse is offensive to some. I've tried to be mindful not to use graphic details.. If this causes a trigger in some people, please forgive me.

HAZ'S POV (Continued)

Jessie whistled "Whoa baby! check the rock.... 2carats, classic round, 20 small 1/8 carat diamonds, platinum setting - circa 1900's, Gaelic inscription - absolute perfection, not a flaw in the lot" said Jessie

"How do you know all of that?" asked Ni

"Oh please, a girl knows her diamonds" said Jessie "Rocks are kinda my thing. I can tell a cubic zirconia from a diamond in 30 seconds... Gemma let me see your ring" as Gemma held out her hand "Ruby, 3 carats, heart shaped, 10 1/2 carat diamond surround, 24K white gold setting, simple band - flawless... Anne - Emerald, 5 carats, bagette cut, 9 1/2 carat diamond surround, 24K white gold setting, simple band also flawless"

"Jessie is absolutely correct on all 3 rings" said Mary "She's a gemology savant... Haz can you go to our room and get the ring I wore tonight please"

"Okay" I said and ran upstairs, grabbed Mary's ring and came back down and handed it to Jessie

"Pamela, just by looking at this ring, what do you see?" asked Jessie

"A sapphire surrounded by diamonds" said Pamela

"Okay, hold it up to the light, look inside the stone and tell me what you see" said Jessie

"Okay" said Pamela and took the ring "I see... rainbows"

"Exactly.. this is not a sapphire, its a rare blue diamond said Jessie "When you look at a sapphire, its a solid blue - no rainbows. Blue diamonds are caused when the diamond comes in contact with an extremely hot heat source causing the diamond to turn blue... Diamonds can be clear, yellow, blue and brown - also known as chocolate diamonds... This one is a classic round, 5 carats, 18 1/2 carats diamond surround, 18K silver setting, simple band - but it has a flaw dead center, that looks like a teardrop"

"Yep" said Mary "4 for 4... nicely done Jessie"

"Thanks Izzie" said Jessie

"How did you know my ring has a gaelic inscription?" asked Pamela

"Languages is my other thing" said Jessie "I can read, write & speak French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Dutch and I'm learning Gaelic, Latin & Arabic.... I can also hear a song and play it on the piano without sheet music - What's your favorite song from when you were my age?"

"The Cannon in D" said Pamela

"Do you have it on an Ipod?" asked Jessie

"Yeah" said Pamela

"I'll listen to it while I eat and everyone can get into some comfy jamas and I'll play it for you before I take my bubble bath.. How does that sound?" said Jessie

"That sounds perfect Jessie" said Pamela

"Okay you go get it while I wash my hands" said Jessie

Jessie got up off the floor and dragged a chair over to the sink. She pushed up her sleeves to expose several large bruises as she washed her face and hands. When she was done, she hopped down, dragged the chair back to the table and sat down just as Pamela came in and handed the Ipod to Jessie.

"Just hit play" said Pamela

"Okay, now, no one can talk while I listen to this or I'll flub up" said Jessie

"Okay peanut" I said

Pamela set a plate of scrambled eggs & toast in front of Jessie as she put the earbuds in her ears and pushed play. Jessier was quiet the whole time she ate and listened to the music. Its was a long song so Mum went home to change and when she got back, Jessie was talking out the earbuds, set the Ipod down, got up, put her plate in the sink, and went to the Livingroom. She sat down at the piano, not saying a word as we sat down. She cracked her knuckles & her neck, which made us all cringe, and proceeded to play.

She played every not perfectly and kept the tempo. No one said a word. I looked at Pamela, she had tears running down her cheeks. I nudged Mary and pointed at Pamela. Mum & Gem had tears running their faces too, but I knew why they were crying. How anyone could hurt this little angel was truly evil. She was so pure and full of spirit & a will to fight to survive. When Jessie finished playing, we were all silently crying - even Louis was crying. Pamela was the first one to speak.

"Come here sweetie" said Pamela as Jessie ran into her arms and hugged her "That was amazing Jessie, thank you for playing that for us" and kissed her cheek "You are a very special little girl"

"Thank you, I'm glad you liked it" said Jessie

"I loved it" said Pamela "Now, go with Gemma and take your bubble bath and wash your hair and when you're done, I'll braid your hair for bed"

"Okay" said Jessie as Gemma took her hand and led her to the bathroom

"I'm glad her Dad died in the accident bc I'd kill him for what he's done to her" said Ni

"I know Ni, I feel the same" said Louis

"So what happens now?" said Liam "She has no family.. we can't let her grow up in a group home, she'll die, emotionally, I mean"

"I know Liam" said Mary "That's why Haz & I brought her home"

"When we got there, she had told them her name and then stopped talking" I said "Till Mary got her talking again"

"When you first walked in the room, she was terrified" said Mary "She said you looked like her Dad. When you went to get her the juice, she asked me if you ever hurt little girls" she started crying "Haz, it broke my heart"

"Shh, I know princess, I could tell something had happened while I was gone" I said "Tonight she'll sleep with us and tomorrow we'll have a family meeting with Jessie and work something out... None of us wants her to leave"

"Agreed" said Louis

"Haz.. Linda said to take tomorrow off" said Ni "and that if we need to, to take Sunday off too... We need to keep her updated, and she's going to bring Sarah over around 2 o'clock"

"I think that's a great idea" I said "Jessie could use a friend her age to hang around with..... Constable Rothsdale will be bringing some of Jessie's things over sometime tomorrow... if he needs extra hands or vehicles, he'll call us, so we're on stand-by"

"We could've done that" said Liam & Louis

"He doesn't have to do it" said Zayn

"He offered to do it... Apparently, the neighborhood isn't in the safest area" I said "I had asked for the address so we could do it"

"Then its probably best to allow him to do this" said Mum "and he did say he'd call if he needed you"

A short time later, Gem & Jessie came downstairs and Pamela brushed her hair and put it in two French braids.

"You need a nickname" said Jessie to Pamela "Wow your eyes are purple.. they're pretty, just like you"

"Thank you, Jessie" said Pamela "Whatever nickname you pick is fine sweetie... What's your absolutely favorite color?"

"Raspberry pink" said Jessie "Pamela?"

"Yes sweetie?" said Pamela

"Can I have blueberry & chocolate chip pancakes tomorrow?" asked Jessie

"Absolutely sweetie" said Pamela "Ni & I's friend Sarah is coming over tomorrow... how would you & Sarah like to help me make cookies?"

"Oh yes, please" said Jessie "Can we make chocolate, chocolate chip cookies? they're my favorite"

"You like chocolate, chocolate chip cookies?' said Ni "Me too"

"We can make all of your favorites sweetie" said Pamela "And whatever we need my Dad & Pops can go get for us, okay?"

"Okay" said Jessie and yawned

"Okay peanut, time for bed" I said "Get your bunny, blanket and hugs then off to bed... Did you brush your teeth?"

"Yes, I brushed my teeth, Hazzabear" said Jessie and rolled her eyes

She gave everyone a kiss & hug goodnight before Mary & I took her up to our room to sleep.

"Goodnight peanut" I said and kissed her temple  
"Goodnight sweet baby" said Mary and kissed her cheek

"Good night Haz, Goodnight Izzie" said Jessie "I Love You Izzie" and drifted off to sleep

PAMELA'S POV

When Haz & Mom came down the stairs, Anne was waiting for them

"I'm going to go home, but I'll be over around noon" said Anne

"Okay Mum" said Haz "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No love, I'll be fine" said Anne "Goodnight my sweet baby boy.. I Love you"

"Goodnight Mum, I Love You too" said Haz

"Goodnight Izzie" said Anne as the hugged

"Goodnight Anne" said Mom "See you tomorrow" and walked out with Anne

"Come on Ni, lets make a shopping list so we can get the stuff we need before Jessie wakes up" I said

"Okay poppet" said Ni as we went into the kitchen "You say what we need and I'll write it down"

"Okay sunshine" I said as Mom & Haz came in and sat down "We need chocolate protein shakes, a kids chewable multi vitamin, lots of fruit, milk, eggs - at least 4 or 6 dozen, butter - 5 quarter stick packages, lots of juice - apple & Orange, cheese, wheat bread, lots of vegetables, 3 jars of peanut butter and ice cream with chocolate sauce"

"That's some list" said Haz

"Everything we need to make cookies and help Jessie gain a little weight" I said "I could feel her hip bones when I was braiding her hair.. She definitely hasn't been eating well enough to maintain a healthy weight... chocolate chips - 5 bags Ni..... I'm surprised she didn't break a bone in the accident... We should also get her a booster car seat till she's bigger, bc right now she's no bigger than a 4 or 5 year old"

"I'm going to make her a doctors appointment on Monday to have her checked out, see if there's any damage from the abuse" said Mom "I think you should come with us to the appointment Pamela"

"Okay Mom" I said "and then we can take her shopping for anything she doesn't have"

"Sounds good" said Mom "We should go - "

"IZZIE!!" shrieked Jessie "IZZIE!! HELP!! OH GOD!!"

We ran upstairs to find Jessie in bed with blood all over her legs.

"Oh God, baby its alright, shh" said Mom "Pamela.. bathroom.. shower now... Ni sit down before you pass out... Haz lets change the sheets and grab a black towel for the bed"

"Its okay sweetie" I said as I carried her into the bathroom "We'll get you cleaned up and see where you're bleeding.. Just breathe Jessie"

I got her in the shower, tossing her nightshirt in the bathtub and turned on the shower to rinse the blood. I could see where the blood was coming from... this is not a good thing.

"Ni.. go to our room and get the purple bag from the closet and two clean t-shirts" I yelled

"Okay poppet" said Ni

"Jessie?.. How old are you sweetie?" I asked calmly

"10" said Jessie

"Okay sweetie, now don't freak out, alright?" I said.. she nodded "Do you know what a menstral cycle is?"

"Yes" said Jessie

"Well, because of the abuse & trauma from the accident, your cycle has come early" I said

"Oh God" said Jessie "When will it stop?"

"In about 5-7 days" I said "Mom, tell Haz to call Rothsdale.. Jessie needs her clothes tonight"

"Okay Pamela" said Mom

"Why do you call Izzie Mom?" asked Jessie

"Because she helped raise me" I said "My Mom died the day I was born"

"Oh.. so you don't have a Mom either?" said Jessie "Other than Izzie, I mean"

"No, I don't sweetie" I said "Does your tummy hurt?"

"Yeah, that's what woke me up" said Jessie "Then I saw the blood and flipped a gizzard"

I laughed "Okay sweet, we'll get you all set and no more 'flipping a gizzard' for tonight, okay?" I said

"Okay Pamela" said Jessie and giggled

I helped Jessie get redressed in a pair of bikini shorts that I keep for emergencies and showed her how to use a maxi pad and gave her some medicine to help ease the cramps an got her back in bed.

"Now Izzie & Haz will be up to go to bed in a while" I said "and Ni & I's room is down the hall by the stairs if you need me"

"Okay" said Jessie "Thank you for helping me"

"Anytime sweetie" I said and kissed her forehead "Now get some sleep young lady" and tapped her nose

"Yes ma'am" said Jessie

I went downstairs to a group of worried faces... especially from the guys.

"Breathe guys, she's fine, she's not dying for god's sake" I said "But there are a few new wrinkles to our plans"

"What happened?" asked Louis

"She got her monthly cycle" I said

"How is that possible?.. She's just a baby" said Mom

"Actually Mom, she's older than we thought" I said "She's 10... wrinkle #1"

"Oh dear God" said Mom and collapsed into a chair and held Haz's hand

"Yep" I said "So she's going to need a Gynecologist as well as a pediatrician - wrinkle #2... and I'm hoping bc she started her cycle that she's not pregnant, but she could be, either that or she just had a miscarriage - wrinkle #3"

"Oh Sweet Jesus" said Dad and collapsed into a chair as wel

"If... This could shatter her" said Pops

"Good or bad, we need to get her thru this" I said "Be straight with her and don't talk to or treat her like a baby. She's smart so talk to her like she has a brain... She knew what I was talking about when I asked her if she knew what a monthly cycle was"

"Okay, well Rothsdale is on his way with Jessie's suitcase" said Haz "He should be here soon"

"When he gets here, we'll put it in Ni & I's room" I said

"I'm going to make some coffee" said Louis "I wont be sleeping any time soon... I can't get her screaming out of my head"

"I know mate.. my heart dropped" said Ni

"Well she should sleep the rest of the night, I gave her some medicine to ease the cramps that woke her up, that will help" I said "While we're waiting for the coffee, I need Ni for a moment.. we'll be right back"

"Okay poppet.. be back in a bit" said Ni

We went to our room and I grabbed the baby wipes out of my make-up bag.

"I need your help removing some make-up from my shoulder blades" I said "The make-up is covering... my tattoos"

"You have tattoos?" said Ni "Of what?"

"You'll see" I said "I'll explain them after they're free of make-up"

"Okay poppet" said Ni

While Ni removed the make-up on my back, I rermoved the make-up from my face. Once the make-up was gone, I put my tank top back on.

"So what made you decide to get them?" asked Ni

"A friend at school needed to show their tattoo art for a class project and I had been thinking of getting one, so I volunteered and picked these two" I said

"They're beautiful" said Ni "Just like you" and kissed me tattoos "Thank you for showing them to me"

"Thank you for not judging me for having them" I said

"Never poppet" said Ni

"Pamela?" said Jessie from the doorway

"What's wrong sweetie?" I said as I walked over to her

"The cramps are getting worse... I feel like I'm being ripped apart" said Jessie

"Its alright sweetie" I said "It feels like that sometimes, it'll pass.. lets go sit on the couch and relax for a while"

"Okay" said Jessie "It hurts to walk"

"Would you like me to carry you darlin?" asked Ni

"Yes please, if you don't mind" said Jessie

"I don't mind darlin.. put your arms around my neck" said Ni and picked her up bridal style and carried her down the stairs

"Hand her over to me Ni, I'll cuddle her while you get some coffee" I said "bring me one too - milk and 4 sugars please"

"Sure thing poppet" said Ni and went to the kitchen

Everyone brought their coffee into the Livingroom and sat down to talk, not wanting to leave Jessie for one minute.

"Do you know what poppet means?" said Jessie

"No, what does it mean sweetie?" I said as I rubbed circles on her tummy

"It means 'my dearest love' " said Jessie "Its beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes it is sweetie" I said as Jessie held my hand

"Can I see your ring for a minute?" asked Jessie

"Sure sweetie" I said and took my ring off and handed it to her

She turned it around to looking at the inscription then handed it back.

"The inscription on you ring says 'our love is eternal like time' " said Jessie "The Irish sure have a way with words, don't they"

"Aye, that we do darlin" said Ni

"Your accent gets thicker when you get tired Ni" said Jessie " I like it"

"She's got you pegged mate" said Haz

"Oi, shut it ye twat" said Ni

"Twatchoo say?" said Jessie

"Oi lassie that's not nice ta say" said Ni

"Sorry Ni.. sometimes my mouth moves faster than my brain" said Jessie "especially when I'm tired"

" 'Sall right darlin" said Ni "just try and be careful please"

"Yes sir" said Jessie "Pamie?"

"Yes sweetie?" I said at the new nickname

"Will you sing me a song?" asked Jessie

"What song sweetie" I said

"You are my sunshine" said Jessie

"Alright sweetie" I said "Close your eyes"

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine  
you make me happy, when skies are gray  
you'll never know dear how much I Love You,   
please don't take my sunshine away.

The other night dear as I lay sleeping,   
I dreamed I held you in my arms  
but when I woke up, I was mistaken  
and I hung my head and cried.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine  
you make me happy, when skies are gray  
you'll never know dear, how much I Love You  
please don't take  
my sunshine  
away.

I continued humming the tune as Jessie curled into me "I Love You Pamie" whispered Jessie

"I Love You too, my little magnolia blossom" I said and kissed her head as we fell asleep on the couch


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

NIALL'S POV

There was a knock at the door.

"I got it" I said and went to the door 

"Hello?" I said... You must be Constable Rothsdale"

"Yes sir" said Rothsdale "And you are?"

"Niall Horan, family friend" I said "please, come in... Jessie's been having a rough night tonight"

"Poor thing" said Rothsdale as he came in and set Jessie's suitcase down

"Can I get you some coffee?" I asked "Its fresh"

"Yes, thank you" said Rothsdale "black, 2 sugars , please"

"Coming right up" I said "Have a seat" as I set Jessie's suitcase by the stairs and went in the kitchen

"Looks like a full house" said Rothsdale

"Yeah, but you know what they say - a full house, is full of Love" I said and set down the cup of coffee and sat down

"I noticed a helicopter in the field next to the house" said Rothsdale "Do you know who owns it?"

"She owns it" I said pointing to Pamela "She's the pilot and my fiancée"

"Impressive... Congratulations" said Rothsdale

"Thank you" I said

"So what's been going on with Jessie since she left the hospital?" asked Rothsdale

"Well we found out that she & her Dad moved here from Savannah Georgia after her Mom & Grandparents died, she's 10 years old, she speaks 9 languages, she can play the piano and knows everything about gemstones" I said

"Well that explains why we couldn't find any vital records on her" said Rothsdale "She's a smart girl and cute as a button too"

"She's suffered so much and the accident unleashed a tsunami on her tonight" I said

"How so?" asked Rothsdale

"Pamela said that the stress from the abuse caused her to stop eating and that the accident& her Dad dying, was such a relief of not being hurt any morecaused her body to go into an early menstral cycle" I said "and we suspect she is or was pregnant, but bc we all thought she was 7 or 8 instead of 10, the doctor never did a pregnancy test"

"Oh sweet Jesus" said Rothsdale

"We've been trying to get her to sleep, but I think her mind is just trying to recover from the shock & relief" I said "but we've all talked about what she's going to need to get thru this in one piece and what to expect, so we're going to find her a therapist to give us advice and so she can work thru her emotions properly"

"Well it looks like you've all got a good grasp of her needs thus far" said Rothsdale "I had better go, but I'll be back later with the rest of her things.. they didn't have much, it looks like they were barely making ends meet"

"Do you know what her Dad did for work yet?" I asked "She wont talk about him"

"As of right now, we haven't found any employment for her Dad, but now that I know where to start looking, I should know something soon" said Rothsdale

"If there's any thing you need, let us know.. Pamela has friends in the States that can help cut thru some of the red tape if you run into any problems" I said

"Thank you Niall" said Rothsdale "I'll remember that... get some sleep"

"Yeah, I'll try" I said chuckling "You too and thanks again for bringing Jessie's clothes over so late"

"You're Welcome.... Have a good night" said Rothsdale and left

Everyone was asleep so I took care of the coffee cups, turned off the coffee pot, checked the doors, and got blankets and covered everyone up. I curled up on the couch with Pamela & Jessie and covered us up with a blanket. I shifted Pamela onto her back so that JJessie was on top of her and put Pamela's legs over my thighs, snuggled them closer to me and went to sleep.

IN THE MORNING...

HARRY'S POV

I woke up on the Livingroom floor with Mary laying half way on top of me. Where did this blanket come from? The last thing I remember was Pamela singing to Jessie. It was quiet except for the low snores in the Livingroom. I grabbed my phone off the coffee table to check the time.. 10am. I glanced at the couch just as Mary woke up.

"Shh princess" I whispered In her ear "Don't say anything, look at the couch"

On the couch, Ni, Pamela & Jessie were all curled up together asleep. It was a beautiful sight after everything last night.

"Haz, take a picture for Jessie" whispered Mary, I nodded and got up.

I stood at the other end of the couch for a better angle and snapped a few pics. I went back to Mary and helped her up off the floor. There was a knock at the door.. it was Gemma.

"Shh.. Morning Gem" I whispered

"Morning Haz" whispered Gem "Why are we whispering?"

"Everyone is asleep in the Livingroom" I whispered "Come on in"

"Ah okay" said Gemma "How did things go last night?"

"Not good" I said

"Oh no.. what happened?" asked Gem

"Jessie isn't 7 or 8 as we had thought.. she's 10" I said "She got her monthly cycle last night"

"Oh shit" said Gem "Is she alright?"

"Yeah... come see this" I said as we went into the Livingroom

"Oh isn't that the sweetest thing ever" said Gem "They look like a proper family"

"Can you do something for me Gem?" I asked

"Sure bug" said Gem

"Can you go to the store and pick up a few things?" I asked "Ni & Pamela were supposed to go, but as you can see, they're still sleeping"

"Sure.. you got a list?" asked Gem

"Yeah its on the kitchen table" I said

"Okay, I'll grab the list, let Mary know I'm ready when she is" said Gem

"Thanks gem.. I'll go tell Mary" I said and went upstairs "Hey princess, Gem's here and said she'll go with you to the store.. she said she's ready when you are"

"Okay Haz" said Mary

"You okay princess?" I asked

"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just thinking" said Mary

"About Jessie?" I said

"Yeah" said Mary "Something tells me what happened last night is going to be the rollercoaster we're going to be living on from now on"

"well, if that's the case, it will never be boring around here" I said

"Yeah, I know" said Mary "Well Gem & I better get going so we can get back before Jessie wakes up"

"I'll go make some coffee" I said

"Okay" said Mary "I'll be right down"

I went down to the kitchen and heated up the remaining coffee from last night and made a fresh Pot. I put the coffee in 'to go' cups for Gem & Mary to take with them.

"Is Mum up?" I asked

"Yeah, she was doing laundry when I left" said Gem "The door is unlocked"

"Okay good" I said "I need to grab some clothes and stuff seeing as I've got the day off"

"Are you moving in?" asked Gem

"Yeah, gradually" I said "Seeing as I'm still in school"

"What about Uni?" asked Gem

"What about it?' I said "I'm still going, I just don't know where yet"

"Okay bug, just wondering is all" said Gem

"Well whatever I decide, you'll be the 3rd to know" I said "After Mum & Mary"

"Okay bug" giggled Gem

"Hey Gem" said Mary

"Hey Mary" said Gem "I guess its our turn for the grocery trip huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so" said Mary

"Here's your coffee princess" I said

"Thanks Haz" said Mary

"We'll take my car" said Gem "You look like you're gonna fall asleep the minute we get in the car"

"Yeah, Haz & I slept on the Livingroom floor" said Mary "I don't recommend it for a good night's sleep.. I hurt in places I've never hurt before"

"Well when we get back you can have a nice hot soak in the tub to loosen those muscles" said Gem

"Sounds like Heaven" said Mary "Lets go before I ditch you for my bathtub"

I chuckled "Have fun ladies" and kissed Mary "I Love You"

"Mmm I Love You too" said Mary "Have fun yourself"

"I'll try.. I make no promises" I said as they left

Liam, Zayn & Louis woke up as Gem & Mary were pilling out of the driveway, so I made them each a cup of coffee.

"I see Jessie finally fell asleep" said Louis as I handed him a cup of coffee "Thanks Haz"

"Yeah, Pamela started singing and I think we all fell asleep" I said"I see Rothsdale brought Jessie's suitcase" said Liam, nodding towards the stairs

"Huh, I guess he did" I said "Ni must've been awake when he showed up"

"I'm also guessing Ni took care of our cups and gave us all blankets" said Zayn

"Jessie's little 'freak out' last night scared him the most I think" said Louis "Ni went from 'right as rain' to 'holy fucking shit' in point 9 seconds"

"Yeah he's been like that since I met him" I said "He doesn't handle blood well... God help him if he ever gets a bloody nose - and there was a shit load of blood last night"

"Where's the bloody sheets and stuff?" asked Liam

"Soaking in the washer with some soap & bleach" I said "I have to go to my house and grab some clothes... Mary & Gem went to the store. Let them sleep, I'll be back in 10 minutes"

"Okay Haz" said Louis "I'll start the washer and clean up the upstairs while you're gone, it'll give me something to do"

"Okay Lou, thanks" I said "See you in a few"

"Yeah.. see you" said Louis as I left.

LOUIS'S POV

I went upstairs, grabbed a laundry basket, and gathered up anything white to put in the washer. I went in all of the bedrooms and the bathroom. I found a bloody wet shirt and panties in the bathtub and the towels and took my basket to the laundry room, adding them to the washer and started the wash cycle.  
I made the beds and opened the windows to get some fresh air in thru each room. I got out the cleaning supplies and scrubbed the tub, sink, toilet and floor & opened the window to dissipate the smell of bleach.

I fed Charlie while I cleaned the kitchen. I wiped down the table and washed the coffee cups, then scrubbed the sink, wiped the counters and stove top. When Charlie was done, I let him outside to do his business, washed his food bowl, then swept and mopped the kitchen floor.  
The washer buzzed, so I pulled out each item, checking for stains before putting them in the dryer in case they needed to be rewashed. I jumped when Liam & Zayn came into the laundry room.

"Geez give a guy a heart attack why don't ya" I said

"Lou, one day, you're going to make an incredible housewife" said Liam

"Yeah, now if he could just learn to cook, he'd be the total package" said Zayn

"Not all of us can be Julia Childe you know" I said "Besides as long as I know how to maintain a clean house, I'll br treated like a king... I could make a shack shine like a palace the way I clean"

"That's true.. he's got you there babe" said Liam

"Oh be quiet" said Zayn "I clean.. and I haven't ruined any shirts in 6 months since the red sock incident" and crossed his arms

"Everyone knows there's 3 catagories of laundry Zayn: 1) whites, 2) colores, and 3) darks" I said "you wash red socks with dark colored clothes so if the color bleeds it doesn't ruin your whites/light colored clothes, that's Laundry 101, dumbass... or better still - Don't buy red socks!!"

"So where were you during the red sock incident?" said Zayn

"I was resurrecting that beater with a heater you call a car, that you insist I fix every time it breaks down, rather than let it have the death it has so graciously earned" I said

"Oh" said Zayn

"Okay you two, keep it down" said Liam and looked into the Livingroom "Lets not wake them up just yet, okay?"

"Yeah, okay" I said "Lets get some coffee and go sit out on the patio"

Haz came back with a duffle bag as we were pouring our coffee.. as did Mom & Gem.

"We're back" said Gem "and they're still sleeping"

"Yeah, well, its okay" I said "They didn't miss anything"

"It smells nice in here" said Gem

"Louis cleaned" said Liam "When he feels stressed, he cleans.. all the time"

"I don't hear any complaining Li.. do you?" I said

"Hey any man who can clean a house properly and knows how to wash his own laundry, is a keeper in my book" said Gem

"See? Told ya so" I said and stuck my tongue out at Zayn "Now here's a woman who appreciates an independent man, such as myself"

"And if you knew how to cook, you'd be married by now" said Mom

"See? Told you so" said Zayn

"Oh, I give up" I said "I'll learn to cook when Zayn lets his car die... and that will never happen"

"Damn he's got you there babe" said Liam

"Morning y'all" said Jessie and rubbed her eyes "What time is it?... Dang it smells good in here, who cleaned?"

"Morning peanut" said Haz "Its almost noon"

"Louis cleaned" said Zayn

"Noon?.. Dang it... there goes breakfast" said Jessie "way to clean Louis... Did Mr. Rothsdale bring over my clothes yet?"

"Yeah, your suitcase is over by the stairs" I said

"Awesome sauce!" said Jessie and started dancing "I'm gonna get dressed and do my workout... Is it okay to do my workout in the backyard?"

"Sure go ahead sweetie" said Mom

"Awesome sauce!" said Jessie "Oh! can I borrow a radio or Ipod?.. I need tunes when I workout"

"Sure peanut, I'll get my Ipod for you while you get changed" said Haz

"Thanks Hazzabear" said Jessie "Be back in two shakes" and ran to her suitcase and then upstairs

"That kid is a trip" I said "I love her energy... like a little tornado"

Jessie came back wearing leggings and a sport bra- like tank top and her hair a frizzy mess.

"Izzie can you put my hair in a braided ponytail, please?" asked Jessie

"Sure, come stand between my lags" said Mom

"Mr. Rothsdale forgot my cross trainers" said Jessie "But that's okay, I can workout barefoot"

"There you go Jessie" said Mom

"Thanks Izzie" said Jessie

"Okay, let me show you how to work my Ipod so you can pick what songs you want" said Haz

"Wow... How many songs do you have on here?" asked Jessie

"Almost 300" said Haz

"Dang.. so can I just put it on shuffle?" asked Jessie

"Sure.. okay there.. its all set, just hit play... it'll play till you're done" said Haz

"Cool, thanks Hazzabear" said Jessie "Catch ya on the flip side... Later Gator" and headed outside

"She talks like she was born in the 70s" said Mom "I know, I used to talk like that when I was a kid"

"I think the way she talks is cute" said Gem "I'm learning a lot"

"Have you heard her accent?... It cracks me up" said Haz

"Wait till you hear her go full on redneck hillbilly" said Pamela "It'll make your eyes cross"

"Morning Pamela" said Gem

"Nice ink Pamela" said Haz "Or should I say Pamie?"

"either way works" said Pamela "Right now I just want coffee... lots & lots of coffee... maybe have sex.. then more coffee"

"I would carry you upstairs poppet, but between dancing till midnight and sleeping on the couch, my back is shot" said Ni

"Try sleeping on the floor mate... it sucks" said Haz

"Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, never to be repeated mate" said Ni

Mate, you sound just like Jessie" said Haz

"Where is she?" asked Pamela

"Out in the yard working out" said Haz "We were just going out to the patio and learn how a 10 year old works out to Fleetwood Mac"

As we sat down Jessie was running around the yard, clearly in the zone. She stopped and started doing push-ups (She did about 20 of those), stood up stretched her arms over her heade and touched her toes - lifting one leg straight up, like mid air splits then switched legs. Then she started doing cartwheels, back flips, back bends and front flips.  
She got up on the picnic table and did a headstand for 20 minutes, then stood up and did a double back flip, landing perfectly, like a seasoned professional then started dancing - the girl had moves, I was impressed.

"She should take Gymnastics bc she's good" said Gem

"She should teach Haz how to dance" said Ni

"I'm working out with her tomorrow bc a 10 mile run ain't shit compared to what she just did" said Pamela

Jessie suddenly stopped dancing and took the Ipod out of her pocket and looked at it, then looked at us and pointed at Haz.

"Harry Edward Styles... here... now" said Jessie calmly

"How in the bloody Hell does she know my name?" said Haz and got up & walked over to Jessie

"You're a dead man mate… She sounds like Anne" said Ni

"Yeah, this is not going to end well" said Gem

Jessie took out an earbud and handed it to Haz as he put it in his ear. She said something and he nodded, then she looked at us again.

"Niall James Horan... You... now" said Jessie "Don't make me come over there and drag you over by your ears mister"

"Oh shit... now she sounds like my Mom" said Ni and got up

"You better go see what's up" said Pamela

She handed Ni the other earbud, said something, Ni nodded then she pointed at both of them

"You! Are the man!.. High-five Dude!" said Jessie and gave them each a high-five "That was epic!!!"

"You think so?" said Ni

Absotively Posolutely" said Jessie

"May be you were wrong Gem" said Mom "Looks like they'll live a bit longer"

"I've been wrong before, just don't tell Haz I said that" said Gem

"My lips are sealed" said Mary

HARRY'S POV

"We should plan our own little concert at the reception" said Jessie "Y'all can sing and I'll play piano"

"Oh Hell yeah, I like that idea" said Ni "You down Haz?"

"Yeah, lets do it" I said

"YEEHAW!!… Y'ALL WE GONE BRING THIS HERE HOUSE DOWN BABY!!" said Jessie "PUT YER DANCIN SHOES ON Y'ALL CUZ WE GONE TEAR IT UP AND BURN IT DOWN"

"Like I said.. redneck hillbilly" laughed Pamela

"Your back still hurting Ni?" I asked

"Yeah, can you pop it?" asked Ni

"I can pop it for you Ni" said Jessie "My Grandpa was a chiropractor and showed me how to do it properly"

"Okay Jessie, where do you want me?" said Ni

"In the grass, that way you wont hurt yourself, or me" said Jessie

"Okay, good idea" said Ni and laid down in the grass

"Now I'm gonna count to 3.. inhale thru your nose on 1.. hold it on 2… and exhale thru your mouth on 3, okay?" said Jessie

"Got it" said Ni

"Here we go... 1.. 2 - pop pop pop pop pop pop… 3" said Jessie 

"Oh god, she's good... thank you Grandpa" said Ni and sighed

"Now hold still and I'll loosen up those muscles.. Haz stand over Ni's hips and hold my hands" said Jessie "Don't move Ni, whatsoever... if you move you'll hurt both of us"

"I wont move, promise" said NI

"Okay, her we go" said Jessie

Jessie held my hands as she stepped onto NI's back walking back and forth, pushing her hells into the muscles to loosen the up and causing Ni to groan in relief.

"Oh my god, you guys" said NI "her feet are like Heaven.. there's no pain.. but I'm gonna need help getting up out of the grass"

"Now roll onto your back, hug your arms across your chest and don't move while I align your spine" said Jessie "bc I'm small, I need to brace my feet on your shoulders and use a head lock to pull your head. Lock your jaw and breathe thru your nose, okay?"

"Okay" said Ni

"Here we go" said Jessie "1...2...3" and pushed her feet as she pulled Ni's head "There all done... How do you feel Ni?"

"Much better... that was better than any pain killer" said Ni "Thank you Jessie" and kissed both of her hands

"You're Welcome Ni" said Jessie "I'm glad you feel better"

"You should let her work on your back Haz" said Ni "You'd feel better"

"Yeah, later, I promise" I said "I'm starving"

"Then lets go get something to eat" said Jessie "but I need a shower first cuz I stink... I could knock a buzzard off a gut wagon"

"I'll explain that one later" said Pamela laughing at Ni & I's confused faces

"Okay poppet" said Ni

"Yeah, okay" I said as we walked into the house

Pamela just finished making lunch when Jessie came into the kitchen.

"What's for lunch Chef?" asked Jessie

"Breakfast burritos with country gravy" said Pamela

"What do you put in your country gravy?" asked Jessie

"Sausage, onions & mushrooms" said Pamela

"Ooo I Love mushrooms" said Jessie "Do you have an extra can?"

"Sure do" said Pamela "Would you like some inside your burrito?"

"Yes please" said Jessie "and then put the rest all over the gravy please, if that's okay"

"Absolutely sweetie" said Pamela "Here you go" and handed the plate to Jessie

"Thanks Pamie" said Jessie "Do y'all say Grace?"

"Yes, would you like to say it?" said Mary

"Yes please" said Jessie "Can we join hands?"

"Of course" said Mary as we joined hands

"Heavenly Father, bless this food with all of the love that you put in the hands that made it. Thank you for my new family, may your love bless our lives. Tell Momma I'm safe & loved and she doesn't have to worry any more... In Jesus name, Amen"

"Amen" said everyone

There was silence. I could tell we were all thinking the same thing... 'Did her Mom & Grandparents die trying to keep her safe?'

"Yeah" said Jessie "I've known for a while.. Daddy used to talk in his sleep when he was drunk"

"How did it happen?" asked Louis

"Car accident... cut break lines" said Jessie "down a back road... when the car wouldn't stop, Momma grabbed me and threw us out of the car. Momma hit her head on the car and broke her neck.. Grandma & Grandpa couldn't get out, they hit a tree and the car exploded.  
"The police knew Daddy did it, but bc he was a cop.. and my Daddy could lie like his words were written in the 10 Commandments, I tell you, he was never charged..... Karma is a bitch Hell bent on revenge - Good riddance, may he rot in Hell"

"Amen sister" said Louis

"Sorry for swearing Pamie" said Jessie

"That's alright sweetie" said Pamela "sometimes we feel better saying it, just don't make it a habit/// Now eat"

"Yes ma'am" said Jessie nd took a bite and moaned "Oh dear god, this is devine" and rolled her eyes "better than ever Pamie.. high-five girl" and smacked their hands together

"My sentiments exactly" said Ni

"Thank you sweetie, I'm glad you like it" said Pamela

"I Love it... the more mushrooms, the better" said Jessie "Can we make homemade pizza one day this week?... I make awesome pizza"

"Sure sweetie" said Pamela "we can get the stuff you need just let us know when"

"Cool" said Jessie "Haz can you have Mr. Rothsdale pack my pizza pans? They're in the oven.. there's 5 of them"

"Sure peanut" I said and pulled out my phone

ROTHSDALE: Hello?

HARRY: Hey Constable, its Harry

ROTHSDALE: Harry.. How's it going?

HARRY: All good here.. Jessie is requesting that you pack her pizza pans.. there's 5 of them in the oven

ROTHSDALE: Okay... found them, they're going in the box now... Is there anything else?

JESSIE: All my CD's - they're in a box under my bed, my art books, my language books, I also need the 3 big round hat boxes on the top shelf in my closet... in the hall closet are 3cardboard tubes with fishing poles, 2 tackle boxes & a duffle bag with hip waders - I need those... Oh, all of my shoes, coats, and photo album

ROTHSDALE: What do you want done with the beds and furniture?

JESSIE: Burn them

ROTHSDALE: Are you sure?

JESSIE: Yep.. Burn them

ROTHSDALE: Okay kiddo.. We found some legal papers and a laptop inhis room, do you want those?

JESSIE: Yes please, any thing that looks important, but nothing of his... You can burn his things too

ROTHSDALE: Okay Jessie... see you soon kiddo

JESSIE: See you soon Mr. Rothsdale

I hung up and put my phone in my pocket.

"What's in the hat boxes?" asked Ni'


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

HARRY'S POV (Continued)

"My Christening gown, my first Communion dress and My Mom's Wedding dress" said Jessie "Daddy doesn't... didn't know I have them.. they're marked 'Barbie Dolls' - he was so stupid bc I never played with Barbie Dolls - that was Momma's idea.. Momma hid money in them for emergencies too"

"There's money... in the hat boxes?" asked Mary

"Yeah, lots... Momma wanted to have enough to get us far away from Daddy and file for divorce" said Jessie "I had to swear on the Holy Bible never to open them, talk about them or loose them... I'll relax when I have them back... Momma hid lots of things from Daddy"

"Like what sweetie?" asked Pamela

Like the insurance policies that Momma, Grandma & Grandpa had that named me as the benefactor, if Daddy killed them" said Jessie "Mr. Burke kept them at his office so Daddy wouldn't find them"

"Who's Mr. Burke?" asked Gem

"Grandma & Grandpa'd Attorney & Executor of their & Momma's estates" said Jessie "Daddy didn't know about him either"

"Do you know how to get a hold of Mr. Burke?" asked Liam

"No, but the funeral home may, bc he took care of everything" said Jessie "You'll have to check their obituaries for the name, I don't remember.. They were in the Savannah Times, does that help?"

"I told you she was smart" said Pamela "That's a big help sweetie"

'Ugh.. I think I ate too much" said Jessie "Oh god, I think I'm gonna be sick" and ran upstairs

PAMELA'S POV

I ran upstairs with Jessie, just as she hit the bathroom and puked in the toilet.

"Oh sweetie.. just relax and let it go" I said.. Ni opened the door

"Rothsdale's here, he's got the hat boxes, Mary's putting them in her room for now" said Ni "and there isn't many boxes so Louis said to put them in his room till we get things sorted out"

"Okay Ni, thanks... have Gem go to the store and get a pregnancy test, please" I said "Jessie, you can relax now, your hat boxes are here baby"

"Oh thank God" said Jessie and sighed "Thank God" and rested her head across her arms on the toilet seat "Pamie, why is all of this happening to me?... tell me the truth please"

"You've been thru a lot baby" I said "Your body is trying to recover, its going to take a couple of weeks for your system to get back to normal and... we think you might be pregnant"

"Oh shits & giggles... and the hits just keep on coming" said Jessie "so what do we do.. if I am?"

"Well we're going to take a pregnancy test first, to find out" I said "and then we'll go from there baby.. none of this is your fault Jessie, just remember that, you did nothing wrong here... understood?, nothing"

"I understand" said Jessie "I need my hat boxes.. its time to explain everything"

"Okay baby" I said "They're in Izzie & Haz's room"

"Lets take them down to the Livingroom, I want to thank Mr. Rothsdale for all he's done" said Jessie

"Okay poppet" said Ni

We went into Mom & Haz's room to get the boxes. Each box was tied with a yellow ribbon to use as a handle. They were a little heavy, but we each took one and went downstairs.

"Anne, would it be alright if I sayed at your place" said Louis "just till I can find a place of my own, that is"

"Sure Louis.. you can stay as long as you need" said Anne "no rush"

"You're leaving Louis?.. why?.. don't go" said Jessie

"Yeah munchkin" said Louis "You need a bedroom.. I wont be far, just next door with Anne.. you'll still see me every day and I'll help you paint and decorate your room... How would you like a raspberry pink room?"

"You mean it? I'll see you every day?" said Jessie

"I promise munchkin" said Louis "Now, what do you think of a raspberry pink bedroom... you up for it?"

"Oh heck yeah... this is gonna be a blast" said Jessie and gave Louis a hug "I Love You Uncle Louis"

"I Love You too munchkin" said Louis "You, me & Gem will go get paint and stuff tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay... woohoo!.. Hey Gemma, get ready to shop till we drop tomorrow" said Jessie

"I'm ready munchkin.. I can't wait" said Gem

"Okay, have a seat for the big reveal" said Jessie "Lets see what all Momma stashed away"

"Jessie, you open them" I said "seeing as you've kept them safe for so long"

"okay" said Jessie and took a deep breath to steady her shaking hands "Before I get started, we're gonna need a basket, the duffle bag, tackle boxes and the tubes with the fishing poles, please"

"What's going on?" asked Rothsdale

"I'm about to reveal Momma's secrets" said Jessie "and I know them all.. stick around, its gonna get freaky - deaky up in here"

Louis, Mom & Haz went to get the items Jessie asked for as she opened the first box - the christening gown. Jessie lifted the gown and gently shook it as 4 little satin purses fell out of the folds. She picked them up and put them in the basket and lifted out the tissue paper to reveal a handle. She pulled the handle to reveal a false bottom full of cash and documents - she picked it up and dumped it into the basket.

"Ni, can you put this back in the box while I open the next one please" said Jessie

"Sure poppet" said Ni

Jessie moved to the next box and opened it. It was her Communion dress. It was made of lace and had a satin bow in the back, with a lace veil. Jessie picked it up, again, gently shook it out. Several satin purses fell out, along with some letters. Jessie handed me the letters and put the satin purses in the basket. There was another false bottom filled with money, which Jessie dumped into the basket.

"Holy Mary, Mother of God" said Rothsdale "How?"

"I'll explain.. we're not done yet" said Jessie

"Not done yet?" said Rothsdale

"My Momma had many secrets... be patient" said Jessie

We all chuckled as Jessie handed Ni the dress and box & moved to the final box - The Wedding dress.

"Gem can you help me, there's a lot in this one" said Jessie

"Sure munchkin" said Gem and stood up

Gemma held the dress up while Jessie shook out the sleeves over the basket - more satin purses fell out. As the dress was slowly removed from the box, Jessie gently shook its contents inside the dress, till they tumbled free and fell into the tissue paper filled box.  
She put everything from the dress in the basket and opened the false bottom and dumped more money and document into the basket. When the box was empty, Gem and Mom gently folded the dress and put it back in its box.

"Okay, now for the duffle bag, tackle boxes and fishing poles" said Jessie "Haz can you get a couple of pillow cases and a large towel please, preferably one of the black ones"

"Sure peanut" said Haz 

Haz went upstairs to get them and came back down and gave them to Jessie. She spread out the towel on the coffee table and put the pillow cases in the basket.

"Put the money in one pillowcase, and the satin purses and any boxes in the other. Gemma, you take the legal documents" said Jessie "The rest I'll keep here on the table"

Jessie opened the duffle bag, removing 3 square wooden boxes and 2 pairs of rubber hip waders and dumped their contents onto the table, then put the hip waders back in the duffle bag and zipped it up. She moved to the tackle boxes and opened them, but didn't empty them... inside the boxes were coins in plastic cases - a coin collection. Finally she moved to the fishing poles, taking them out and poured more coins onto the table.... That was everything, there was nothing left - except the story behind all of this.

"That's all of it" said Jessie "The Foster Family's Personal Private Collection and assets of Catherine Mary Foster-Aimsworth"

"What's in the satin purses?" asked Dad

"Gemstones" said Jessie "each bag is worth about $1.5 Million U.S. dollars, give or take"

"Are you serious?" asked Pops

"Very" said Jessie "Anyone who knows the value of gemstones & diamonds, knows that when you need quick cash, they can be sold anywhere at any time. Its like having Fort Knox in your pocket."

Jessie picked up a purse and poured it onto the towel... there were different shapes & sizes of diamonds.

"There are 150 diamonds here.. 1 diamond, at current market value, is worth about $80,000 U.S.D. … Diamonds are a universal commodity. Every country, state, or town dabbles in diamonds... if you flood the market, their value goes down, but if you buy them for a private collection, the value goes up & up & up" said Jessie

"These bags have been in the Foster family since, if I remember correctly, the 1850s when they came to America... The bags that are not diamonds, were acquired for their sentimental value like a birth, an Anniversary, a death, etc. and all were passed down the generations. They were purchased all over the world except for Africa, Cuba and the Middle East, bc they deal in black market blood diamonds - blood diamonds are illegal... now lets get to the reason I have all of this, shall we?" said Jessie

"Go ahead baby, continue" I said

"Okay" said Jessie "Daddy got Momma pregnant so they had a traditional southern shotgun wedding and Grandpa held the shotgun.. Our family being Catholic, an abortion wasn't an option for Momma and adoption wasn't an option for Grandpa, so here we are... Grandma knew something was wrong after I was born.. Daddy was beating Momma, so they started to get things in motion for Momma & I to get away and Mr. Burke helped as best as he could, so he made sure they had life insurance policies that named me as the benefactor and the payouts would be held in a trust till I turned 21. Daddy found out about us trying to leave and beat Grandpa really bad & put him in the hospital. After that, Mr. Burke got the hat boxes made and filled them up, per Momma's request

"Daddy started abusing me when I was 6, just after I started 2nd grade and I had my first Communion. It took Mr. Burke 2 years to liquidate Momma's asstes legally so that Daddy couldn't say that she stole ot from him. Grandma & Grandpa sent the gemstones and coin collection to Mr. Burke to hide in plain sight, knowing Daddy wouldn't look at them bc unless it was a gun, he didn't care. That's how I was able to keep them for so long.

"The night they died, we were heading to a private airfield when the car wouldn't stop. Momma grabbed me and tried to throw us from the car, but her head hit the car. Grandma & Grandpa couldn't get out and hit a tree and the car exploded. Momma said that if I made it to tell Mr. Burke 'the phoenix has risen' and then she died. Later, it was discovered that the brake lines had been cut and I knew Daddy had done it, but bc he was a cop, he lied to the detectives and was never charged. We moved here a year later and then yesterday, Karma got her revenge... That's everything" said Jessie

"What are these?" I asked, holding the letters

"I don't know.. Momma never mentioned any letters" said Jessie "You can read them if you want, I don't mind"

"Okay baby" I said and opened one of the letters...

Dear Jessica,  
I'm sorry for everything that's happened. Please know I tried my best to keep you safe. You have been the greatest joy in my life... the one thing I got right.  
I had a dream last night. You were sitting in a cozy house with lots of people and there was a girl with curly brown hair and purple eyes, you called her Pamie and I knew she would keep you safe for me and be your new Mommy.  
I wish I could be there the way I wanted, but God has other plans for me. Talk to me in your prayers, I'll be listening.

Love,   
Mommy  
January 31st, 2009

"Momma saw you" said Jessie

"Yeah, I guess she did baby" I said

"Open the other one" said Jessie

I opened the envelope and took out the letter... It was for Jessie on her Wedding Day. I put the letter back and gave it to Jessie.

"Its for you on your Wedding Day" I said "Put it in your photo album for safe keeping"

"Okay Momma" said Jessie

"What are the documents Gem?" I asked

"Emancipation papers" said Gem "For Jessie"

"What does that mean?" asked Jessie

"It means you are on your own" said Gem "You are free to decide where you want to live, who you want to live with, and wether or not you want to be adopted... the choice is yours munchkin"

"Oh gosh" said Jessie "I want to live here and I want Ni & Pamie to adopt me and be my Momma & Papa"

"Congratulations! Its a girl" said Louis

"okay poppet" said Ni

"Funny, Uncle Lou" I chuckled "And,, Jessie is going to play the Cannon at the Wedding"

"What!?!?" said Jessie "Really?"

"Yepper do baby" I said

Awesome sauce" said Jessie as she did a happy dance "Mr. Rothsdale, thank you for staying with me at the hospital and for bringing my things back to me"

"You're welcome Jessie" said Rothsdale

Jessie picked up 2 satin purses and looked inside both bags and nodded "Where's the laptop?" asked Jessie

"Its on the kitchen table" said Mom

Jessie took the 2 purses and went into the kitchen and grabbed the laptop.

"Mr. Rothsdale can you take this and have some police techs scrub it for me?" said Jessie "I know Daddy has some pictures on it.. bad pictures.. of me. I want them gone please"

"Of course Jessie" said Rothsdale "As soon as its clean, I'll bring it back to you"

"I want you to have these" said Jessie and gave him the satin purses "use them to make a pair of earrings and a pendant for your wife and give them to her the day she has your babies, then do what you wish with the rest"

"Jessie.. I don't know what to say" said Rothsdale

"You don't have to say anything" said Jessie and gave him a hug "You're gonna be a great Daddy"

"See you soon kiddo" said Rothsdale and kissed her forehead

"See you soon Mr. Rothsdale" said Jessie

And with that, he left.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

We got all of Jessie's things put away just as Sarah & Linda arrived,

"Jessie, this is Sarah and he Mom, Linda" I said "Haz is teaching Sarah how to play the piano"

"Nice to meet you Ma'am, Sarah" said Jessie

"Hi Jessie, nice to meet you too... I heard about the accident, I'm so sorry for your loss" said Sarah

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to meet you sooner... I was having a mental crisis, of sorts" said Jessie

"That's alright, you're here now, that's all that matters" said Sarah "besides everyone has a mental crisis every now & then, it lets you know that you're normal... if you didn't have one once in a while, people might think your brain took a holiday to no-man's land"

"Good point" said Jessie and giggled

"Hey, before we start the cookies, would you two like to see something way cool?" I said

"Sure.. Can my Mom come too?" asked Sarah

"She sure can.. Come on, its outside" I said

We went out the front door and over to the field where my helicopter was parked.

"Isn't she cool?" I said

"This is yours?" said Linda

"Yeah.. I bought it just after I got my pilot's license 3 years ago" I said "My best friend Becca flew it over and arrived yesterday morning.. I bought it from my flight instructor"

"You can fly it Momma?" asked Jessie, shocked

"Yep, but not today" I said "If Ms. Linda doesn't mind, I'll take you two for a fly around next Sunday after Ni & Haz get home from work... but only if Ms. Linda says its okay Sarah, so let her think about it for a while, okay?"

"Yes Ma'am" said Sarah

"When we're in the bird, you call me Captain and listen to everything I say, okay?" I said

"Yes Ma'am, Captain Ma'am" said Jessie

"She can go.. May I come too?" said Linda

"Of course, I can take 3 passengers & myself at a time" I said "I'm trying to get Ni to go on a fly around with me, but he's being a silly goose about it" and laughed

"Oh come on Papa, it'll be fun" said Jessie

"I'll think about it poppet" said Ni, chuckling

"Yeah come on Papa, it'll be fun" I copied and the girls giggled

"Funny Pamela, real funny" said Ni

"I thought so, that's why I said it... chicken" I said

"I ain't chicken, I just have a predilection for living, that's all" said Ni

"Oh really?.. What other predilections do you have?" I asked teasingly

"Um.. later poppet.. there are children present" whispered Ni

"Ah yes, well, later then" I said and winked

"Papa, may be if you just sat in it & let Momma start the engine, you might not be so... chicken" said Jessie

"Jessie, be nice baby.. Papa needs to be comfortable flying with me" I said "We'll give him time to come to terms with it, alright?.. no more teasing Papa, that's my job" and winked

"Yes ma'am... sorry for teasing Papa" said Jessie

"Its alright poppet, I can take it... if you can" said Ni

"I'll geet back to you on that Papa" said Jessie, unsure how far Ni's teasing could go

"Wise young lady.. very wise" said Ni

"Okay lets go make some cookies before Haz eats all of the chocolate chips... shall we ladies?' I said

"Yes please" said Sarah & Jessie in unison and started giggling

Jessie & Sarah ran ahead of us as we headed back to the house. When we got in the house, I heard Jessie before I saw her.

"Harry Edward Styles, put down those chocolate chips and walk away or you're a dead man" said Jessie

"Don't use that tone of voice with me young lady" said Haz "Mum, make her stop picking on me for no reason"

"Harry, Jessie, enough" said Anne

"But he's eating the chocolate chips for our cookies... Anne make him stop, please" said Jessie

"Harry..." said Anne "Put. Them. Down... now young man"

"Fine" sighed Haz "You got your way this time peanut, but you wont next time"

"Bring it on cupcake" said Jessie "I can take it.. Can you?"

"Oh its on" said Haz "You & me, backyard baby cakes"

"Nope" said Jessie, popping the 'p' "I have a friend over and we're making cookies... but I'll see you at 8:30am in the backyard for my morning workout... If you can drag your sorry butt outta bed that early"

"Oh snap!.. She's got you Haz" said Ni "Make him sorry poppet... I've $20 that she kicks your tail Haz"

"Ooo, I'll put $20 on that one Ni' I said "In fact, I'll up it to $30, that says she out lasts Haz on a 10 mile run from here to the school, 7 laps around the track and back"

"Oh yeah, now that's a wager" said Ni

"I can do 10 miles.. easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy" said Jessie "you in cupcake? or are you chicken?"

"LOUIS!!.. GET IN HERE - JESSIE SOUNDS JUST LIKE YOU!!" I yelled as Louis, Dad & Pops came in from the patio

"Come on cupcake, take it or leave it/// chicken" said Jessie "A $100 says he chickens out"

"Damn she's good" said Louis

"I tell ya what Haz, I'll be nice - no money bet - If you win a 10 mile run, I'll eat liver" said Jessie and shuddered "If I win... You have to walk 1 mile, round trip, in a pair of 10-inch heels... You game cupcake?"

"DAMN!! She is me... I think I'm gonna cry" said Louis and wiped fake tears from his eyes

"I'm waiting... cupcake" said Jessie "or is it chicken?"

"How long did it take you to run it Pamela" said Haz

"45 minutes" I said

"Oh shit" mumbled Haz ""You're on small fry, 8:30am on tomorrow, 10 miles, here to the school track, 7 laps and back... shake"

"Hope you've got those heels handy bc you're gonna need them" said Jessie as she shook his hand

"Can't wait to see you ear liver, small fry" said Haz

"Damn she's got a better poker face then you Haz" said Ni

"I'll even run with you two as a witness to see who quits first" I said

"Awesome sauce!.. A witness to the agony of his defeat" said Jessie

"You haven't won yet small fry" said Haz

"Oh please, my victory is in the bag cupcake" said Jessie "You want to know how I know I'm gonna whip your butt?"

"Enlighten me small fry" said Haz

"Summer '08... Momma, Daddy & I RAN in the Boston Marathon - 3 hours, 38 minutes, 52 seconds and I was 7" said Jessie

"Holy shit.. no way" I said

"Yep.. 30 miles, start to finish" said Jessie

Ni walked over to Haz and hugged him "It was nice knowing ya Haz… yer a dead man mate" said Ni

"And just so you know cupcake, we're running even if it raining so don't think a little water is gonna derail this" said Jessie

"Now she sounds liked Pamela" said Dad "He's toast"

"Cookie time!!" said Jessie "Out chip thief!!"

And with that, the trash talk was over... JESSIE-1... HAZ-0. We watched as Haz left the kitchen dejected. I got out the ingredients for the double chocolate chip cookies, looking up the recipe online. Sarah & Jessie measured out everything and mixed it up. Sarah got out an ice cream scoop and showed jessie how far apart to put the blobs of cookie dough and let Jessie do that while she washed up the measuring cups and stuff.   
Once the dough was all gone, the trays were put in the oven and the timer was set.... And Haz was allowed back in the kitchen (hahaha)

"My Grandma makes a chocolate caramel Belgian waffle cake - 3 layers - that is to die for"said Sarah

"Oh God it sounds sinful" said Jessie

"It is, but its sooo good" said Sarah "and if you put bananas slices and strawberries on it, it tastes like an ice cream sundae" 

"Oh God, just shoot me now" said Jessie and rolled her eyes "I need to meet your Grandma and shake the master's hand"

"Your Momma is a fantastic cook" said Ni

"She makes the best Chicken Fajitas & Taco Salad I've ever had" said Haz

"Fajitas? Taco Salad?... oh that's it!.. I'm making a list of foods I like so we can make them" said Jessie "In fact, why don't we all make a list of our favorite foods/meals and make one every night"

"That could work" said Ni "What do you think poppet?"

"It sounds expensive Ni" I said "We already make 2 trips a week for groceries as it is"

"I know poppet, but think about it.. If we make a weekly menu and bought what we need and stock up on staple items, then theoretically, it would only be expensive once a month and it would cut down on grocery trips" said Ni

"That's true" I said "okay, lets try it... either it'll work, or it wont, but we can try it" 

"Awesome sauce" said Jessie "Papa?"

"Yes poppet?" said Ni

"Sarah said the you play guitar and that you & Haz sing" said Jessie "Will you & Haz play a song that each of you wrote?"

"Sure.. I'll go get my guitar and song journal" said Ni "Hey Haz.. Jessie wants us to play some music for her tonight, you up for it?"

"Sure" said Haz

"Get your song journal and we'll let Jessie pick 3 of them" said Ni

"Okay, its upstairs, be right back" said Haz


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

NIALL'S POV

Haz & I went upstairs to grab our song journals and my guitar, then went to the Livingroom and handed the journals to Jessie while we got ourselves settled in our seats. Jessie looked thru Haz's journal first and then my journal.

"Okay poppet, which songs do you want to hear?.. you can pick 3 for tonight" I said

"This Town" said Jessie

"Okay poppet" I said and picked up my guitar and started playing/

Waking up to kiss you and nobody's there  
The smell of your perfume still stuck in the air  
It's hard  
Yesterday I thought I saw your shadow running round  
It's funny how things never change in this old town  
So far from the stars  
And I want to tell you everything  
The words I never got to say the first time around  
And I remember everything  
From when we were the children playing in this fairground  
Wish I was there with you now  
If the whole world was watching I'd still dance with you  
Drive highways and byways to be there with you  
Over and over the only truth  
Everything comes back to you  
I saw that you moved on with someone new  
In the pub that we met he's got his arms around you  
It's so hard  
So hard  
And I want to tell you everything  
The words I never got to say the first time around  
And I remember everything  
From when we were the children playing in this fairground  
Wish I was there with you now  
As if the whole world was watching I'd still dance with you  
Drive highways and byways to be there with you  
Over and over the only truth  
Everything comes back to you  
You still make me nervous when you walk in the room  
Them butterflies they come alive when I'm next to you  
Over and over the only truth  
Everything comes back to you  
And I know that it's wrong  
That I can't move on  
But there's something about you  
If the whole world was watching I'd still dance with you  
Drive highways and byways to be there with you  
Over and over the only truth  
Everything comes back to you  
You still make me nervous when you walk in the room  
Them butterflies they come alive when I'm next to you  
Over and over the only truth  
Everything comes back to you  
Everything comes back to you

"Oh Papa, its beautiful" said Jessie

"Thank you poppet" I said "What's the next song?"

"Play 'So Long' " said Jessie

"I can't poppet, its not finished yet" I said

"Oh okay.. will you play it for me when its done?" asked Jessie

"Sure I will poppet" I said

"Then play A.M." said Jessie

"Okay poppet" I said "I need the piano for this one"

"okay Ni" said Haz and sat in my chair as I sat at the piano

Won't you stay 'til the A.M.?  
All my favourite conversations  
Always made in the A.M. (yeah yeah)

Feels like this could be forever tonight  
Break these clocks, forget about time  
There could be a World War 3 goin' on outside  
You and me were raised in the same part of town  
Got these scars on the same ground  
Remember how we used to kick around just wasting time?

Won't you stay 'til the A.M.?  
All my favourite conversations  
Always made in the A.M.  
Cause we don't know what we're saying  
We're just swimming round in our glasses  
And talking out of our asses  
Like we're all gonna make it (yeah, yeah)

Feels like this could be forever right now  
Don't wanna sleep cause we're dreaming out loud  
Trying to behave but you know that we never learned, how  
You and me were raised in the same part of town  
Got these scars on the same ground  
Remember how we used to kick around just wasting time?

Won't you stay 'til the A.M.?  
All my favourite conversations  
Always made in the A.M.  
Cause we don't know what we're saying  
We're just swimming round in our glasses  
And talking out of our asses  
Like we're all gonna make it (yeah, yeah)

You know I'm always coming back to this place  
You know  
And I'll say  
You know I'm always gonna look for your face  
You know

Won't you stay 'til the A.M.?  
All my favourite conversations  
Always made in the A.M.  
Cause we don't know what we're saying  
We're just swimming round in our glasses  
And talking out of our asses  
Like we're all gonna make it (yeah, yeah)

Won't you stay 'til the A.M.?  
You know I'm always coming back to this place  
Won't you stay 'til the A.M.? (yeah, yeah)  
You know  
Won't you stay 'til the A.M.?  
You know I'm always gonna look for your face  
Won't you stay 'til the A.M.? (yeah, yeah) 

"Wow... just wow" said Jessie "I got goosebumps on that one Papa"

"Thanks poppet" I said "Okay, one more and then we need to help Momma with dinner"

"Okay Papa" said Jessie "This one is one of Haz's songs"

"Okay peanut... which one?" said Haz

"Little Things" said Jessie

"That's Izzie's song" said Haz

"What?" said Mary "When did you write it?"

"Just after I met you" said Haz

"I never heard it" said Mary

"I heard you.. You kept me up for 3 days" said Haz

"I what?" said Mary

"You talk in your sleep when you drink too much tea" said Haz "And you drank quite a lot when you went to Michigan... for 3 days I didn't sleep"

"Oh God" said Mary and covered her face "Just play the song"

"Ni, I need to borrow your guitar please" said Haz

"Sure mate" I said and handed Haz my guitar

Your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me  
But bear this mind it was meant to be  
And I'm joining up the dots with the freckles on your cheeks  
And it all makes sense to me  
I know you've never loved the crinkles by your eyes when you smile  
You've never loved your stomach or your thighs  
The dimples in your back at the bottom of your spine  
But I'll love them endlessly  
I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth  
But if I do, it's you, oh it's you, they add up to  
I'm in love with you and all these little things  
You can't go to bed without a cup of tea  
Maybe that's the reason that you talk in your sleep  
And all those conversations are the secrets that I keep  
Though it makes no sense to me  
I know you've never loved the sound of your voice on tape  
You never want to know how much you weigh  
You still have to squeeze into your jeans  
But you're perfect to me  
I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth  
But if it's true, it's you, it's you, they add up to  
I'm in love with you and all these little things  
You never love yourself half as much as I love you  
You'll never treat yourself right darling but I want you to  
If I let you know, I'm here for you  
Maybe you'll love yourself like I love you oh  
I've just let these little things slip out of my mouth  
Because it's you, oh it's you, it's you they add up to  
And I'm in love with you (all these little things)  
I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth  
But if it's true, it's you, it's you they add up to  
I'm in love with you, and all your little things

"See Izzie?.. I told you" said Jessie "When Haz looks at you his eyes light up... He loves you A LOT!"

"She's not wrong" said Haz "She's very perceptive, isn't she?"

"Tell her Haz" said Jessie "sorry about this Izzie... shock the shit out of her Haz"

Haz chuckled "I've been in love with you since I was Jessie's age, but then you started dressing differently and you changed your hair. You started wearing it up and it made me sad bc I liked your hair down, and you were sad all the time, I guess I didn't pay attention after that.... and then you asked me to take care of Charlie and I started to notice little things that I remembered from years ago.  
"The day Ni & I picked you up to take you to the airport, you had your hair in a ponytail and you were wearing sweatpants and a hoodie and you looked you did when I was 10.. and you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seenand the pictures we sent each other, made me love you even more.  
"Then the texts and phone calls made my heart race and my hands sweat, so I asked Gemma 'how do you know when you're in love' and well, I wont rehash the whole conversation, but she told me I was in deep, so I did something to show you how I felt... and with Ni's help, we planted the rose bushes, arbor, flower boxes & peonies, and the birdbath and I swore Ellie to keep it a secret so I could tell you that, I Love You" said Haz

"Way to go Romeo" said Jessie "check her out.. 100% shocked and speechless"

"I think we all are poppet" I said

"Mary?.. breathe princess" said Haz

"Way to go Haz… you broke her" said Pamela "Mom?.... MARY ISABEL WILLIAMS!!"

"What?' said Mary "I was listening geez, can't a person think once in a while?"

"Tell her Izzie" said Jessie "sorry Momma"

"Its okay baby" said Pamela and laughed

"Come on Izzie" said Jessie "Don't leave the man hangin, he wrote you a song, an amazing one at that and just poured his heart out onto the carpet... Tell him how you feel or I'm gonna swing the bat for ya, I already teed up the ball for ya, the bases are loaded hit a homer and bring us home for Christ's sake, we're going into over time here"

"You go baby" said Pamela "Nice play-by-play on the baseball game of Love"

"Thanks Momma" said Jessie "You gotta love the boys of Summer, its America's pastime after all"

"Oh I can't wait for the General to meet you" said Pamela

"The General?" said Jessie

"My best friend Becca's Grandpa is a General in the Marines" said Pamela

"Oh, he's a jarhead... the big kahuna" said Jessie

"How do you know about jarheads?" said Pamela

"Momma, I'm from Georgia" said Jessie "There is nothing that can make a southern girl swoon more than a tall drink of water in Marine Corp dress blues... Its the finest sight in America and if I'm lying, I'm dying"

"Okay" said Pamela "Nuff said"

"You understood all of that?" said Gem

"Every word" said Pamela "What part was confusing?"

"Jarhead?' said Gemma

"A Marine soldier" said Jessie

"Swoon?" said Gem

"Faint" said Jessie

"Tall drink of water?" said Gem

"A good looking man" said Jessie

"Oh okay now your statement makes sense" said Gem

"Sorry about that Gem, sometimes that white trash trailer talk comes out hot & heavy" said Jessie "They need to come out with a redneck hillbilly, white trash English Conversion dictionary cuz shit gets confusing at times"

"Jessie" I said

"What?" said Jessie "its true Papa"

"The swearing" I said

"Huh?" said Jessie as she tought about what she had said "Oh... oops, sorry Papa... I guess I picked up a few things around my old place"

"You need to work on not swearing so much poppet" I said

"Okay Papa, I'll try" said Jessie "I promise"

"Thank you" I said

"Come on Izzie, you gotta say something" said Jessie "Haz, breathe... quit holding your breath, you'll turn blue...… Izzie? I'm gonna ask you some questions and I want a 'yes' or a 'no' answer, got it?"

"Yes" said Mary

"Good.... Do you love the song?" asked Jessie

"Yes" said Mary as she looked at Haz

"Do you love Haz as much as he loves you?" asked Jessie

"Yes" said Mary

Haz smiled and released the breath he had been holding.

"Do you want Haz to live here permanently?" asked Jessie

"Yes" said Mary

"Do you want to marry Haz?" asked Jessie

"Yes" said Mary

"Do you want babies with Haz?" asked Jessie

"I can't have babies any more" said Mary

"Oh Izzie.. You don't know, do you?" said Jessie

"Know what Jessie?" said Mary

"The Legend about soulmates" said Jessie

"What legend poppet?" I said

"Legend says that when two soulmates meet, Time reverses. Age, space & time do back flips, so to speak, allowing soulmates to spend their lives together... and have babies" said Jessie "Time is fluid like the tides. It is constantly moving forward and back. In Haz & Izzie's case, bc of their age difference, Haz's age & time stays the same, but Izzie's age & time reverses to sync up with Haz's. Once they sync up, Time then moves forward again. You can still have babies Izzie..... Izzie has your hearts synced up?"

"Yes" said Mary "Haz?"

"Dog gone it Haz, breathe.... I'm not doing CPR if you pass out dude" said Jessie "Papa smack him please"

I did as I was asked and smacked Haz's face, snapping him out of his trance.

"Smack me again Horan and I'll break your hand" said Haz

"Welcome back mate" I said

"Legend also says there are 2 types of soulmates - Romantics & Cupid's" said Jessie "Romantic soulmates are joined in many ways - by their thoughts, their birthdays & birthdates, and by Fate itself. Cupid's aren't like what you see on Valentine's day, Cupid's procreate till they meet their soulmate and guide their offspring to meet their soulmate. I suspect John was a cupid and guided Liam & Zayn to find each other and is guiding Louis to find his"

"How do you know all of this?" asked Louis

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" said Jessie "Trust me... been there, done that, got the trademarks on the t-shirts"

"Try us" said Louis

"Okay, think of a question, don't say it, and I'll prove it" said Jessie

We all thought of our question. I could tell we were all thinking of something Jessie wouldn't know.

"Okay ready?" asked Jessie "Momma, Izzie, I need you two to sit with Ni & Haz. In order for this to work, I need to lie down and not touch anyone"

"Okay baby" said Pamela as she & Mary joined Haz & I

Jessie laid down on the couch, closed her eyes, folded her hands on her stomach and took a few deep breaths.

JESSIE: Oh for God's sake Louis pick a damn question and shut up, ya idgit.

"How?" said Louis

JESSIE: Pick.. a.. question.. Louis, I'm not Google, ask them how to prove the impossible... now concentrate people... I'll come back to Louis later when he learns to follow instructions... shut up Louis or I'll tell Zayn why his car keeps breaking down.

Zayn & Louis gasped and went quiet. "better" sighed Jessie and laid there quietly.

JESSIE: No Anne, Desmond wasn't your soulmate, Robin Twist is.

JESSIE: Liam & Zayn two peas in a pod asking the same question... cute... you met at Cedar Pointe Amusement Park... oh nice Liam, ya dork... and you won him... no way, how cute... a stuffed koala bear on a ring toss game.

Liam & Zayn gasped.

JESSIE: Thank you, you're not so bad yourself.... SHUT UP LOUIS! YOU'RE GIVING ME MOTION SICKNESS!! PICK A QUESTION OR LEAVE!

JESSIE: Papa! You seriously need to stop saying that or I'm telling Momma you're corrupting a minor child.

I choked on my breath "sorry poppet"

JESSIE: Mary Marcella Williams, maiden name Wallace, born May 14, 1950, Mother to Mary Isavel Williams, born June 1, 1964 - only child, died in a boating with her husband Jackson Williams in 1981.

JESSIE: No Papa, Gran will be at your Wedding and will be here when... the twins are born... no Papa, not yet, relax

JESSIE: No Haz, you & Gem were not the reason Desmond left... yes, I'm sure, he had issues that only time could work out... yes, he was a cupid, but he didn't believe - that was his issue to deal with... okay Haz, relax bud, just breathe... we'll talk later.

JESSIE: Fine Louis... yes... no.... you're an ass, apologize... . yes he did... no she didn't... soon.... 4 - 3 girls and a boy... nope... last question, make it a good one.... that's a possibility, one way to find out, ask her... no he wont, trust me.

"Okay" said Louis

JESSIE: Gemma, you're awful quiet do you have a question?.... okay let me know when you're ready... any time... you're welcome.

JESSIE: Yes Momma... yes, many times... yes, always female..... I'll explain that shortly.

JESSIE: Any more questions?.... NO LOUIS, YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH QUESTIONS. LET IT GO. YOU'RE GONNA GET ME YELLED AT IF YOU MAKE ME MAD.... LOUIS WILLIAM TOMLINSON-WILLIAMS ENOUGH!!

"Shit... okay fine" said Louis and crossed his arms "I'll be quiet geez"

JESSIE: Gee thanks bout damn time... sorry Papa

"I'll let that one slide poppet, just this once" I said

JESSIE: I guess its over, no one has any more questions

Jessie opened her eyes and sat up, cracking her neck and rubbing her temples. She then stood up and walked over to Louis and smacked the back of his head.

"Pull that crap again and I'll put wasabi sauce in your morning coffee Louis" hissed Jessie

"Yes ma'am" said Louis

"Now I need a banana, water & a pain killer bc of you" said Jessie

"I'll get the pain killers poppet" I said

"Just one Papa or it'll make my head fuzzy" said Jessie "I'll get the rest"

"Okay poppet" I said

We went into the kitchen to get what Jessie needed and headed back to the Livingroom and took our seats. Jessie sat cross-legged on the couch, took her pill and ate her banana as she composed herself.

"I can read thoughts" said Jessie "I don't do it all the time, just every once in a while. I've been able to read people since, oh, around 2 years old. It scared me at first, but I learned to block thought and the voices stopped. I thought I was a wacko coocoo nut job for a while" said Jessie and circled her temple with her finger "Daddy called me 'the Anti-Christ' like in the Omen movies... I can't make people do things, I just listen to thoughts, but to do that it needs to be quiet or it just sounds like static - like a radio station not in tune clearly - I can't do long distance thought reading and it takes a lot of concentration to focus on people which causes my potassium level to drop and I get mild headaches"

"I don't tell people either bc they either don't believe me, call me a freak, or think I can make them rich by telling them the future. I read memories and energy... and yeah, I can see future and past events related to people's thoughts, but nothing more" said Jessie "I don't know how the economy will go & I can't influence politicians - its like reading a newspaper and I read the news of people's lives"

"But when SOME PEOPLE" said Jessie and looked at Louis "bombard me with thoughts or mental questions, its hard to stay relatively sane without going into a typhoon of a swearing fit... Louis, you almost caused Papa to have a aneurism - a brain stroke, if you hadn't stopped messing with my brain. If that typhoon had hit me... a bit of advice Lou - become a monk and take a vow of silence , or I'll knock your butt into the next millennium, so help me God"


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay y'all here comes the 'What if' part of the story. If you're waiting to find out what happens, be patient, its coming. There's a lot of excitement in store for the guys, so be prepared you may be a little surprised.
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed the story so far... Let me know what you think, please.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story goes by the day, so I apologize if it feels like there's too much detail, but I think that's what makes the story so good. I think if a story doesn't have enough details, it tends to make some parts confusing - at least for me any way.

Chapter 24

NIALL'S POV (Continued)

"Okay, y'all need to say something bc y'all are scaring me" said Jessie and started hyperventilating "Papa... can't... breathe"

I got up and wrapped my arms around her and tried to calm her down.

"Shhh poppet.. just breathe, slow & easy" I said "Listen to my heartbeat and breath with the beats,,, shh you're okay poppet, just breathe" and her breathing began to slow back to normal

"I shouldn't have said anything" said Jessie as she cried "I should've kept my.... please Papa, please don't hate me, I didn't mean to scare all of you, really, I didn't"

"Hey now, don't cry poppet" I said "You gave me a gift, a beautiful blessed gift and I could never hate you, you didn't ask for this Jessie, its part of you and makes you unique... I Love You darlin - to the moon, beyond forever and back again"

"I Love You too Papa" said Jessie "Gemma?"

"Yes munchkin?" said Gem

Why didn't you ask a question" said Jessie softly

"Because I didn't want them answered" said Gem "I need to find the answers on my own and take responsibility for my own thoughts & actions... You have a gift, but it is for you to give without pressure or fear of rejection.... No one hates you Jessie, we're all in information overload right now, so give us a little time to process it all.. You didn't break us, so get that out of your head and we're not rejecting you either..... now go blow your nose and wash your face bc you & I are going to go get takeout and you get to pick.. now go, we leave in 10 minutes"

"Okay Gem" said Jessie and went upstairs

"Now what do we do?" I asked

"Well first, we act like this didn't just happen. She's been thru a lot today.. she had a fucking miscarriage for Christ sake and she's walking around like nothing happened - that's not normal Ni" said Gem "She had to live with 'the spawn of Satan' and he called HER the Anti-Christ, she's had this gift since birth and none of that broke her.... but our reaction to her gift, emotionally shattered her and thinks we all hate her.... Now we'll be gone for about an hour and when we get back, there had better be smiles on your faces"

Jessie came back down wearing jeans, a blue Eeyore hoodie and white high-top sneakers. Her face was blotchy from crying and her eyes were clear and dull.

"I'm ready Gem" said Jessie

"Okay munchkin, lets go" said Gem "remember, you get to pick the place.. any place, it doesn't matter"

"Okay, thanks Gem" said Jessie and gave her a hug

"You're Welcome munchkin" said Gem and kissed her head "Now, lets go, I'm starving" that made Jessie laugh as they walked thru the door

After Gem & Jessie left, we all just sat there. I could tell everyone was slowly coming to terms with their thoughts and there was a collective sigh in the room.

"Do you think Jessie's right?.. About time reversing?" said Mary "I mean, I know she's right about reading thoughts, but is it possible that I could get get pregnant again, at my age?"

"Well she's been here less than 24 hours and isn't capable of lying, well she is, but hasn't, so I don't think its in her nature to lie, unless sworn to do it" said Haz

"And you" I said looking at Louis "What in the bloody Hell Lou?... A mental game of 20 questions?.. Do you know how much will power it took her not to blow up on you?... WTF were you thinking?"

"I couldn't decide and then one question led to another like damned dominoes" said Louis "Get a grip Ni, I didn't mean to do it"

"Get a grip?... she was hyperventilating and crying Lou!" I yelled "My daughter was trying to share a gift with you, you jackass!"

"Our daughter" said Pamela

"Welcome back poppet" I said and kissed her "I thought your brain had checked out on me"

"No, just listening and thinking" said Pamela "Jessie saw us having twins Ni... twins - oh my god!" and hugged me crying "I.. we.. can still have babies Ni"

"Shh poppet, I know, I heard" I said "for a second, I thought 'Is Pamela pregnant?'... I mean we use protection, but you know, sometimes shit happens"

"My poor baby, I owe her an apology" said Pamela

"I think we ALL owe her an apology and lots of hugs" I said

"Anne?.. Are you alright?" said Pamela.. Anne was crying

"I'm fine Pamela" said Anne and wiped her eyes

"Dad? Pops?.. You two okay?" asked Pamela

"Yeah, we're good baby girl" said Liam

"Haz?.. mate, what's wrong?" I said, he was crying "Haz?"

"He left" cried Haz "He never cared about us... He just left and didn't give a shit about me"

"Remember what Jessie said?" said Mary "Your Dad had issues that had nothing to do with you Haz"

"That's bullshit Mary" said Haz "He never cared - period. He made Mum miserable - she'd cry all the time - and all he did was sit on his lazy ass and bitch. Nothing Gem & I did was good enough and he NEVER kept a damn promise..... Ni, so help me God, if you EVER break a promise to Jessie, Pamela or your future children, I'll break your fucking legs"

"I wont Haz, I swear to you, I'll never break a promise... If I can't keep it, I wont make it" I said

"Okay good" said Haz and wiped his eyes on his sleeve

Jessie & Gem came back a while later with Chinese takeout - lots of takeout anf set it on the coffee table. They went into the kitchen and came back with lunch plates and bowls.

"What's all this for?" I asked

"Dinner & a movie" said Jessie "Dumplings with Hoysen sauce, crab rangoons, 10 dinners, my wonton soup, spring rolls & dumplings"

"Wow, okay" I said "What movie are we watching?"

"Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman" said Jessie "after we got the food, we bought the movie"

Jessie handed the movie to me to open while she passed out the containers to each of us.

"Grandpa Zayn, Gem said you don't eat a lot of meat, so we got you sushi with shrimp fried rice and spring rolls" said Jessie

"Wow, thank you Jessie" said Zayn "Do you have soy sauce or spicy mustard?"

"Yep and we have crab rangoons & plumb sauce too" said Jessie "Grandpa Liam, we got you Pepper Steak"

"Thank you Jessie" said Liam

"Momma gets the schezwan chicken.. careful Momma, its REALLY spicy" said Jessie

"Thank you baby & thanks for the warning" said Pamela

"Mary & Anne get the chicken broccoli" said Jessie "Louis gets the Almond chicken"

Thank you Jessie" said Mary, Anne & Louis

"Haz gets the chicken curry" said Jessie

"Thank you peanut" said Haz

"Papa also gets the schezwan chicken, but yours is mild" said Jessie "Its still spicy Papa but not as spicy as Momma's"

Thank you poppet" I said

"And Gem gets the Teriyaki chicken skewers" said Jessie

"There's an extra box.. who gets that one?" I asked

"Its mine in case I'm still hungry, or for a midnight snack" said Jessie

"Oh okay" I chuckled

"Now there are no eggrolls" said Jessie "Everyone has spring rolls, they're better for you"

"What's in a spring roll?" asked Louis

"Bok choy, cabbage and carrots" said Jessie

"Oh okay" said Louis "I'll give it a try"

"We also have silverware & chopsticks, whichever you prefer" said Jessie

"before we say Grace" said Anne " we all owe Jessie an apology for hurting her feelings earlier"

"Sorry Jessie" said everyone

ANNE: Lord, bless this food with your love and thank you for giving Jessie to us. You have blessed her with a most precious gift, help guide her way thru this world and always light her way home.. In Jesus name, Amen

"Amen"

I started the movie as we ate.

"Hey, these spring rolls are really good" said Louis

"I'm glad you like them, they're my favorite" said Jessie

"Would you like some of my fried rice Jessie?" said Haz

"No thanks Haz, I can't eat rice, it gives me acid reflux" said Jessie

"Oh okay" said Haz

"That's why I'm so small for my age" said Jessie "I can't eat rice, pasta, pepperoni, olives, pickles, cucumbers, or green peppers bc they cause acid reflux... which is weird bc I can eat Chinese dumplings and wonton soup and not get acid reflux bc they're pasta made with rice flour, go figure" and shrugged

"That is odd baby" said Pamela

Haz's phone rang as we were clearing away the takeout containers.

HARRY: Hello?

ROTHSDALE: Hi Harry, its Rothsdale… I have some news for Jessie, can you put me on speaker?

HARRY: Go ahead, we can hear you

ROTHSDALE: After I left, I looked up the death notices for Jessie's family... I found Mr. Burke and called him.. He'll be here a week from tomorrow with papers for Jessie to sign

JESSIE: I can't believe you found him so fast... you're good Mr. Rothsdale

ROTHSDALE: Thanks kiddo and thank you for the information, it helped a lot... I'll see you soon, I just called to share the news, you have a good night Jessie.

JESSIE: You too Mr. Rothsdale, see you soon. ( and hung up )

"Lets do some Wedding plans" said Jessie

Okay, lets get our wish books and compare notes Pamela" said Gem

"okay" said Pamela as she went upstairs and Gem went over to Anne's

They came back and we got started planning our Wedding.. man there were a lot of details we didn't get to when we talked about it yesterday - venues for the reception, the menu, the cake, hotel rooms for my family, a car service, the music, a photographer, where to go for the honeymoon... Thank God we had Gemma helping us or we would have eloped (haha).

"Is that all you need from me poppet?" I said, assuming my part was over till the wedding day

"Oh you're not getting off that easy Ni" said Gemma "You're in this for the duration of the planning or I'LL break your legs and you'll be getting married on crutches"

"Yes ma'am" I said

"Geez y'all love to break legs" said Jessie "Please God, don't ever let me screw up or they'll break my legs and take turns doing so... Amen" and crossed herself


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

NIALL'S POV (Continued)

"We need a photographer.. someone reputable" said Gem

"I'll be right back" said Jessie and ran upstairs and came back with a shoebox and a photo album "Take a look at these... a family friend took the ones in the album, and I took the ones in the shoebox"

The photos in the album were family photos, but they looked professional, as did the ones in the shoebox.

"Who took these Jessie?" asked Pamela

"Mr. Burke's brother... well half brother" said Jessie " Same Mother, different Fathers... Uncle Simon taught me how to take pictures with proper lighting, different lenses & tinting, and how to develop them.... He's very old school and doesn't trust anyone with his photos - He's in it, start to finish"

"I'm a 'jack of all trades' when it comes to learning things" said Jessie "Gymnastics, languages, dancing, photography, horse riding, sports, sewing, cooking, music, gemology, and urban legends & folklore"

"Go big or go home, right?" said Haz

"Exactly" said Jessie "Why do something and not excel at it... otherwise, its a waste of time and brain cells... plus, I was home schooled, so I had a lot of time to learn different things and advance my education... I aced elementary and breezed thru middle school before Momma died. All I have left is high school & college, then I'm done"

"What??" said Louis "You're only 10"

"Yeah, I am" said Jessie "I also have an IQ of 320... What's your point?"

"Damn" said Gem, in shock "You could do anything munchkin... anything"

"Well as Louis pointed out, I am only 10" said Jessie "I have time to decide what I want to do with my life"

"That's true" said Gem

"Why don't we pick this up tomorrow" said Mary "Its been a long day and Haz & Jessie have their challenge in the morning... not to mention Jessie's shopping trip with Gem & Louis"

"Yeah, we can leave it all right here on the coffee table" I said

"Okay" said Pamela

"Go get your pajamas on & brush your teeth" I said "and then Momma can braid your hair for bed"

"Okay Papa" said Jessie "be back in a bit Momma" 

"Okay baby.. grab a brush and hair ties" said Pamela

"Okay Momma" said Jessie and ran upstairs

Jessie came back down wearing boxer briefs, an L.A. Raiders t-shirt and slipper that looked like bear paws... it was cute.

"Boxer briefs poppet?" I said

"Hey they're comfy" said Jessie "I'll take comfort over style every chance I get... besides no one's gonna see them anyway Papa, so its all good"

"Okay poppet" I said, chuckling "Who are the L.A. Raiders?"

"They're an NFL Football team in Los Angeles, California" said Jessie "They're not very good, but they don't quit so I figure they're a good team to show support for"

"Good thinking baby" said Pamela "one braid or two?"

"Just one, a French braid please Momma" said Jessie

"Okay baby" said Pamela and started braiding Jessie's hair "There you go, all done baby"

"Thanks Momma" said Jessie "Can you wake me up at 8am?.. I want to do some tumbles before our run"

"Sure baby, I'll set my phone's alarm" said Pamela

"Don't you have an alarm clock, poppet?" I asked

"Yeah, but its still packed" said Jessie "I'll find it tomorrow"

"Oh okay poppet" I said "goodnight baby" and gave Jessie a hug

"Goodnight Papa" said Jessie "goodnight Momma" and hugged Pamela

"Goodnight baby" said Pamela "sleep tight and we'll see you in the morning"

"You too Momma" said Jessie "goodnight everyone.. see you at 8:30am sharp Haz"

"See you at 8:30am sharp peanut" said Haz "goodnight"

"Goodnight Jessie" said everyone

Anne, Gem & Louis said their goodnights and went home. I took Charlie outside to wee before bed. I locked the back door and we went upstairs. Jessie's door was open so I went to check on her and saw the cutest thing. Charlie was curled up to Jessie, resting his head on her pillow.

"Pamela.. come see this" I whispered and pointed into Jessie's room

"What" whispered Pamela as she looked "Oh gosh.. looks like Charlie has another girlfriend.... we'll leave the door open for tonight"

"Charlie definitely has an eye for the lasies" I whispered as we went to our room

We stripped off our jeans and slept in our underwear & t-shirts. Pamela set her alarm and we fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows.

IN THE MORNING....

JESSIE'S POV

I woke up before Momma came in to let me know it was 8am to a face full of fur...fur? I opened my eyes and saw Charlie. I don't remember him getting into bed, but then again, I was exhausted, so this isn't a bad way to wake up in the morning.

"Morning Charlie" I said "Did you sleep here all night?"

"Hmm woof" Charlie quietly barked

"Thanks Charlie, good boy" I said and kissed his nose "Let me get dressed and then we'll go outside before everyone wakes up, okay?"

"woof" barked Charlie as I got up

"Charlie, shh.. everyone's still sleeping" I whispered "we'll get in trouble if you're too loud"

"woof" he barked quieter this time

"good boy" I whispered 

I put on my workout clothes, socks & shoes and Haz's Ipod and then we went down to the kitchen. The clock said 7:15am, so I made the coffee and made Charlie & I a fried egg and a piece of toast. I took my vitamin with some juice and swallowed it down (Yeah, I know its chewable, but it tastes gross), washed my dishes and went outside with Charlie. I put in my earbuds, hit play and put the Ipod in my pocket and started my workout. 

The clock dinged on the Ipod, so I finished my workout with a headstand on the picnic table, closed my eyes and regulated my breathing. There was a tapping sound on the table, so I opened my eyes and saw Papa standing there with his arms folded across his chest.

"Morning Papa" I said "The coffee's already made... I woke up early"

"Morning poppet" said Papa "Momma woke me up when you weren't in your room... next time leave a note on the table or by the coffee pot, okay?"

"Okay Papa, sorry" said Jessie "go get some coffee and I'll be right in"

"Okay poppet" said Papa and went inside

I finished my headstand, called Charlie and we went in the house.

"Morning Momma" I said "sorry if I worried you"

"Morning baby" said Momma "what time did you get up?"

"7:15" I said "I made the coffee and made Charlie & I breakfast"

"Oh. What did you have?" asked Momma

I made a couple of fried eggs & some toast" I said "I gave Charlie one of the eggs with his dog food... and yes, I took my vitamin already"

"Well okay, then" said Momma and chuckled

Izzie & Haz came into the kitchen for coffee.

"Haz, here's your Ipod" I said "I forgot to give it back to you yesterday"

"That's okay peanut" said Haz "You hold onto it till you get one of your own... If I need it, I'll ask for it.. okay?"

"Are you sure?" I asked

"Yep, I'm sure" said Haz

"Okay" I said "When I get one will you help mepick the songs? I really like some of the songs you have on yours"

"Sure peanut" said Haz "We can even find some from your Momma's Ipod too and we can put some of your CD's on there if you want to"

"Oh cool" I said

"How did you sleep last night?" asked Haz

"Like the dead... I didn't even hear Charlie come into my room" I said "I woke up this morning with my face buried in his fur... yuck"

"Yeah, he's a snuggler" said Haz "You want to see a pic I took of him?"

"Sure" I said

"It was the night Izzie left for the states" said Haz and showed me a pic of Haz & Charlie sleeping in bed.

"Oh gosh" I said "that's too cute... he missed his Momma"

"Yeah, after that he slept in my room on the floor" said Haz "He used to go to work with your Papa & I when Izzie was gone"

"Sarah's Mom let you bring him to work with you?" I said

"Yeah, I told her he was a therapy dog and was well behaved and she allowed it" said Haz

"That's so cool" I said "would it be okay if I came to work with you & Papa sometime?"

"I don't mind, but its up to your Papa tho" said Haz

"Let me talk to Linda first poppet and make sure its okay" said Papa "If she says its okay, then sure you can come with us"

"Awesome sauce!" I said and looked at the clock it was 8:25am "finish your coffee Haz… challenge starts in 5 minutes"

"Okay peanut" said Haz "What's the weather like?"

"A little chilly, but not too bad" I said "no rain so far"

"Okay good" said Haz

"I grabbed a hoodie in case it starts raining" I said

"I'll be sure to grab one too" said Haz

"Good idea.. no sense in either of us getting sick cuz of forgetting one" I said

"Countdown... 1 minute, 30 seconds Haz" I said "Meet you out front"

"Okay, I'm putting my shoes on now peanut" said Haz

"I'll follow you in the truck" said Momma "I'm still in my pajamas"

"Okay Momma" I said "See you at the finish line Papa"

"Good luck poppet" said Papa "Good luck Haz… you're gonna need it"

"Thanks Papa" I said as we headed out to the driveway

"Gee thanks for the vote of confidence Ni" said Haz "Nice to know you got my back mate"

"I always got you back mate" said Papa "But I also know when you get tired, you trip over your own feet"

"Oh shut up" said Haz "I do not"

"Whatever mate" said Papa "You do too... idiot"

"Wanker" said Haz

"Okay" said Momma "To the school track, 7 laps and back in.. 3... 1... 1 - GO!"

We started running... "follow along with me peanut till we get to the track" said Haz

"Okay Haz" I said "get in the zone Haz.. no more talking"

"Okay peanut" said Haz

We ran in silence to the school and over to the track. Momma was there waiting for us.

"Your 7 laps starts... now" said Momma "Good luck"

We continued running, counting down the laps each time we passed Momma..

"FINAL LAP AND THEN HOME" yelled Momma

"See ya Haz" I said and sprinted ahead and finished my lap, then headed for home

I just passed the park when Momma passed by in the truck. I kept my eyes forward as I heard Haz at a distance behind me. I picked up my pace as I neared the finish. I still didn't see Haz as I hit the truck, signaling the end of the race.

"Congratulations poppet" said Papa "You won"

"woohoo!" I said breathless

"Good job Haz" said Momma as Haz hit the truck "You kept up with her for most of the race"

"Yeah but she had me on that last lap tho" said Haz "she left me in the dust"

"I thought you were gonna pass me at some point" I said "I heard you behind me"

"I was about to when you went into a full run and I knew it was no use" said Haz

"Well, considering I didn't know where the school or track was... I'm gonna let you out of having to wear the heels... BUT... you have to let me teach you how to dance... what do you say Haz?" I said

"Yeah, okay" said Haz "Deal"

"Damn!" said Papa "I was gonna take a vid and post it on Twitter"

"Good thing Jessie cut me a break then... isn't it?" said Haz

"Yeah damn lucky break" said Papa

"Dance lessons start when I get back from shopping... I'm gonna go take a shower.. I stink" I said "Later Haz"

"Later peanut" said Haz "How long did it take us?"

"53 minutes" said Momma

"Not bad" I said "New personal best... we'll improve tho" and walked away

I'M NOT DOING THIS AGAIN JESSIE!!.. NOW WAY IN HELL!!" yelled Haz

"WE'LL SEE HAZ!... WE'LL SEE!!" I yelled back

"That kid is gonna kill me" I heard Haz say as I opened the door

"Who won?" asked Grandpa Liam

"We tied" I said "so bc we both won, I'm gonna teach Haz how to dance"

"Oh good... he's terrible at dancing" said Grandpa Zayn "Izzie tried to teach him the night they brought you home, but he was hopelessly lost"

"Okay, good to know" I said "be back in a bit... I need a shower"

"Okay princess" said Grandpa Liam

I laid out my shopping outfit, grabbed my shower caddie, and headed for the bathroom. It was nice to use my own shampoo & soap again. I felt normal again. I put some conditioner in my hair & used a little shampoo to wash my workout clothes and then rinsed my hair. I toweled off, twisted my hair up in a towel and put on my robe. I put my shower caddie in my room and took my workout clothes out to the patio to air dry. I walked into the kitchen to the back door.

"Where are you going peanut?" asked Haz

"To the patio to dry my workout clothes" I said "I hand wash them in the shower.. they can't be dried in the dryer, it'll ruin them, so I'm gonna hang them over a chair"

"Ah, okay" said Haz

I laid my workout clothes over the back of a chair and headed to my room to get dressed. I brushed & fluffed my hair, using a little hair gel to set the curls and a head band to pull it away from my face. I put on a white dress shirt with a dark blue V-neck sweater and a blue & green plaid skirt, white knee high stockings and black pumps with an ankle strap.

I did my make-up, put on a pair of earrings & my confirmation necklace with the silver cross on it, folded my shirt cuffs over my sweater sleeves, unbuttoned the first 3 buttons so the collar laid open and sprayed a little perfume. I went to my closet , grabbed my backpack purse and money for the shopping trip and the extra stops on my mental checklist, my passport for an ID, and a couple of scarves and went downstairs to the kitchen.

"Wow! Jessie you look... wow" said Haz "Ni you better get a shotgun bc the boys are gonna be after her mate"

"Thanks Haz" I said "Don't listen to him Papa, Uncle Lou will beat them off with a tire iron"

"Ditch the skirt and put on some jeans munchkin" said Louis "I don't want to go to prison for murder"

"Not a chance Uncle Lou" I said "We have a lot to do today and I need to look my best... trust me, okay? You'll thank me later"

"Now I'm scared" said Gem "What are you scheming young lady?"

"Nothing Gem.. I swear to God" I said holding up my right hand and mentally crossing my fingers "absolutely, 100% no scheming involved in today's shopping trip"

"Yeah, right munchkin" said Louis "What's the backpack for then?"

"Its a purse... idiot" I said and rolled my eyes

"Oh" said Louis "sorry"

"Yeah, you should be" I said

"What is... you smell good baby... are you wearing perfume?" asked Momma

"Yeah a little.. you like it?" I said

"Yeah... What's it called?" asked Momma

"Sweet Honesty" I said "Grandma got it for me for my birthday, but I never went anywhere to wear it, so I put some on"

"It smells like wildflowers and mango" said Momma

"The mango is my shampoo, the wildflowers is the perfume" I said

"Oh okay" said Momma "I like it"

"Thanks Momma" I said "well I'm ready when you two are"

"We were just making out the shopping list so we don't forget anything" said Gem

"What's on the list?" I asked

"Paint, bed linens, curtains, a dust ruffle, nails, faerie lights, a book shelf, mirror, pillows" said Gem "Anything you want to add?"

"An Ipod, phone, shoe rack, a couple pairs of jeans, a few t-shirts and a bra" I said as Papa choked on his coffee "You okay Papa?"

"I'm fine poppet" Papa coughed "just swallowed wrong that's all"

"Mhm.. its odd that you choked on your coffee after I mentioned needing a bra" I said "subtle Papa.. real subtle - not"

"Observant ain't she?" said Louis "She got you Ni"

"You may as well get used to it Papa" I said "This topic may pop up again in the future... get used to it now or you'll wind up in a corner crying 'no, not my baby... please God, no' "

"She's right Ni" said Liam & Zayn "we went thru it with Pamela and cried for a week... Thank God we had Mom to help with that phase"

"You could've warned me" said Papa

"Why? No one warned us" said Zayn "Girls don't come with a user manual ya know... we're not telling you squat.. that's Pamela's boat to steer you thru"

"Gee thanks guys" said Papa

"Oh Papa" I said and patted his shoulder "Its alright, just pretend you didn't hear that and go back to being blissfully in the dark on all things related to tweens"

"WTF is a tween?" said Papa

"A tween is my age bracket" I said "Not a kid, but not teenager either... I'm in-be-tween... get it?"

Oh okay" said Papa "I'm gonna need a dictionary, a thesaurus, and an encyclopedia to get thru this" and put his face in his hands

"Poor Papa" I said "I think I burst his bubble of bliss"

"No, you did that last night wearing boys boxer briefs and a t-shirt to bed" said Momma

"She what?" said Louis "I thought those were sleeping shorts"

"No, they were boys underwear" said Momma

"Oh Hell no" said Louis "Girls DO NOT wear boys underwear whatsoever"

"Momma, you want to tell him the 4-1-1? or me?" I said

"The 4-1-1?" said Gem

"4-1-1 means information" I said

"Okay, got it... continue" said Gem

"You tell him baby" said Momma "This gonna be fun" Momma whispered to Papa "watch his face drop"


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"First off Uncle Lou, women have been wearing men's clothes for ages" I said "10 bucks says Momma has worn Papa's boxers before and you never noticed and I know for a fact Izzie has worn Haz's bc she was wearing them under her jeans last Friday at the hospital" which caused Haz & Izzie to choke and Papa to laugh

Uncle Lou's mouth dropped and his eyes got as big as saucers "WHAT!?!?" Louis exclaimed

"Second, if you didn't know that, well, now you do" I said "And lastly, boxers & boxer briefs are comfortable and to be comfortable sleeping is the #1 goal for women... so get over it Uncle Lou"

"How did you know?" said Izzie

"I fell asleep on your lap in my hospital room, remember?" I said "I felt them thru your pant legs"

"Oh yeah, I remember now" said Izzie "I forgot about that... I grabbed the first thing I could find"

"Yeah, well be thankful Haz didn't end up in a pair of your panties" I said "Good luck explaining that one to Uncle Louis"

"Um... Haz… Is there something you want to tell us?" said Papa "or should we just guess"

"Oh for God's sake NI... if you need to ask, maybe you should try it sometime... ya wanker" said Haz

"OH... MY... GOD" said Louis and covered his ears "No, no, no... I can't hear you... la la la la la la la"

"Oh great... are you happy Haz?" I said "You broke Uncle Lou and scarred him for life"

"No, make it stop.. Jessie, make it stop" whined Louis

"Oh for God's sake Louis" I said "People have sex all the time - even our Mom's" and smacked the back of his head, hard "Grow up"

"I said it once, but it bears repeating" said Haz "My Mum is still a virgin and Gem & I are products of Immaculate Conception"

"Yeah right Haz" I said "And I'm Barack Obama's love child... NOT!!"

"Awesome comeback poppet" said Papa "High-five" and smacked our hands together

"Dayum… you stumped him princess" said Grandpa Zayn

"If you can't take the heat Haz, stay out of the kitchen... Booyah baby" I said ""Don't mess with 'the mouth of the south'... small fry cuz I got comebacks that'll put your boxers in a twist for a decade"

"We better get going before there's another challenge wagered" said Gem "Come on munchkin, Louis"

"Bye Momma, Papa" I said and kissed their cheeks "I Love You"

"We Love You too baby" said Momma

"Have fun poppet" said Papa

"Always... Later everyone" I said "Catch ya on the flip side Tarzan" and chucked Haz on the shoulder as I headed for the door

Once we were in the car and pulled out of the driveway I told Gem & Louis about my plan.

"While we're out, we need to make a few stops, not on our list" I said "We need to go to a florist, find a hotel, and go to the church down the road... we're gonna lock down the date for the wedding and place the order for the flowers before we get home... today"

"We can't munchkin" said Gem "We don't have the Wedding budget yet"

"Yes we can.. I've got $2 million in my bag" I said "That should cover everything, right?"

"You What!?" said Louis

"You little sneak" said Gem "I knew you were up to something"

"Yeah, I know that's why I had you put a bra on the list and then the underwear segue way or you would've blown my plans Gem" I said

"Nicely played munchkin" said Gem

"For the flowers, we need 8 boutineers, 3 bouquets, 4wrist corsages, and flower petals & a basket for Sarah and have them delivered to the church" I said "The hotel needs to allow pets bc of Charlie, we'll reserve 50 rooms, ballroom, cars and the bridal suite, catering & staff... $1 million should cover that for 5 days hotel stay and I'll take care of getting Papa's family here & back... that will come later..... Whatever is left after that, we'll give to the church... I also have $200,000 in my bag to cover everything on the list for my room"

"Sweet Jesus" said Louis "Anything else in that bag?"

"Just my passport, in case I need an ID" I said "I didn't want you two spending all of your money when I have my own.... And I want to go to the hospital and see Ellie. I need to apologize for the accident that put her there"

"Why don't we go there first" said Gem "You can get her some flowers from the gift shop"

"Thanks Gem" I said "Her name is Ellie Winthrop... I remember Mr. Rothsdale telling Haz on the phone that night... Haz's number was the only one on her phone - no family, no friends, just his.. That's not right she should have friends.... I don't even know what she does for work or where she lives"

"Where were you at? Which hospital?' asked Gem

"The local A&E" I said

"Okay then, we're almost there" said Gem

We pulled into the parking lot and went inside. We went to the gift shop and bought some flowers & a teddy bear and headed to the reception desk.

"Excuse me... could you tell me what room Ellie Winthrop is in please" I said

"Fifth floor, room 518" said the nurse "Sign in please and here are your visitor's badges"

"Thank you Ma'am" I said

We signed in and headed to the elevators and up to the fifth floor. We stepped out and to the nurses station.

"Which way to room 518 please" I said

"Down this hall, last room on the left" said the nurse

"Thank you Ma'am" I said

We walked down the hall to Ellie's room and knocked.. A Nun answerws the door.

"Yes, can I help you?" asked the Nun

"My name is Jessica Aimsworth… I'm here to see Ms. Ellie Winthrop" I said

"Come in dear... I'm Sister Grace.. Sister Ellie has been asking about you" said Grace "all the doctors would tell her is that you were released to go home"

"Is she a Nun too?" I asked

"Yes dear, but you can call her Ellie while she's here" said Grace

"Who's here Sister Grace?" said Ellie

"Jessica, the little girl from the accident, Ellie" said Grace

I walked over to the bed. Ellie was holding her hand out to me. I set the flowers on the table and took her hand.

"How are you dear?" said Ellie "And who is this with you?"

"This is Gemma, Harry's sister and Louis, Mary's son" I said "I'm alright, I had a rough couple of days, nut I'm getting better.. How are you?"

"I'm doing better dear" said Ellie "I'll be getting out at the end of the week"

"Oh good" I said "Ellie, I'm so sorry for the accident, it was my fault my Daddy was driving that night, I'm so, so sorry" as a tear ran down my cheek

"Hey now, no tears" said Ellie as she wiped the tear away "God has his reasons for the accident dear"

"Yeah, he was trying to save me from my Daddy" I said "My Daddy did bad things to me and he killed my Mom, Grandma & Grandpa"

"Oh little one, I'm sorry for your loss" said Ellie "You're so brave dear.. Where are you living now that your Daddy's gone?"

"I'm living at Mary's house" I said "Her grand-daughter & her fiancé are going to adopt me... They're getting married in a couple of months"

"Oh blessed be... good for you dear" said Ellie

"Will you come visit me when you get released?" I asked

"Of course dear" said Ellie "and you can come visit me as well... we live at the rectory down the road from you"

"You do?" I said "Awesome sauce!.. I'll come visit every chance I get, till school starts that is"

"That would be nice" said Ellie

"I brought you some yellow roses to remind you sunshine and a teddy bear to keep you company between visitors" I said and gave her the teddy bear

"Thank you dear, that's sweet of you" said Ellie

"I'll tell everyone hello for you" I said "We have to go do some wedding stuff today, you get some rest and I'll see you soon" and kissed her cheek

"Have fun dear and thank you for coming... I'll see you soon" said Ellie

"It was nice to meet you Sister Grace" I said and shook her hand

"It was nice to meet you too Jessica" said Grace

"Jessie, please" I said

"Alright Jessie" said Grace "Take care dear, it was nice of you to come"

"Thank you Sister... make sure she gets some rest please" I said

"I will dear" said Grace

We left the hospital and went to the hardware store to get the paint and stuff that Louis needed, the mirror, faerie lights, book shelf and shoe rack. Louis paid for this stuff bc he insisted.. so I let him (This time).

Our next stop was the furniture store for my bed. They had a daybed that was painted white with cut glass roses on the top of each leg post. It was beautiful. It didn't have a trundle bed, but that's okay, it was big enough for me and a friend to sleep comfortable for sleepovers. We bought pillows, bed linens, 2 dust ruffles, 2 quilts and a duvet. We took the bed things with us and scheduled a delivery day for Wednesdat for the bed to be delivered and 2 sets of lace curtains. I paid for these.

We found a hotel - The Manchester hotel.. It had everything we needed: car service, banquet/ballroom, pet friendly, a catering service & bakery, and an on site florist. It wasperfect, so we went to talk to the hotel manager, Mr. Thompson.

"May I help you?" asked Mr. Thompson

"Yes sir" I said "We need to book your hotel for a Wedding reception on September 23rd of this year please"

"Come to my Office and we can make the arrangements for you" said Mr. Thompson

"Thank you Mr. Thompson" I said as we followed him to his office. We sat down and got down to business.

"What do you need for the Wedding reception?" asked Mr. Thompson

"We need the works - hotel rooms for the bride's family, the groom's family & out of town guests, … bridal suite, car service - to & from the church... catering, DJ, flowers for the church, bouquets, corsages, boutineers & flower petals and a basket for the flower girl & a wedding cake" I said

"How many rooms do you need and for how long?" asked Mr. Thompson

"50 rooms for 5 days from the 21st thru the 25th & the bridal suite for 2 days - the 22nd & 23rd" I said

"Flowers... What would you like?" asked Mr. Thompson

"Wild flowers & blush pink roses. We need 3bouquets, 8 boutineers, 6 wrist corsages and a basket of flower petals for the flower girl. A small bouquet on each table with white table cloths & napkins" I said

"Do you want the ballroom for the day before for the rehearsal dinner and the day after for a brunch?" asked Mr. Thompson

"Yes please.. The bride & groom will be coming in later this week to finalize the details" I said

"Okay, good... Will you be joining them?" asked Mr. Thompson

"Yes sir.. Now lets talk cost... What's the total?" I asked

Mr. Thompson wrote $2 million on a piece of paper. I nodded.

"Make the arrangements under Pamela Williams & Niall Horan. If we go over the budget, tell me, not them... I'm in charge of the budget.. Do you have an Office safe? I'll be paying in cash" I said

"Yes Ma'am, right over here, follow me please" said Mr. Thompson

We walked over to what looked like a cabinet and opened it to reveal a digital safe. Mr. Thompson put in the code and opened it as I opened my bag and handed him the 2 million from my bag and watched him put it in the safe.

"Oh, I forgot... we also need a reputable photographer and I'll need an invoice to show proof of payment" I said

"Yes ma'am.. We have the best photographer on staff for all of our events... Will there be an open bar ma'am?" asked Mr. Thompson

"Yes sir but we need sparkling cider as well for those who don't drink alcohol and there will be children in attendance so we'll need beverages for them as well" I said

"Of course.. Here's your invoice and I will see you later this week.. Miss?" said Mr. Thompson

"Jessica Horan.. call me Jessie, please" I said

"Of course Jessie.. Here's my card, if you need me for anything, give me a call anytime" said Mr. Thompson

"Thank you Mr. Thompson, you have a good day and I'll see you soon" I said

Mr. Thompson walked us out of his office and shook our hands good-bye. I was on cloud 9 - this day couldn't have gone any better than it already had. Next stop... the Apple store for an Ipod and phone. Gemma put me on her family plan so that the monthly fee wouldn't be too much seeing as I'm a child (whatever.. that's how the sales person put it) and an Ipod with enough memory space to last a lifetime.

We stopped off at McDonald's for lunch before heading to the church and then home.

"Wow.. I can't get over how much we got done today" said Louis "I get dizzy just thinking about it... Ni & Pamela are gonna flip their shit when they find out what you've done"

"Its the least I can do Louis" I said "They aren't even married yet, and they're adopting me for God's sake... How else do you expect me to show my thanks for all of this? Besides, this is my Wedding gift to them so they don't start their marriage in debt... and its not like I can't afford it, I haven't even made a dent in my finances yet"

"So what's left on your 'to-do' list?" asked Gem

"A visit to the church to lock down the Wedding date and then home" I said

"Okay, lets finish up here and get this done then" said Gem "I can't wait to see the look on their faces when you tell them" she giggled "This is gonna be priceless"

"So what's left for Ni & Pamela to do?" said Louis

"The bridesmaids dresses.. dresses for Anne, Izzie, Maura, Denise, Me and Papa's Gran... Ties for Papa, Haz, You, Liam, Zayn, Robin, Papa's Dad & Greg... the rings, marriage license, honeymoon destination and finalizing the reception details" I said

"That's not much left to do" said Gem "You should be a Wedding planner... You're good at it"

"Yeah.. remind me of that if this goes off without any hiccups" I said with a giggle

"Oh I will... promise" said Gem "Lets go"

We got in the car and headed to the church - Our Lady of Peace. Its a beautiful church with stained glass windows and the perfect size for an intimate wedding. We pulled into the lot and parked. I pulled 2 lace veils and handed one to Gemma as we entered the church.

"What's this for?" asked Gem

"To put on your head" I said "You wear it in church as a sign of your faith in a house of God" and put mine on "follow my lead" I whispered

I knelt for a small prayer and crossed myself and stood up as Gem & Louis did the same. The priest came towards us and held out his hand.

"Hello, I'm Father Donnelly... How may I be of assistance?" said the priest

"We would like to use your church for a Wedding" I said

"Of course.. When is the blessed day?" asked Father Donnelly

"September 23rd, this year Father" I said

"Is this your Wedding?" asked Father Donnelly

"No Father.. its for my adoptive parents" I said "This is my Aunt Gemma & Uncle Louis, they're my chaperones for the day"

"Oh alright.. my apologies" said Father Donnelly

"That's alright Father" I said

"Let me check my calendar" said Father Donnelly "Sept. 23rd.... its open.. What time did you have in mind?"

"What do you think Gem?" I said "An evening Wedding?"

"Sounds good to me Jessie" said Gem "Around 5 o'clock?"

"Perfect" said Father Donnelly "Their names?"

"Pamela Jane Williams and Niall James Horan" I said "A candlelight ceremony and I'll need a piano please"

"Of course" said Father Donnelly "Anything you need my dear"

"We also have a request sir" said Gemma "The bride has asked a close family friend to Officiate the ceremony.. would you please allow it and co-officiate with him?"

"Of course my dear, I'd be honored to share the duty" said Father Donnelly

"Oh Thank you Father, so much" I said and reached into my bag for the church donation and handed it to him "Please take this as a token of my appreciation and to aide your church"

"Oh, bless you child... may God keep you safe till we meet again" said Father Donnelly

"Thank you Father and the same to you" I said "I saw Sister Ellie today, the doctors said she'll be released this week, I thought you'd like to know"

"Sister Grace told me dear... You must be Jessie, the girl who was in the accident also" said Father Donnelly

"Yes Father, I am" I said "Don't tell anyone I gave you the money... I don't want everyone to know it was me"

"Of course dear... Your secret is safe with me & God" said Father Donnelly

"Thank you Father... we have to head for home now, you have a wonderful day" I said

"You too my dear" said Father Donnelly

As we left, I stopped and lit a candle for my Mom, Grandma & Grandpa and then we headed for home. Gemma handed me back the veil as we got in the car. We pulled into the driveway and grabbed our bags and boxes and went inside.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"We're home!!" I said loudly "Louis needs help hauling in the rest of the stuff"

"On it poppet... come on Haz" said Papa

"We'll put it all in my closet for now Papa" I said

"Okay poppet" said Papa

"How was your shopping trip?" asked Momma

"Oh we had a blast Momma" I said "We'll tell you all about it after we get it all put away"

"Okay baby.. Lets take these to your room" said Momma

"We dodnt get any posters or clothes... I want to wait and see how my room looks and get my clothes hung upfirst and then see what I need" I said "Maybe I'll wait till we go to Ireland and bring back some stuff"

"That sounds like a good idea baby" said Momma

We organized the bags & boxes as Papa, Haz & Louis brought up the heavy stuff and set them in my closet.

"Is that everything Lou?" said Momma

"Yep, that's it" said Louis "Lets go get a drink and sit outside and we'll fill you in on our day"

I want to change my clothes first" I said You go ahead, I'll be right down"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis "Hurry up"

"Okay Louis, geez take a chill pill dude" I said "Grabe me a juice, please Louis"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis as everyone headed downstairs

I quickly changed into shorts and a t-shirt and left my shopping clothes on my bed to take care of later. I took off my headband and grabbed a hair claw as I put my phone & Ipod in my pockets and went down to the patio.

"We made a few extra stops today.. we went to the hospital to see Ellie... she's getting released this week" I said "Did you know she's a Nun?"

"Oh good... Yes, I know" said Izzie "How did you find out?"

"Sister Grace was there visiting and told me" I said "They're going to visit when Ellie gets to come home.... and I have a couple of surprises for Momma & Papa"

"Uh oh.. that's got me worried" said Papa

"Oh be quiet Ni... go ahead baby" said Momma

"As of today, I'd say 85% of the Wedding plans are done and taken care of" I said

"Wait... WHAT?!?!" said Momma & Papa in unison

"What do you mean Jessie?" said Momma

"See munchkin? you went from 'baby' to 'Jessie' in 2 minutes flat" said Louis "Please, continue munchkin"

"Thanks Lou" I said "Church - got it locked... Hotel - the whole package - booked and paid for"

"Holy shit" said Izzie

"Momma, Papa, we have an appointment for 10am Friday morning at the Manchester Hotel with Mr. Thompson to finalize the reception details... flowers, food, cake, music... the whole shebang" I said

"Oh my God" said Momma

"The only things left to do are dresses, ties, the rings, marriage license and honeymoon destinations" I said

"You shoul have seen her work Pamela" said Gem "Very professional & charming she had Mr. Thompson wrapped around her finger"

"How much did you spend on the Hotel's 'full package' " said Papa

"Nope... I'm not telling Papa" I said "Trust me... you don't want to know... plus I'm in charge of the fiscal budget and don't try to find out bc Mr. Thompson wont tell you"

"Okay... Where did you get the money?" asked Papa

"My emergency fund" I said "I took enough to cover the Hotel expenditures, my shopping excursion, and make a donation to the church.. and still had money left over.. backpacks are very useful when used for black ops missions"

"Holy shit" said Haz "And you swore to us you weren't scheming anything"

"Desperate times, desperate actions Haz" I said "At the rate Momma & Papa were going, they'd be getting married in the middle of winter... this way everything is reserved and the only way this Wedding ISN'T going to happen is if someone pulls a 'runaway bride' scenario"

"What dresses do we need poppet?" asked Papa

"The bridesmaids dresses and dresses for Gran, Maura, Anne, Me, Izzie, and Denise" I said "I already have Sarah's dress"

"What dress?" asked Momma

"My Communion dress" I said "Sarah & I are the same size, so it'll fit.... near as I'm guessing... between your dress, Sarah's dress, and not getting tuxedoes for all of the guys, we've saved about 8 - 9 thousand dollars alone"

"Wow.. okay, since you put it that way" said Papa

"Listen, I didn't want to go this route with you, but..." I said "This is my gift to both of you for everything that you have and will do for me by giving me a family and loving me as your own.... no amount of thank you's will ever come close to being enough so let me do this.. please?"

"Alright baby, but no more spending your money without running your ideas by us first... got it?" said Momma 

"Got it... promise" I said "But you should know, Mr. Thompson is telling me if we go over what I've already paid.... AND I plan on chartering a plane to bring Papa's family here & back, no ifs, ands, or buts, the decision is final... I just need to know how many people are coming"

"Duly noted" said Momma

"We have 50 rooms and 1 bridal suite booked... 50 rooms for 5 days, Sept. 21st thru the 25th... the bridal suite for 2 days, the 22nd & the 23rd.... the ballroom for the rehearsal dinner on the 22nd, the reception on the 23rd and for brunch on the 24th.... check out on the 26th" I said "everyone will check in on the 21st.... we arrive at the Hotel on the 22nd and will stay till the 24th bc Haz, Papa & Momma have work and school on the 25th.... actually re-checkcheck out is the 25th, not the 26th.. yeah, 5 days not 6 duh."

"When is Maura coming back Papa?" I asked

"I'm not sure poppet.. I'll call her tomorrow and find out" said Papa

"Okay bc she should be here when we get the dresses and I need to let Gran & Denise know what color dress to get for the Wedding" I said "Momma do you know what size dress Becca wears?"

"Yes baby, the same size as me" said Momma

"Okay then when we get the dresses, you can try it on to make sure it fits her" I said "And I'm gonna check thru my gemstones.. I'm pretty sure I have some blue topaz stones from Brazil to make accessory sets for everyone, except you Momma"

"How blue is a blue topaz?" asked Gem

"Its a clear light blue" I said

"Okay, just curious" said Gem

I took out my phone and looked up a picture to show her.

"This is a blue topaz" I said and handed her my phone

"Oh okay, its perfect" said Gem

"I have earrings & a necklace for you Momma" I said "grandpa gave Grandna a string of pearls and earrings the day my Momma was born, a second string on their 25th Anniversary, and a third string on their 50th.. and Grandma always wore them at any family event so I want you to have them on your Wedding Day"

"Okay baby" said Momma

"I think that pretty much covers everything" I said "OH and I included Robin in the boutineers for the wedding and he also has a Hotel room and there will be an open bar and there will be sparkling cider and drinks for all children in attendance and Linda & her family as well.... I'll be rooming with Gemma after the reception, Momma & Papa will be in the bridal suite, Izzie & Haz will have their room as will Liam & Zayn, Louis will have his own room and Anne, contrary to Haz's way of thinking, you & Robin have our blessing to do as you wish... shut it Haz, don't say one word"

"Thank you Jessie" said Anne "I know Harry, my sweet baby boy, you don't have to say anything, having her blessing means a lot to me, as does yours & Gemma's, when you're ready to give it"

We just want you to be happy Mum" said Gemma "If Robin makes you happy, that's all that matter, right Haz?"

"Are you happy with Robin?" asked Haz "Does he respect your opinion? Does he make you laugh? Do you want him in your life, permanently?"

"Yes Harry" said Anne "To all of those questions"

"Then you have my blessing" said Haz "Just don't tell me about it... you're still my Mum and knowing you're happy is all the details I want to know"

"Thank you Harry" said Anne

"Aw Haz has finally grown up" I said wiping my eyes "I think I'm gonna cry"

"Oh shut up peanut" said Haz, chuckling

"Aye, they grow up so fast" said Papa "Welcome to adulthood Haz"

"Oh shut up ya idiot" said Haz

"Papa you need to ask Linda for Friday off bc there's a lot to finalize at the Hotel and I want you to meet Father Donnelly" I said "He talks lik you, full on Irish"

"I like him already" said Papa "And I will talk to Linda about Friday... 10am right?"

"Yep, 10am" I said "Bring your wish book Momma, Mr. Thompson can help you make sense of it and may be able to work some things into the budget"

"Okay baby" said Momma "why don't you take a break from Wedding plans till tomorrow baby, you look drained"

"I'm fine Momma, I'm just going over my mental checklists... crossing things off, adding things, erasing things & going back over them" I said "Gem we didn't get curtains, or did we?"

"Yes we did munchkin" said Gem "2 sets of lace curtains"

'Oh yeah, okay that's checked off" I said "Momma, you & Papa need a song and I want you to think about writing your own vows"

"We can try it... I'm not good at writing down my thoughts and feelings" said Momma "But I'll give it a shot"

"I can help if you want Momma, I'm good at that kind of thing" I said

"I'll remember that baby" said Momma

"Any thoughts on dinner?" I said "shut up Louis... Its July, we are not having a full on Turkey dinner, you dork"

"I didn't say anything" said Louis

"You may not have said anything, but I could hear you loud & clear" I said "now be quiet, I'm going thru my checklist"

"Oh sorry munchkin" said Louis

"Its alright Lou" I said and sighed "Its getting hard to focus... my brain is having a ticker tape parade with my checklists... I should take a nap but if I do that, I'll be awake all night, so there goes that idea"

"What's the longest you've gone without sleep?" asked Louis

"5 days, 12 hours, 36 minutes, 24 seconds..... 2 years ago" I said "Fear & stress can cause Insomnia.... Me & Insomnia were bff's joined at the hip... bad times, bad dreams, bad everything"

"So what made you finally sleep?" asked Louis

"A fifth of whiskey and half of a fifth of Tequilla" I said "I passed out and slept for 3 days straight"

"You sure you're not Irish somewhere in there poppet?" said Papa

Mm.. don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is somewhere in the family gene pool" I said "I know there's Scottish & British in there"

"Sounds like alcohol poisoning to me" said Momma "How did you feel when you woke up?"

I"I felt fine, like I hadn't drank a thing" I said "I never got sick or had a hangover like Daddy always did"

"The Scottish & Irirsh are the only two that I know of who can drink too much and still function unscathed from the side effects" said Papa "In some ways, that's a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing too"

"Yeah, that makes sense" I said "But I don't see it ever happening again... not for a very looong time"

"Good to hear that poppet" said Papa

"After that, I never saw the appeal of getting shit-faced, face down in an alley, can't remember your name, drunk" I said "What's the point? I mean I just don't get it"

"Sometimes there is no point baby" said Momma "people get drunk for different reasons or for no reason at all"

"Stupidity is what it is... downright assanine stupidity - 'Hi, I'm Jessie and I committed an act of assanine stupidity' " I said and made everyone laugh a little

"Why did you get drunk?" asked Louis

"I was delusional" I said "I was awake for 5 straight days, lost my family, I was stuck with a drunk, murdering pedophile for a father.. Gee Lou, take your pick... I was 8 years old and my world was shattered and if you put yourself in my place, you'd have gotten drunk too"

"True" said Louis "I guess we all have our breaking point... but did you learn anything from it?"

"Yeah... if your life sucks donkey balls, get a dog and stfu" I said

"stfu?" said Gem

"Its twitter shorthand.. it means shut the fuck up" said Louis

"roflmao stfu Lou" I said giggling "ya dork"

"Hey now what was that for?" said Louis

"To quote Papa" I said "For being a right cheeky twat"

"Ni" said Momma as Haz started laughing

"Twatyou laughing at Harold?" I said

"Hey, not nice peanut" said Haz, chuckling

"Yeah, I know... sorry Haz, I had a snarky moment, you didn't deserve that" I said

"Its alright peanut, we're good" said Haz

"I need a headstand and recenter my thoughts before my mouth says something I can't take back" I said and stood up, setting my phone on the table "Be back in 5" and tucked in my shirt and put in my earbuds

I got up on the picnic table and got into position with mid air splits and slowly brought my legs straight up to a full headstand, closed my eyes and focused on my breathing.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

HARRY'S POV

"How the Hell does she do that?" I said

"Years of practice Haz" said Pamela "and lots of time to perfect it"

"I watched her tumbling workout this morning from my patio" said Mum "she did her tumbles and flips for 30 minutes and then did that headstand for 15 minutes when Niall came outside and then she went in the house"

"She was like that for 15 minutes?" said Ni

"Yes.. I was impressed" said Mum "she has amazing balance"

"Yeah she can run too" I said "when we started running this morning, I was telling her to run with me till we reached the track... she said 'in the zone Haz' so I shut up.. and on the last lap, she said 'see ya later' and was off in a dead run... she didn't miss a beat"

"You stayed with her tho" said Pamela "You were only 30 seconds behind her"

"Jessie said it was a tie" said Liam

"She what?" I said

"Yeah, she said bc you both won, she was going to teach you how to dance" said Zayn

"Why would she say that?" I said

"Because its called being a good sport" said Pamela "You didn't quit... she's competitive, but knows that when you put in the work and stick with it, you've earned her respect... now had you given up, she never would've let you forget it"

"Oh, okay" I said

"Now just apply that when she shows you how to dance and you'll be golden" said Pamela "southern girls learn to dance for formal occasions and recitals so you're in good hands with Jessie"

"How long has it been since she went out there?" said Maryh

"6 minutes" said Louis "and she's coming out of it now... and the dismount.. a perfect 10"

We all clapped as she turned around and took a bow.

"Thank you, thank you" said Jessie with a giggle

"How's the brain now?" asked Louis

"Better and quieter" said Jessie "What'd I miss?"

"Haz's lesson on being a good sport" said Pamela

"Ah yeah" said Jessie "Well he earned it by finishing. If I've learned anything from American football, its that persistence and hard work are key to achieve your goal - wether its a professional goal or a personal one... you quit and the only one who gets depressed is you.. there are some things in life you just don't quit.... In a race, the goal is to win, but you don't gloat about it in front of the competition, unless they quit, then its on"

"Well said poppet" said Ni

"Thanks Papa" said Jessie and took a drink of juice "I may talk a lot of smack, but its all in fun and I got to see Haz in action and he can hold his own... no need in dragging him thru the mud for 30 lousy seconds, he can run with me whenever he feels like it.. no pressure"

"Thanks peanut" I said

"You're Welcome Haz" said Jessie

"How long did it take you to learn the splits?" said Gem

"I learned by accident" said Jessie "Grandma was watching me for the day and I didn't know she had mopped the kitchen floor and I came running in the house with a bloody nose... I hit the tile floor and slid into the splits... I got blood all over the floor and split my jeans in half. Grandma had to help me up off the floor bc my jeans had my legs trapped... I was a crying bloody mess"

"Damn" said Louis "And you've been able to do them ever since?"

"Yeah, pretty much" said Jessie "When I slid, my groin muscles popped and when they healed, they never reconnected properly, so doing the splits is a breeze.. When you learn to do gymnastics, you learn the proper way to do them without injury to the muscles, but not me... no, I had to learn the hard way"

"Can you show me how to do them?" said Louis

"Um.. I can try" said Jessie "Men's hips aren't as flexible as a girls... our hips split to accommodate carrying a baby and giving birth so it may hurt you more... you need to stop if it does or you'll need a hip replacement, okay?"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis

""Okay, I'll show you how to do side splits bc they're easier to get out of" said Jessie "Come out in the grass... now stand with your feet about a foot apart, extend your arms straight up and bending at the hips, place your hands flat on the ground and slowly move your feet apart as you lower your butt to the ground... If it hurts, pick your hands up and fall on your butt"

"Okay, got it" said Louis

"Now you try it" said Jessie "And if you split your pants I'll sew them up for you"

Louis chuckled "Okay munchkin"... Louis started out good, he was almost all the way down.

"You're doing great Lou, you're almost there, tuck your butt in just a little" said Jessie "there you go, keep going but don't push yourself too much Louis, easy does it.. YES!!, good job Lou.. How you feelin?"

"Oh God... I think.. I'm okay" said Louis, panting "I think.. I need help... getting up... tho"

"Okay, okay, just breathe" said Jessie "stay just like that, I'm gonna gently lift your lega, one at a time and move them in front of you, just breathe slow & easy... here we go"

Jessie put Louis legs back in front of him so he could get up.

"Ow, shit, damn... are your legs supposed to tingle? It feels like needles are poking me" said Louis

"That's bc you restricted the blood flow in your veins and stretched the nerves" said Jessie "It'll go away in a few... okay, bend your knees, give me your hands and push up as I pull on 3.. 1... 2... 3 - upsy daisy, there you go.. can you stand alright?"

"Yeah, wow damn" said Louis and went to sit down - he walked like an old man "I think I loosened something"

"Yeah your ass muscles... ya dork" said Pamela

"Oh shut up.. I'd like to see you do that" said Louis

"Okay smartass" said Pamela "watch and learn my young padewan"

Pamela got up and went out into the grass, removing her shorts to reveal black boxer briefs and did the same thing Louis did, but then lifted her hips off the ground in mid air side splits, brought her legs together in a handstand, and then, leaving her left leg extended, brought her right leg down between her arms and lowered her left leg out behind her in a front/back splits... then stood up and put her shorts back on and sat down.

"Holy shit!" said Louis "How the Hell did you learn to do that?"

"Whoa Momma" said Jessie "You've been holding out on me.... Awesome job Momma"

"Thank you baby" said Pamela

"I repeat... How?" said Louis

"4 years of playing Twister, yoga classes, and working out with the gymnastics squad... flexibility is important and I learned a few things" said Pamela "If you want a degree in Athletics, you need to work your ass off in ALL areas of Athletics"

"Subject change" said Mary "What do we want for dinner?"

"I'm gonna have my left over Chinese" said Jessie "I still have some dumplings and chicken skewers left"

"Yeah same here" said Louis

"I'm just going to have a bowl of soup" said Zayn "My stomach feels a little off"

"Huh, looks like I get the night off from cooking" said Pamela "But I'll make us something sunshine"

"Okay poppet.. whatever you decide is fine, you know me, I'll eat anything" said Ni

"How about a bowl of soup and a chicken salad?" said Pamela

"Sounds good poppet" said Ni

"You make the salad Pamela" said Mary "I'll grill up the chicken"

"Okay Mom" said Pamela

It was all hands on deck... Jessie & I set the table, Mum, Gem & Pamela worked on the salad, Liam & Ni made the soup, Louis heated up his & Jessie's left over, and Zayn & Mary grilled the chicken.  
When everything was ready, we sat down, said Grace and had dinner. There wasn't any talking tonight at dinner. I guess the past three days of non-stop activity and talking finally caught up with us.

"Are you okay Grandpa Zayn?" said Jessie "You look really pale"

"I'm fine princess" said Zayn "My stomach just feels a little off today"

"Are you sure Pops?' said Pamela "Jessie's right you look like you're gonna pass out"

"Hmm.. I'll bet Grandpa has food poisoning from the sushi he had last night" said Jessie

"Would it hit this quick?" said Liam

"Yeah the symptoms can hit almost immediately" said Pamela "Check Pops for a fever Dad"

Liam touched his lips to Zayn's forehead "Yeah, he's a little warmer than usual" said Liam "When did your stomach start bothering you babe?"

"This morning when we got up" said Zayn "It comes and goes in waves"

"Izzie do you have any Ipecac or castor oil?" said Jessie

"I have castor oil, why?" asked Mary

"Because Grandpa needs to.. 'get rid' of the toxins in his system .. before his fever gets worse" said Jessie "Grandpa, go on upstairs, get your pajamas on and meet me in the bathroom. I'll be right up and once we get you feeling a little better, Grandpa will bring up your soup, okay?"

"Okay princess" said Zayn and went upstairs without argument

"Grandpa go with him and help him stay calm while I get everything together" said Jessie "I need some scented candles and a CD player, water, crackers, a vitamin, ginger ale and the castor oil"

Jessie grabbed a basket out of the laundry room and started gathering up her supplies. Pamela gave her the candles and CD player and Mary gave her the castor oil. She grabbed paper towels and a trash bag and headed upstairs.

JESSIE'S POV

I took the candles, CD player, crackers, & ginger ale to Grandpa's room, then took everything else with me to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Its me Grandpa, can I come in?" I asked

"Come in princess" said Zayn

"Now the castor oil is going to make you sick but we need to purge your system of the toxins. It will also make you have to use the bathroom, so you need to sit on the toilet and cover you lap with a towel and grab the trash can to be sick in" I said

"Oh God" said Zayn "Okay princess"

"I need to get a couple of things, so you can have some privacy" I said "I'll be right back Grandpa"

"Okay" said Zayn

I went to my room and grabbed a relaxation CD of sounds of nature and set it next to the CD player and lit the candles, then took Grandpa's bathrobe to the bathroom. I knocked on the door and opened it a little bit.

"All set Grandpa?" I asked

"All set princess" said Zayn "Lets get this over with"

"I know Grandpa, I know" I said "I've been thru this before too, and I promise, you'll feel better by tomorrow morning... now drink this. Its gonna hit you quick so get a good grip on the trash can" and gave him the dosage cup

"Here goes everything" said Zayn "Thru the teeth and over the gums, watch out stomach, here it comes" and swallowed it down

Zayn shuddered violently, breathing heavy a few times till the puking started.. and once it started, it didn't stop for almost 10 minutes. I had Zayn rinse his mouth out between the bouts of sickness to keep the burning taste of bile away.

About 45 minutes later he finally stopped puking. I put a wad of paper towels in the trash bag and tied it off. I wet a wash cloth let Zayn wipe his face free of sweat and allow him to clean himself up while I took care of the garbage.

"When you're done, put your robe on and I'll send Grandpa up to help you get to bed" I said

"Okay princess... thank you" said Zayn weakly

"You're Welcome Grandpa" I said

I went out to the garage to get rid of the garbage anf then to the kitchen to wash my hands and face.

"How's Zayn?" asked Grandpa Li

"He's tired & weak, but his system and stomach are bacteria free" I said "You need to go help him get to bed. If he's thirsty, make him take tiny sips of ginger ale, no more than 2 sips at a time or he'll get sick again and I'll be back up in a minute Grandpa"

"Okay princess" said Grandpa Li

"Are you okay baby?" asked Momma

"It was brutal Momma" I said "but I'm fine and now, so is Grandpa.. for the 18 hours, he's to have nothing buy dry toast, crackers, clear chicken broth and tea... no coffee its too much for his stomach... if he can hold those down for 2 hours, then he can eat more but for now that's his diet"

"Okay baby" said Momma

"I need to get Grandpa relaxed and settled... I'll be back in a few" I said

I went up to Grand[a's room and put the CD in the player on a loop with the volume down low. Grandpa Li was sitting on the bed with Zayn on his lap, his head resting on Grandpa's chest.

"Hoe are you feeling Grandpa" I said gently

"Better, but tired Princess" said Zayn

"That's good" I said "Did Grandpa tell you what you're allowed to eat fot the next 18 hours?"

"Yeah no flavor and no coffee" said Zayn "adult baby food is what that is"

"You put your system thru the wringer Grandpa, we need to reset you system slowly" I said "for now you have ginger ale & crackers. Take a couple tiny bites and a couple tiny sips at a time and get some rest, alright?"

"Alright princess" said Zayn

"I'LL come check on you before bed" I said "I Love You Grandpa Zayn.... I Love You Grandpa Li" and kissed both of their cheeks

"We Love You too princess" they said in unison

I went in the bathroom to straighten up and put the new bag in the trash can and opened the bathroom window to air it out and went down to the kitchen to finish my dinner. I took my plate out of the microwave and sat down at the table and slowly ate a dumpling

"You look tired peanut" said Haz

"A little bit" I said "seeing a grown adult be sick, is not a pretty picture and its emotionally draining"

"I know" said Haz "Mum got sick a month ago, Izzie & Maura took care of her bc I was scared so they kept me busy so I wouldn't worry so much"

"What was wrong with her?" I said

"She was overworked, tired & stressed out" said Haz "It made her have her a fever, aches, chills and she was physically weak... so I know how you're feeling right now... you want to cry, and you will, but right now you just want a hug"

"Yeah" I said

Haz held out his arms for a hug. It felt good to be held in his arms again, I cried as he started rocking me gently. After a while I felt better and wiped my eyes.

"Feel better?" asked Haz

"Yeah, thanks Haz" I said

"You're welcome peanut" said Haz "now finish your dinner and we'll watch a movie.. whatever you want, okay?"

"Okay" I said "I Love You Haz" and kissed his cheek

"I Love You too peanut" said Haz and kissed my forehead

I finished my dinner, washed my plate, and went to my room. I hung up my clothes from earlier and put on my boxers, t-shirt, fluffy robe and bear paw slippers. I went to check on Grandpa.. he was sleeping so I turned off the CD player and blew out the candles and went out to the patio to visit before bed.

"hey poppet... did ya finish your dinner?" asked Papa

"Yes Papa" I said

"How's your patient?" asked Gem

Grandpa's sleeping and his color is coming back" I said "He still has a fever, its gone down some since earlier... that's a good sign"


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Oh that's good" said Gem

"Where's Grandpa Liam?" I asked

"He's sitting out at the picnic table... he said he needed some 'alone' time" said Louis "Me personally, I think he needs a hug... why don't you give him the update on Zayn"

"Yeah, okay" I said and went to the picnic table "Hey Grandpa.... Are you okay?"

"I'm alright princess... I was just thinking" said Grandpa Li

"About what?" I said "I checked on Grandpa Zayn, he's sleeping and his fever has come down a little"

"Thank you for tanking care of him princess" said Grandpa "I don't handle crisis siituations well when it comes to Zayn... I never know what to do"

"That's okay Grandpa... I don't either sometimes" I said "Sometimes it helps to let others take charge and be there to assist when needed and that's a good thing"

"I guess so" said Grandpa "I just wish I didn't feel so useless"

"Look at me Grandpa.. you, are. not. useless, you hear me?" I said "You helped me & Momma twice yesterday.. You.. no one else... Why do you think that is?" he shrugged "bc when the shit hit the fan, you're the calm in the eye of the storm"

"How do you mean?" said Grandpa

"When Momma was hanging from the tree, who did see call on?... You... when I had my issue in the bathroom, who did Momma call for help?.... You... when I needed help with Grandpa, who did I call?... You" I said "When the storms of crisis hit, we look to you for your calming support, to keep us focused and trust that you'll catch us when we fall.... you're our star MVP... whenyou're there for us, we're her for you... always"

"I never looked at it that way before" said Grandpa

"You want to know a secret?... You can't tell anyone I know this, alright?" I said

"Sure... I wont tell" said Grandpa

"Since yesterday, I've been reading the family's thoughts & memories, to better understand our family" I said "and I found that you are the sun in the Williams solar system... everyone gravitates around you.... you gave Momma confidence to go off to school... you held your family together when your Dad died... you convinced Louis to be his own person... you made sure Izzie ate and cleaned her up when she couldn't do it... and you gave Grandpa a home and love & acceptance when he was lost..... you're stronger in a crisis than you think Grandpa - don't ever doubt that... ever"

Grandpa started crying "Oh gosh... I never knew... I didn't see it"

"Shh, its alright Grandpa... its alright, you weren't meant to know or see the pattern Grandpa" I said "Your inner strength took over when times were tough so that your calmer side didn't get battered & bruised. You protected yourself, that's a very admirable quality to have, and you can be proud of that Grandpa.... You're just like your Daddy - strong, calm, confident, loving, gentle but firm, and kind hearted... He is so proud of the man you've become Grandpa - Do you feel that?, its like a warm blanket... do you feel it?"

"Yeah... I've felt this before" said Grandpa "What is that?"

"Its you Dad" I whispered "Talk to him... close your eyes, block out your surroundings, and talk to him in your mind... He can hear you & you'll hear him, then come see me when you're ready and we'll talk, okay?"

"Okay" said Grandpa

"I Love You Grandpa" I said

"I Love You too princess" said Grandpa Li

I went back to the patio, sat down and blocked out Grandpa's conversation so he had some privacy.

"Is Liam alright?" asked Izzie

"He's fine Izzie... he just has a lot on his mind at the moment" I said "Can I get a raincheck on that movie Haz? Grandpa's gonna want to talk when he figures it all out"

"Sure peanut" said Haz "You let me know when you want to watch it… no rush"

"Thanks Haz" I said

"So what's going on Jessie?" said Gem

"Not sure yet" I said "I'm trying nor to listen, but it a little hard bc he's yelling... just a sec... CALM DOWN GRANDPA, YOU'RE FINE, JUST BREATHE AND CALM DOWN... okay, that's better - " Louis cut me off

"Who is he yelling at?" asked Louis

"Its not my place to say.. yet" I said "For now, just know he's fine and after he's gotten some answers, we'll tell you... this is his story to tell, not mine"

"Okay, if you say so, but this is feeling a little creepy" said Louis

Just then Grandpa put his hand on my shoulder and sat down.

"You okay Li?" asked Louis

"Right as rain Lou" said Grandpa

"How does your brain feel?" I asked

"Kind of buzzed... like electricity is running thru it" said Grandpa "but in a good way... you know?"

"Yeah, I know" I said "Its always like that at first, then it fades and isn't as intense, then its easier to focus.... you can ask me anything, its alright Grandpa, I'll explain everything as best as I can, okay?"

"Yeah okay... well, what just happened?.. that part I don't understand" said Grandpa

"Okay, well, in a nutshell, you just had a clairvoyant experience" I said "and from what I can tell, you've had them before, all under the guise of 'imaginary friends'.... the pretty lady, who showed you how to fix a broken wing when that bird hit your bedroom window... the young man who showed you how to make a sling shot... the kid who talked you into climbing onto the roof of your house.... the litany of friends is endless, then as you got older, you didn't need them as much, so they left you alone, but watched over you... when your Dad died, they were that 'warm blanket' feeling you felt... like just now with your Dad, but you didn't know it at the time that that's whatit was... and that's okay, not many people know angels when they see or feel them"

"Oh" said Grandpa "so when I feel that 'warm blanket' feeling, its an angel and I can talk to them... anytime?"

"Yep, anytime" I said "talk to them in your mind tho, it makes it easier to hear them and you wont look like a crazy person, walking around talking to the trees" and giggled

"yeah, okay, that makes sense" said Grandpa "sorry about yelling, I got kind of freaked out"

"Its okay, it happens" I said "What got you freaked?"

"Dad said something that made no sense" said Grandpa

"Okay, think it and tell me what he said" I said as Grandpa closed his eyes, I listened.. I gasped "Oh... my... God..... really/"

"Yeah, but that makes no sense, right?" said Grandpa "Why would he say that?"

"It may not make sense Grandpa, but it does happen" I said "Its rare, but it does happen"

"WHAT!?… Are you serious?.. so its true?" said Grandpa

"Well, we'll have to do a test, but he said it, so its gotta be true" I said "Did he ever lie to you for any reason?"

"No, never" said Grandpa

"Then there you go" I said "Let Zayn sleep tonight and we can tell him in the morning, okay?"

"Okay" said Grandpa

"Will you two explain please?... What's wrong with Zayn?" said Louis

"Well apparently, Zayn doesn't have food poison" I said "He's pregnant"

"DUDE - WHAT!?" said Louis "Men can't have babies, everyone knows that"

"Okay, Louis.... BIOLOGY 101 - Conception & Reproduction" I said "When a baby is conceived, the egg divides until all of the building blocks are in place and you have a fetus... now sometimes eggs will split in 2 producing twins - with me so far?"

"Yeah, go ahead" said Louis

"Now there are 2 types of twins - identical & fraternal... Identical twins are usually 2 boys or 2 girls from 1 egg" I said "but fraternal twins are 1 boy & 1 girl from 2 different eggs.... Zayn was a fraternal twin at conception - his sister didn't survive so as the surviving twin grew, Zayn absorbed and grew around his sister... which means even tho Zayn is a man, he can get pregnant"

"Holy shit" said Louis, Haz & Papa in unison

"Now Grandpa, without going into graphic detail... When was the last time you & Zayn were 'together'?" I asked

"A few weeks or so ago" said Grandpa "Yeah, that sounds about right"

"Then its a definite possibility" I said "Momma, we're gonna need that pregnancy test Gem bought"

"Oh, okay" said Momma "I didn't know you knew about that"

"Yeah.. I know everything that goes on around here" I said "y'all talk... a lot"

"Oh crap" said Gem

"Yep... everything" I said looking at Gem "but that's a different story for another time.... Zayn is the current story at the moment" Gemma nodded "so Grandpa Li, how do you feel about this new revelation?"

"A baby.. wow" said Grandpa "I'm gonna be a Dad again.... oh My GOD!.. I'M GONNA BE A DAD! WOOHOO!" he was laughing & crying

"Shh, keep it down Grandpa Li" I said "You'll wake up Grandpa and he needs to sleep"

"Ok gosh, sorry" said Grandpa Li

Just then Grandpa Zayn came out of the house carrying his ginger ale & crackers.

"Grandpa Zayn, what are you doing up?" I said "You should be in bed"

"I had a weird ass dream and couldn't go back to sleep" said Zayn

"About what babe?" said Liam

"I had a baby" said Zayn "actually we had 2 babies... crazy huh?"

"Really... interesting" I said "Grandpa Li, you want to tell him now, or wait till morning?... its your call here"

"Tell me what?" said Zayn "Babe/.. What's up?"

"Sit down babe" said Liam "It'll be easier to hear sitting down"

"Okay" said Zayn and sat down "tell me, I can handle it"

LIam explained everything as Zayn ate some crackers, nodding occasionally "So it wasn't food poison... I'm pregnant" said Zayn "okay, so can we do the test now? To be sure?"

"Sure Pops" said Momma "Come on, its in my room"

"Okay peaches" said Zayn "Be back in a bit babe"

"Okay... I Love You Z" said Liam

"I Love You too Li" said Zayn "So much"

ZAYN'S POV

I folloed Pamela to her room to get the test, scared shitless & excited at the same time. She handed me the box.. my hands were shaking.

"Its okay Pops.. you can do this" said Pamela "you just pee on the stick, wait a few minutes, and if a plus sign shows up, you're pregnant... if a minus sign shows up, you're not... okay?"

"Okay peaches" I said "Will you wait with me?"

"Of course Pops" said Pamela "You go in the bathroom and call me when you're done"

"Okay" I said and did as I was told and followed Pamela's instructions "Okay Peaches... How long do we wait?"

"3 minutes" said Pamela "ypu know Jessie feels bad thinking you had food poison and putting you thru all of that"

"Its not her fault" I said "Pregnancy wasn't even a thought.. I'm a guy for God's sake, how wwas she supposed to know"

"I know Pops, but still" said Pamela

"I'll talk to her.. after all, she is my doctor" I said, chuckling "She made sure I had scented candles and a tranquility CD with birds chirping & running streams playing in the background... I never felt so relaxed"

"Call her Dr. Jessie" said Pamela "she'll get a kick out of that"

"Yeah okay" I laughed as the timer dinged on Pamela's phone

"Okay Pops... time's up" said Pamela "what's the verdict... pregnant? or not pregnant?"

I picked up the test "I'm pregnant" I said "Holy shit Peaches.... I'm pregnant!" I srarted laughing & crying

"Congratulations Pops" said Pamela "I'm so happy for you & Dad" and hugged him tight "Lets go tell Dad"

"Yeah, lets go... oh gosh, I can't stop crying" I laughed

"That's okay.. let the test do the talking" said Pamela

"Okay" I said, grabbing the test stick as we headed for the patio

"Well?" said Louis & Mary

I handed the stick to Liam "yes?" said Liam, I nodded unable to speak "woohoo! Oh babe, its alright, don't cry... shh I know, I'm scared too.. but we can do this" Liam whispered in my ear as he held me in his arms

"Oh gosh Li" I said "I'm so happy.. we're having a baby!!"

"I know babe, me too" said Li "we need to make a Dr.'s appointment soon and make sure our baby is alright and get a due date and all that"

"I have the name of a great doctor - Dr. Gemma Carlisle" said Anne "She's the best, she's local, and she delivered Gemma & Harry"

"Thank you Anne" said Li

"Grandpa Zayn?" said Jessie "I'm so sorry from putting you thru all of that earlier"

"Ok princess... don't you dare apologize" I said "we didn't know, its not your fault, you tried to help and you did... you made me feel so relaxed and comfortable and made sure I had everything I needed to get better... Thank you Dr. Jessie, you're the bestest" and gave her a hug "Don't ever be sorry princess"

"Okay Grandpa" said Jessie "Well, as your doctor, I still want you to go easy on the food tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes Dr." I said "and we need to stock up on ginger ale & crackers bc I really like them together"

"Oh my boys" said Mary "Congratulations, I'm so happy for you both"

"Thanks Mom" we said in unison

"Okay everyone, we have sparkling cider and a ginger ale for Jessie" said Louis

"Grab a glass & Zayn you have your ginger ale" said Haz

"Liam, Zayn... Congratulations on your new little bundle of joy... may the child act just like both of you, but look like me" said Louis, to which we all laughed

"HERE, HERE!" we all cheered in unison

"Liam get ready for the mood swings and midnight cravings" said Anne "and stock up on the peanut butter, pretzel sticks, ice cream and pickles"

Ooo that sounds good" I said

"What sounds good babe?" asked Li

"Ice cream & pickles" I said

"And so it starts" Mary giggled "careful Zayn, you've got 9 months to get thru"

"Yes, not to mention morning sickness, being tired all the time, swollen ankles and your clothes no fitting right all the time" said Anne

"And you went thru that twice?" said Haz "oh my God... Gem you're gonna be a basket case when you get pregnant... you don't handle stress well"

"I know bug, I know" said Gem "I'm scared shitless at that thought too"

"You two" said Anne and shook her head "think of pregnancy like a walk thru a garden... everything is new and beautiful - "

"Yeah, till you get stung by bees and stick your fingers on the thorns" said Louis

"Oh be quiet Louis" said Pamela "continue Anne"

"Thank you Pamela" said Anne "as I was saying, its full of beautiful experiences... the first time you hear the baby's heartbeat, when you find out if its a boy or a girl or twins, when you feel the baby kick, and the joy of holding your baby... all 10 fingers & 10 toes of perfection wrapped in a blanket in your arms... its the closest thing to Heaven as you'll ever get... and yes, I went thru it twice and I would go thru it 2 more times, if given the chance"

"Beautifully put Anne" said Mary

"Thank you Mary" said Anne

"Wow" said Jessie "Do you think that's how my Momma felt when I was born, Anne?"

"I'm absolutely certain she did Jessie" said Anne "Do you remember her letter? You were her greatest joy.. the one thing she got right in her life.... you.. Heaven's angel and her gift to us"

"Oh screw the time difference" said Ni "I gotta call my Mom" and pulled out his phone, wiping his eyes as he walked away.. he even apologized for being a twat for 17 years.

"sap" said Haz

"Oh be quiet Haz, at least he has a Mom to call" I said "My Mom doesn't approve of my life choices"

"Oh, sorry Zayn" said Haz

"Its alright Haz" I said "Its not something I talk about... I have Mary, and I know she loves me or she wouldn't have let me marry Liam and be Pamela's Pops.. right Mom?"

"Oh Zayn, you know you're my favorite son" said Mary "The only one who never gave me an ounce of worry.. of course I Love You and you make Liam happy, that's all any Mom wants"

"See Lou?" said Pamela "I told you he was her favorite.. but nooo you didn't believe me"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" said Louis

"Pay up mister" said Pamela

"Wait.. you bet him?" said Liam

"Damn straight" said Pamela "I bet him $5 bucks that Mom would say Pops was her favorite... I won.. pay up Lou"

"Fine... here" said Louis and handed the money over to Pamela

"Thanks Lou, its been an absolute pleasure doing business with you" said Pamela and put the money in her pocket


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

ZATN'S POV (Continued)

"$20 says Zayn has twins... both girls" said Louis "Who's in?"

"Come here Grandpa Zayn" said Jessie

"Okay.. yes princess?" I said

"I need to hedge my bets here" said Jessie "Can I touch your tummy?"

"Um, okay, sure princess" I said

Jessie put her hand on my belly, closed her eyes and listened.

"$50 says it triplets" said Jessie "I got my information from the source"

"What!!" said Liam "Holy shit!"

"No way, that's cheating Jessie" said Louis

"Really... how so?" said Jessie "I could be bluffing or it could be true... I just upped the stakes... so, you in? or are you a chicken shit?"

"Oh snap" said Pamela "Take the bet Lou... don't mess with her she's got 8 wins under her belt so far... do you want to have to bear the consequences if you're wrong?"

"Take the bet Lou" I said "What the Hell.. its all harmless fun"

"No Lou... Don't do it" said Haz "She was gonna make me wear 10-inch heels if I lost our race... She'll make you do something worse"

"Oh good idea Haz" said Jessie "Okay, no money wager"

"See, I told ya... you're in the doghouse now mate" said Haz

"If its triplets, I win... If its twins, you win" said Jessie "And the looser has to get a teddy bear tattoo... Deal?"

"Uh oh mate" said Haz "I told you Lou... doghouse"

"Oh crap" said Louis "She's flat out serious, isn't she?"

"Yep, like a heart attack on Valentine's Day" said Jessie

Um... that's pretty serious Lou" said Liam

"Come on Louis, time's a wastin… you game? or are you chicken?" said Jessie

"I'm thinking here... give me a minute" said Louis

"Okay... 1 minute... starting now" said Jessie "Hey Papa... How's Gran?"

"Better... someone told my Mom about you" said Ni and looked at Anne "and she told Gran... so guess who's coming home with my Mom in 2 days?"

"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohnygosh" said Jessie "I get to meet Gran? in 2 days?"

"Yep, ya do poppet" said Ni

"YEEHAW!!" said Jessie "BEST DAY EVER!!" and started dancing "oh yeah, oh yeah... this is better than Christmas, Easter & my birthday all rolled into one!.... okay Louis, time's up! What's is gonna be? You in? or are you chicken?"

"What the Hell did I miss?" said Ni

"Louis thinks Zayn's gonna have twins... Jessie says triplets" said Haz "Loser has to get a teddy bear tattoo"

"OH HELL NO!!" yelled Ni "NO WAY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH ARE YOU GETTING A TATTOO!!"

"Don't worry Papa, I'm not" said Jessie calmly "I know for a FACT Zayn & Liam are having triplets"

"And how do you know that?" asked Ni

"They told me when I touched Zayn's belly" said Jessie "and FYI... Zayn's a little further along than a few weeks... its more like 6 weeks"

"Oh Holy shit" said Liam "we're gonna go see Dr. Carlisle tomorrow... no ifs, ands, or buts"

"Agreed" I said

"I'm going with you" said Jessie "This I gotta see... please?"

"Sure, you can come with us" said Liam

"Now, Louis, decision time mister.... yes or no?" said Jessie

"Oh what the Hell... you got a deal munchkin" said Louis "and I want photographic proof... got it?"

"You bet" said Jessie "I tell ya Lou, that teddy bear tattoo is gonna draw the ladies"

"Yeah right munchkin" said Louis "You keep telling yourself that"

"you want to make another deal?" asked Jessie

"NO!!" yelled Louis

"Wise decision mate" said Haz "I wouldn't trust a 10 year old dictate my love life, let alone pick a tattoo for me"

"Oh shut up Haz" said Louis "I trust Jessie, I just don't want to end up with no eyebrows or pink hair"

"Wise man" I said

"Pops... Uncle Lou's finally grown up" said Pamela, fake crying "Its a Kodak moment"

"Give it a rest Pamela" said Louis

"I would never do that to Louis" said Jessie "He took me shopping and he's gonna hook up my room for me.... that's just mean"

"Yeah? Tell that to your Momma" said Louis "bc she did that... to me!"

"Momma!!" said Jessie

"Okay Louis" said Pamela "Tell her WHY I did that... go on... tell her"

"Lou?" said Jessie "what. did. you. do?"

"I put cut up lemons in her favorite sneakers" said Louis

"AND??" said Pamela

"And I put a whole tube of toothpaste in her hair while she was sleeping" said Louis

"Oh Christ" said Jessie and crossed herself "You're lucky that's all she did to you... if you had done that to me, I would've super glued your dick to your balls and gave ya a swirlie"

"Oh good God" said Gem "you're positively devious Jessie... what's a swirlie?"

"I don't think we need to worry about our daughter poppet" said Ni "I'm more worried for the guy who pisses her off"

"You're right about that Ni" said Pamela "A swirlie is what happens when you put someone's head in the toilet and then flush it with their head still in it"

"Ew, that's just wrong" said Gem

"Yes, its disgusting, but its an effective form of aversion therapy for dealing with bullies" said Jessie "so are wedgies"

"Man, the only thing I miss from back home are the fun times I used to have with Jimbo, pooh bear, & Si" said Jessie "we'd take condoms and fill em up with lemon juice, vinegar & water and fire em with sling shots... water balloon fights... water balloons filled with vanilla pudding and thrown from behind headstones in the cemetary on Devil's night... fun times"

"Fun times?" said Haz

"Hey don't knock it till you try it Haz" said Jessie "It beats shooting beer cans with a beebee gun or loading shot gun cartridges with rock salt and shooting squirrels & raccoons with Grandpa's shot gun... been there, done that, got the t-shirt"

"You know how to fire a shot gun?" said Mary

"Yep and a 9 mil Baretta hand gun too" said Jessie

"Holy shit" said Louis "remind me to NEVER piss you off"

"Okay" said Jessie "Ya know?.. now that I think about it?.. lets forget I said anything about being able to fire a gun.... I'm meeting Maura & Gran in 2 days and I don't want to scare them the first time I get to meet them"

"Okay poppet" said Ni

"Okay" said Louis "I think we should call it a night and get some sleep, tomorrow's a work day and I have a room to prep & paint"

"I'm taking the week off" said Gem "so if you want some help with Jessie's room Lou, let me know"

"Thanks Gem" said Louis "that would be great... we'll get done faster and her bed is gonna be here Wednesday and we could finish unpacking her boxes"

"Sounds like a plan" said Gem "I have to go to my flat and pack a bag, but I should be back around noon"

"No rush" said Louis "That will give us time to get our plans for the day together"

"I'll go get Dr. Carlisle's contact information Liam" said Anne

"Thanks Anne" said Liam

"Okay Jessie, time for bed" said Ni "Brush your teeth and then come to our room so Momma can braid your hair"

"Okay Papa" said Jessie as she gathered up her album & shoebox and went inside

"Come on Poppet" said Ni "lets go get ready for bed"

"Okay sunshine" said Pamela "Goodnight Dad, Pops" and hugged us both

"Goodnight you two" said Li & I

we finished our goodnights as Anne came back with the doctors information. "Thanks Anne" I said

"You're welcome Zayn" said Anne "I am so truly happy for you and if you need anything, please, let me know"

"I will, promise" I said and kissed her cheek

"Ready ladies?" said Louis

"Ready" said Gem & Anne

"Come on babe" said Li "Lets go to bed"

"I don't know if I can sleep babe" I said "I feel wired"

"Then lets find a movie and snuggle" said Li

"Sounds good" I said as we went to our room "Li, we need to find our own place... with 3 babies coming there's not going to be enough room... its already filled up as it is"

"I know babe... I was thinking the same thing" said Li "we'll start looking tomorrow and see what's out there and if we don't find something we like, then maybe we could build our dream house and find a nice piece of property"

"Plan A & Plan B" I said "its a good start babe... I like it"

We got in bed and got the laptop settled and started a movie.

IN THE MORNING....

When I woke up I felt achy so I took a shower while Li slept. I had just rinsed my hair when a wave of dizziness hit me. I grabbed the towel bar for support till it passed then finished my shower. I toweled off and put my robe on and went to get dressed. I chose a pair of black jeans and a purple long sleeve t-shirt. I was buttoning my jeans when I noticed my belly was slightly distended... my babies. How didn't I notice this?... How did Li not notice? I placed my hand on my belly and felt a flutter like butterflies.

"Morning my babies" I whispered "we'll eat soon, I promise"

"Morning babe... How are you feeling?" said Li

"Morning babe... A little dizzy, but I'm fine... and starving" I said

"Okay let me get a quick shower and we'll get you some eggs" said Li

"and bacon... I want bacon too" I said

"Babe, you don't eat bacon" said Li

"Well I am now... I need to start eating things I don't normally eat or our babies wont make it" I said "and... it could be a craving too"

"Okay babe" said Li "Whatever my baby wants, my baby will have" and kissed my lips

"You spiol me babe" I said "more kisses please" and looped my arms around his neck

"Always babe" said Liam and kissed me again & again "now let me take a shower and you finish getting dressed"

"Oh alright" I pouted "hurry up, I'm hungry"

"Alright, I'm going, I'm going" said Li and ran to the bathroom 

I made the bed and cleaned up the things from the bedside table and took them downstairs to the kitchen.

"Morning Grandpa" said Jessie "How are you feeling?"

"Morning princess" I said "I feel great and hungry"

"Oh good" said Jessie "here take this, its a multi-vitamin to help you get your strength back and to help ease any dizziness"

"Thanks princess" I said and took the vitamin "I felt a little dizzy in the shower this morning"

"Your Iron is probably low bc of the babies" said Jessie "you'll get pre-natal vitamins from the doctor today, so when we get them you can take one, okay?"

"Okay princess" I said

"Where's Grandpa Li?" asked Jessie

"He's in the shower" I said "He'll be down shortly... Did you do your workout yet?"

"Yeah, I just finished" said Jessie "I was just feeding Charlie and getting my things together to take a shower... would you like a cup of tea while we wait for Grandpa?"

"Can't I have coffee? I feel fine" I said "please?"

"Alright, but in a teacup tho" said Jessie "Caffeine isn't good for the babies... and only one cup, got it?"

"Yes Dr." I said and poured a teacup of coffee

"And if the Dr. gives you a list of foods to avoid, you better follow it mister" said Jessie

"Yes ma'am" I said "everything to the letter and no exceptions... my babies need me to follow the rules"

"Yes they do, but we're all here to help make this easier on you and get them here happy & healthy... so let us help" said Jessie "That's an order mister" and giggled

"Yes Ma'am!' I said and added a spoon of sugar and some milk to my coffee

"Morning Grandpa Li" said Jessie

"Morning princess" said Li "How was your workout?"

"Good as always" said Jessie Charlie & I ran to the park and back and then I did my workout and had just finished when Grandpa came down"

"What time did you get up?" I said looking at the clock.. it was 9am

"I got up at 6:30" said Jessie "so I did some laundry and then started my workout"

"Wow busy morning" said Li "have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet.. I will after my shower" said Jessie

"Well I'm making breakfast, so go shower and it'll be ready when you're done" said Li "and knock on your Momma's & Izzie's door and let them know it'll be ready in 45 minutes, please"

"Aye, aye Chief" said Jessie and ran upstairs

"She made you have tea?" said Li

"No, she let me have coffee, but in a teacup" I said "I guess a lot of caffeine isn't good for the babies so I get to have 1 teacup unless the doctor says otherwise"

"Ah, I see" said Li "well till the doctor gives us a list, we'll listen to Jessie"

"That's what she said" I said and giggled... Li laughed

"Don't start that again babe" said Li "that's how we got here.... remember?"

"Oh yeah" I said "that was a crazy night... the night Pamela graduated... 6 weeks ago"

"The night I topped" said Li "Who knew"

"The best night ever" I said resting my chin in my hand "We should go out tonight... have dinner and maybe go see a movie or something"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea babe" said Li

Everything was almost ready when everyone came into the kitchen.

"Whoa Dad's cooking?" said Pamela "Ni pinch me, I think I'm dreaming"

"Well if we ware, then we're having the same dream poppet" said Ni

"Oh ha ha, very funny you two" said Li "Zayn was hungry, so I made my husband breakfast bc our babies need sustenance, right babe?"

"Right babe" I said

"Wow.. very domestic Dad" said Pamela "You make a great housewife... now if you had done the laundry then Pops wouldn't have turned my favorite shirt pink"

"Oh God... here we go... one time... one stinking time" I said "and no one lets me forget it"

"Red socks, huh?" said Mary

"Yeah.. HIS RED SOCKS!!" I said loudly "That he just HAD to have for Valentine's Day"

"Babe, you know you love my red socks" said Li "bc you always take them"

"That's bc you ALWAYS take my slippers" I said "and my sweats, and my sweaters, and my beanies, and my hoodies... clothes hog"

"I'd take your jeans too if they weren't so damned tight" said Li and handed me my plate

"Speaking of jeans" I said taking a bite of bacon, I moaned "Oh my God, this tastes good... I need some jeans - I went thru 7 pairs till I finally found a pair that still fit"

"Whoa Pops... you're eating bacon too?" said Pamela "I feel like I'm in an old episode of 'The Twilight Zone' "

"And yes, I'm eating bacon" I said "I'm eating for 4 here, cut me a break peaches"

"Sorry Pops, its just that you NEVER eat bacon" said Pamela "Its a bit of a shock"

"That's okay peaches" I said "it must be a craving bc your Dad said he'd make me eggs and I suddenly wanted bacon.. its so weird"

"I know what you mean" said Mary "When I was pregnant with Liam, I was constantly craving Pistashio Ice cream, watermelon, sweet pickles & Guacamole with salsa"

"Dang Mom" said Pamela "Didn't you get sick?"

"Yes I did... those came after the morning sickness passed" said Mary "I couldn't eat anything hot, so I pretty much lived on cold foods till your Dad was born... same with Louis"

"Babe can you get me some orange juice please" I said "and the grape jelly too"

"Yep, it a craving" said Mary "Pace yourself Zayn, the day has just started"

"I know, but all I've had to eat is crackers" I said "I feel like I'm making up for lost time"

"Well its good to see you've got your appetite back babe" said Li as I put some eggs on a jelly coated piece of toast.. I moaned as Jessie came in

"Wow, Grandpa, what are you eating?" said Jessie

"Eggs, bacon, toast with grape jelly and orange juice" I said

"Whoa.. someone's hungry" said Jessie "good for you Grandpa... go for the gold, you've earned it"

"Thank you princess" I said "Get some breakfast bc we'll be leaving in a little while"

"Okay" said Jessie "So what's the plan for today?"

"Dr. appointment and some light shopping" said Li "Zayn needs some jeans and we thought we might look at some things for the babies"

Ooo baby shopping" said Jessie "sounds like fun... do you have a basic list?... seeing as its too soon to buy specific items just yet"

"Specific items?" said Ni

"Yeah, you know things like dresses & jeans" said Jessie "We don't know if they're boys, girls, or both... we wont know that till Zayn's around 21 weeks"

"How do you know that?" said Haz

"I looked it up on Google on my phone last night"said Jessie "I Love my phone"

"Oh okay" said Haz "I know they come in handy, huh?"

"Oh yeah" said Jessie "I've only had it since yesterday and I already have 18 lists done... 3 for the wedding, 12 for my room and 3 for the babies.... I'm knocking this stuff out of my head so I don't fudge up tomorrow when Gran's here"

"Wow... what time did you go to bed last night?" asked Haz

"3am and I was up at 6:30" said Jessie "after Liam had his thing last night, the voices wouldn't shut up... they're all in a tizzy up there"

"Why?" asked Li

"You're popular up there" said Jessie "and from what I can tell, they are all excited about the babies, so I didn't mind being kept up, but I finally got them to settle down long enough to sleep a little"

"I... well, okay" said Li "What all were they saying?"

"How they've been waiting for this day since Momma was born... how its about time you took your foot off the brake... even your Grandma was excited and said that you & Zayn make an adorable couple" said Jessie "Oh, Izzie, your Momma said to tell you 'quit dragging your feet and make an honest man of Haz'... whatever that means"

"Oh god" said Mary "next time you talk to her, tell her 'all in due time Momma'... she'll know what I mean"

"Okay" said Jessie "Oh... Papa, I almost forgot... Gramps said to tell you that Gran's bringing something important for you & Momma and to tell her 'her chores aren't done yet - Love, Me'... do you know what that means?"

"Yes poppet, I do" said Ni "Its from a song they heard after I was born"

"What's the song called?" asked Jessie

"Its called 'Love, Me' by Collin Raye" said Ni "its a beautiful song, but sad also"

"oh okay" said Jessie "now it makes sense... I thought I heard him wrong at first"

"When did he tell you this?" asked Ni

"This morning as Charlie & I were getting ready for our run to the park & back" said Jessie "and yes, I left a note by the coffee pot, as requested"

"Thank you poppet" said Ni "Did you have a good run?"

"Yeah, me & the angel squad had a good run" said Jessie "they get pushy if you don't let them tag along, so I don't argue... they're an intimidating bunch... While we're out today, can we stop off at a book store?"

"Sure princess" I said "Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"

"No, just some magazines, a world atlas and a color-yourself calendar... to give me something to do if I'm up late again" said Jessie

"Okay princess" I said

"Why do you need a world atlas?" asked Haz

"bc I'm geographically challenged" said Jessie "and bc I want to see where places are on a map so I can help Momma & Papa plan their honeymoon next year"

"Ah okay, that makes sense" said Haz

"Yeah, I usually do... make sense, that is" said Jessie

"Ha, ha funny peanut" said Haz

"Yep, that's me... a walking, talking laugh track" said Jessie grinning "I'm gonna go get my purse and then I'll be right down.... Momma, Izzie, can I talk to yo for a sec... upstairs?"

"Sure" said Pamela & Mary and headed upstairs.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

JESSIE'S POV

We headed upstairs to my room and shut the door.

"Okay, now you can't tell Papa & Haz" I said "Gemma REALLY likes Uncle Lou... keep an eye on them while I'm gone... Don't say or do anything, just watch them and let me know when I get home, okay?"

"Does Louis know?" asked Izzie

"Nope, he's totally clueless" I said "but I know what Gem's planning and if all goes well, they'll be living together by mid-August"

"Wow Okay" said Momma "so observe & report only, right?"

"Right" I said "also I need your permission to buy a few things for Grandpa & the babies"

"Like what?" asked Momma

"I was thing a couple of rocking chairs and a bookshelf with baskets to keep the baby things organized" I said "Is that okay Momma?"

"I think that's a great idea baby" said Momma "You have them delivered and we'll get them out of the house for that day so it'll be a surprise, okay?"

"Okay Momma" I said "and don't tell Haz or Anne... they can't keep a secret.. ask Papa"

"Okay baby" said Momma, giggling

"Now, I know how much a bookshelf & baskets cost, but how much is a rocking chair?" I said

"A rocking chair can go for a couple hundred dollars" said Izzie

"Okay" I said "go on downstairs, I'll be right down... Thanks Momma, Izzie"

"Any time sweetie" said Izzie

"You're welcome baby" said Momma and the went downstairs

I put on my shoes, grabbed my purse, extra cash, my phone, passport, & Ipod and went downstairs.

"Okay, I'm ready Grandpa" I said "lets go see your babies"

"Okay princess" said Li "we'll be back in a few hours"

"Good luck guys" said Haz "don't forget peanut... photographic proof"

"Yeah Haz, I know, I was there remember?" I said rolling my eyes "Catch ya on the flip side Hazzabear… Bye Momma, Bye Papa, I Love You" and gave them both a kiss & a hug

"We Love you too baby, have fun" said Momma

"Call if you need us poppet" said Papa

"I will Papa... thanks Momma" I said as we headed for the car

We drove to the doctor's office and signed in. Zayn & Liam filled out paperwork for Zayn's patient file while we waited to see the Dr.

"Zayn Williams?" called the nurse

"Yes Ma'am" said Zayn

"Follow me please.. we need to get your weight so we can track it with the baby's growth.. stand on the scales please" said the nurse

Zayn stood on the scale, watching the numbers go up and down till the scale beeped.

"125... its a little low for your age & height, but you're healthy and that's what matters" said the nurse "we're going to check your iron & sugar levels and then you'll see the doctor"

"Okay" said Zayn

"Are you left handed or right handed?" she asked

"Right handed.. why?" asked Zayn

I prefer to use the patient's non-dominant hand for finger sticks.. that way if you need to sign something you don't have to deal with a sore finger" said the nurse

"Oh okay, that makes sense... thank you" said Zayn

"You're welcome" said the nurse and proceeded with the blood draw "now lets get you in an exam room and the Dr. will be in when we have your blood results"

"Thank you" said Zayn as we sat and waited

"Not much longer Grandpa" I said

"Do you think we'll be able to hear the heartbeats?" asked Zayn

"Ask her.. and if we can, I'll record it, okay?" I said

"Oh okay... this is so cool" said Zayn

"I know, right?" I said "Grandpa Li?.. Are you okay?.. You haven't said much"

"What?.. oh, sorry princess" said Liam "I was just thinking about the first time I was in a room like this.... your Momma's Mom & I were 16, and I was so scared and here I am 20 years later with the love of my life, and I'm still scared"

"I know babe, I'm scared too" said Zayn "but I've wanted this since we got married.. you're an amazing Dad babe"

"Hey, you are too" said Liam "your job is a lot harder than mine babe, but we're in this together, forever"

The door opened and a beautiful lady with jet black hair came in carrying Zayn's patient file.

"Hello Zayn, I'm Dr. Carlisle... How are you today?" said the doctor

"I'm good, thank you" said Zayn "This is my husband Liam, and our soon-to-be grand-daughter, Jessie"

"Liam, Jessie, its nice to meet you" said Dr. Carlisle "You said that you were referred by a family friend?"

"Yes ma'am... Anne Styles" said Zayn "She said you're the best... you delivered her children Gemma & Harry"

"I remember Anne, she was one of my first patients when I started here.. How is she?" asked Dr. Carlisle

"She's fine... Her daughter Gemma is a lawyer and Harry graduates from high school next June" said Zayn

"Oh how wonderful" said Dr. Carlisle "now lets talk about you... your iron is low and your sugar level is very good... have you felt any dizziness or loss of balance?"

"Yeah, I felt dizzy this morning but I just thought it was bc I hadn't eaten yet" said Zayn "I took a multi-vitamin and had breakfast and it never came back"

"Okay good" said Dr. Carlisle "rough guess about how far along you think you are?"

"We figured about 6 weeks, give or take" said Liam

"Okay, lets do an ultrasound and take a peek" said the doctor "Hop up on the table, lift your shirt & unbutton your jeans"

She squirted some gel on Zayn's stomach and used a wand to look for the babies.

"Ah, um, well you're correct, you are 6 weeks along, and... you have 3 babies.. see there? They look like a tiny cluster of grapes" said Dr. Carlisle

"Oh gosh, babe... our babies, there they are" said Zayn "can we hear the heartbeats? or is it too soon?"

"Sure you can... lets snap a few pictures for their baby books" said Dr. Carlisle

"Just a sec, I want to record this, if its alright" I said

"Of course Jessie" said Dr. Carlisle "go ahead, let me know when you're ready"

I took out my phone and hit the audio recorder "Okay, ready" I said

The sound was like an echo of a really fast heartbeat... It was amazing - Liam & Zayn had tears running down their cheeks.

"Listen to that Grandpa, they're strong and healthy babies" I said "Thank you ma'am" and turned off the recorder

"You're welcome Jessie" said Dr. Carlisle "You're due date is around the end of March.. with multiple babies, we like to get you as close to 40 weeks as possible... I'll be sending you home with pre-natal vitamins to boost your iron and to help the babies absorb nutrients. I want you to take 1 a day during your pregnancy. Liam, with Zayn's hormones out of whack, help him remember to take them, preferably with breakfast... I'm going to give you a list of things to avoid for the first 3 months, for the health of the babies and make an appointment for September at the 2 month mark... try and avoid stress as much as possible.. and Zayn, you know your body, if something doesn't feel right, I want you in here immediately or go to the A&E and tell them to call me... Understood?.. Don't ignore it"

"Yes Ma'am" said Zayn

"You're on the biggest journey of your life Zayn and I'm your Coach, you can call me day or night if you have any questions or concerns, okay?" said Dr. Carlisle

"Okay, thank you so much.. for everything" said Zayn

"You're welcome Zayn... now go have a great day... don't over do it, and I'll see you in 2 months" said Dr. Carlisle

"You too Dr." said Liam

We left the exam room and went to the receptionist desk to make Zayn's 2 months appointment and received his viamins, pictures, and the food list & restrictions, then we headed off to the car.

"Holy cow!.. that was amazing" I said "Truly amazing"

"It was, wasn't it?" said Zayn

"Okay... group hug" I said as we hugged "Where to first?.. Baby shopping or clothes shopping?"

"Clothes shopping" said Liam

"Then lets go" I said as we got in the car

We found the clothing store right next to a Barnes & Noble.

You go look at clothes, I'm gonna go get my things at the bookstore and I'll meet you there... 5 minutes tops, okay?" I said

"Okay princess, please be safe" said Liam & Zayn

"I will" I said as we parted ways

I went into the bookstore and bought 5 leather bound journals, the world atlas, magazines, 2 books of designs & stuff to color along with colored pencils & markers, a book of baby names, a book on what to expect when you're expecting, and a book on how to raise multiple babies and what to look for. I paid for my things and went to the clothing store to find Liam & Zayn.

"There you are... how is it going?" I said

"Terrible... I can't find anything that's comfortable" said Zayn

"Oh gosh.. well you need to think like a pregnant woman, Grandpa" I said "Come on, lets go look in the maternity section... I know its women's clothing, but they're made to fit a growing belly... you want to go look? may be we can find something gender neutral that you may like" 

"Yeah that sounds good" said Zayn "I'm glad you're with us... I thought for sure I was gonna start crying"

"Well don't do that cuz then I'll start crying" I said

"Okay princess.. I'll try" said Zayn

We found the maternity section and Zayn relaxed as we looked at the jeans.

"Why are the jeans in months?" asked Liam "3 months, 6 months, and 9 months?"

"Because they go according to how far along you are, that way they fit right during pregnancy" I said

"Ah okay" said Liam "so what size should we get?"

"Well he's carrying 3 babies so lets go with 9 months" I said "get 6 pairs - 3 black denim and 3 blue denim... a few pairs of elastic waist stretch leggings/// a few pairs of sweats with a draw string... a couple pairs of fuzzy pajama pants & shorts... some tops & t-shirts and a fuzzy-fluffy robe"

"Wow okay" said Liam

"Zayn pick out the colors you like and you can try some of these on to see what looks good on you" I said "and so we get the right fit"

"Okay princess" said Zayn

"And don't get just dark colors Grandpa, branch out and try some lighter colors... bright colors are happy colors and this is a happy time... so have fun" I said

Zayn chuckled "Okay princess"

"Liam, go find some fuzzy socks & fuzzy slippers" I said "NO RED SOCKS!!"

"Yes Ma'am" said Liam

"Zayn what color robe do you want?" I said "pink with flowers... blue with birds... yellow with rubber duckies... mint green with frogs.... purple with bunnies or peach with polka dots?"

"The yellow one please" said Zayn

"Yellow it is" I said "Are you ready to try some on?"

"Yeah, I just wish I could see what they'll look like with my belly a little bigger" said Zayn

"They have baby bumps you can use to get an idea... you want one?" I said

"Yeah, the 9 month one" said Zayn

I grabbed the baby bump as we headed to the changing rooms.

"Okay put this on, it ties in the back, then put your clothes on over it and come on out when you're ready" I said

"Okay" said Zayn 

I sat down while Zayn got changed. Liam came back with the socks & slippers - yellow ones (Damn he's good).

"Has he come out yet?" asked Liam

"No, he just went in" I said "everything alright Zayn?"

There was no answer.

"Zayn, babe, you alright?" said Liam

"I'm fine" said Zayn "I'm just having a moment"

"Oh Grandpa, come on out" I said softly "Its alright"

Zayn came out with the bump on under his shirt.

"Wow.. looking good" I said "really.. you're rocking the Mom look"

"you think so?" asked Zayn "I feel like a blimp"

"Yes I mean it, you're gorgeous and blue is definitely your color" I said "It makes you look really tan and makes your eyes sparkle"

"She's right babe, you're beautiful... absolutely beautiful" said Liam and kissed Zayn gently "My beautiful baby, I Love You so much"

"I Love You too Li, so much" whispered Zayn and wiped his eyes "Okay.. lets go get some lunch before we baby shop... I'm starving and I don't need to try anything else on"

"Okay, get changed and we'll go" said Liam "You want Italian, burgers or Chinese?"

Ooo burgers with fries & onion rings" said Zayn

"Alright babe... McDonald's it is then" chuckled Liam "Go get changed"

"Okay" said Zayn and went back in the changing room

"Wow talk about cravings and mood swings" I said "He's all over the map"

"Yeah I know" said Liam "He needs a project to help keep him calm and lots of positive thinking"

"Don't worry Grandpa, I've already got a few projects for him to do" I said

"Thanks princess" said Liam

"You're welcome Grandpa" I said "I also have some things we can do to help him relax if he gets stressed out or can't sleep, so you can relax and take care of him and yourself"

Zayn came out of the changing room with his clothes and we headed to the check out counter. Once everything was rung up and paid for, we went to McDonald's for lunch. Zayn got us a table while Liam & I placed our order and then went to our table.

"We got you barbeque sauce for your fries & rings and a strawberry milkshake" I said "and I grabbed one of you vitamins so you don't get dizzy again... you can start taking them tomorrow at breakfast, okay?"

"Oh thanks princess" said Zayn and took his vitamin

We ate lunch and made a short list of 'baby basics' and what furniture they wanted to have in the nursery (No, they don't know about the nursery yet.. its keeping Zayn calm so let him have some fun). When we were done, we headed to the baby furniture store.

"Oh babe look at this crib... its perfect for the babies and we'll only need one" said Zayn

"Babe, its round.. how do we get the babies in and out of it, the rail doesn't move" said Liam

"There's a door Grandpa, see" I said and opened it

"Oh okay" said Liam "Man.. crib styles have sure changed since Pamela was a baby"

"Well we don't have a nursery babe" said Zayn "If we get this one we'll have room in our room for a changing table, dresser and a rocker"

"Okay babe, we'll get this one then" said Liam "what color do you want for the crib sheets and blankets?"

"Lets go with the pale yellow... we can get a different color once we know their genders" said Zayn

"Okay babe" said Liam (I grabbed the furniture tag)

"Hey Zayn come check out these gliding rocker" I said "Oh my God, they're soo comfy" as Zayn came over and sat down

"Oh wow" said Zayne "Babe come try this, its pure Heaven" as Liam sat in one

"Oh these are great" said Liam "Which style do you want?"

"I like this one... it comes with yellow cushions" said Zayn (I grabbed 2 tags)

As we walked around, I grabbed tags for play yard, a dresser, a wardrobe closet, 3 baby swings, a 3 seat stroller, 3 baby carriers, 3 baby bathtubs, 3 baby swings, and 2 changing tables along with the crib & rocker tags.. then I grabbed baskets & a baby monitor with a web cam while they worked on their 'baby basics' list.

"Y'all keep working on your list, I'll be right back" I said "I need to find a bathroom"

"Okay princess" said Liam

I made my way to the register and spoke to the clerk.

"I need you help" I said "You see that couple over there? I need to pay for their baby furniture and have it delivered and set up.... but when they come up here, I need you to tell them the items they want are on back order"

"Okay... when & where do you want them delivered?" asked the clerk

"Next Monday... 4132 Apple Grove Lane, Holmes Chapel please" I said and handed over the tags to be rung up

"That's $15,000 miss" said the clerk "delivery & set up included"

I handed over the money and was given the invoice.

"Thank you so much" I said and gave the clerk $100 dollars "This for you for helping me and for playing along"

"You're welcome & thanks, glad I could help" said the clerk

I headed back over to Liam & Zayn "All set?" I said

"Yeah we got everything on the list for now" said Zayn

"Oh good" I said "I've got the furniture tags so we can check out if you're ready"

"Okay princess" said Liam "we'll for the furniture separately so we can schedule the delivery"

"Okay, sounds good" I said playing along

We got to the check out and paid for the items, then gave the clerk the furniture tags.

"I'm sorry these items are on back order" said the clerk "Would you like to give me your contact information and I can call when they come in?"

"That would be great" said Liam "about how long till you get them in?"

"A few weeks sir" said the clerk (Oh she's good)

"Okay, sounds good" said Liam as he wrote the information on a blank invoice "The sooner, the better"

"Yes sir.. as soon as they come in, I'll call you" said the clerk "You have a great day sirs"

"You too Ma'am" said Liam & Zayn

"Those items must be popular" I said

"Yeah, guess so" said Zayn "I feel better tho, we got a lot done"

I agree... now we can relax a little" said Liam "Lets go home so Louis can schedule his tattoo" and chuckled

"Oh he's gonna be so bummed he lost the bet" said Zayn

""Yeah, but Ni will be happy its not Jessie who's getting the tattoo" said Liam


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

As we pulled into the driveway, I grabbed Zayn's bag from the doctor and my bags.

"Come on Zayn, lets go inside so you can sit down" I said "I'll send Momma out to help Grandpa"

"Okay princess" said Liam "Go with Jessie babe"

"Okay babe" said Zayn as we went inside

"We're home Momma, Izzie" I said "Grandpa needs needs help bringing it all in... Grandpa Zayn isn't allowed to help, Dr.'s orders and he needs to rest"

"Okay baby" saod Momma

"Off to the couch Zayn" said Izzie "The paint fumes are too strong upstairs"

"Okay Mom" said Zayn and laid down.. he was asleep the minute he laid down so I covered his arms with my throw blanket

As they came in I met them at the door "Shh.. he's sleeping" I whispered "Lets put the baby stuff in the study and Grandpa can take Zayn's clothes up to their room"

"Okay baby" whispered Momma

"Okay princess" whispered Liam

Momma, Izzie & I went to the study.

"Okay everything is being delivered next Monday" I said "Izzie, your job is to find them an SUV or Minivan for the 3 3 baby carrier/car seats... Zayn's next appointment is in 2 months, just before the wedding"

"Okay Jessie" said Izzie

"We'll wait till Zayn wakes up to tell everyone about today's appointment" I said "It was amazing"

"Okay baby... I can't wait to hear about it" said Momma

"So why is Louis freaking out?" I asked

"Gemma pulled out the big guns" said Momma "she showed up wearing skin tight jeans with holes in the knees & a tank top that showed her belly, and her hair in ponytails"

"NO WAY!!" I said quietly "What was Louis reaction?"

"HE was like 'Holy shit, she's gorgeous' " said Momma "it was priceless"

"Yes!! You go Gemma" I whispered "Thanks Momma, I'll monitor them for now"

You're welcome baby" said Momma "I'm glad I could help"

"Did you tell Papa my plan?" I said "and about the baby thing?"

"Yeah, he wont tell" said Momma "How much was it?"

"Too damned much" I said "but it'll be worth it... the llok on their faces will be priceless... I was thinking we could turn the formal dining room into a nursery - we don't use it and Louis can put a set of double doors on it... can we Izzie? If we don't, they'll move out"

"Of course" said Izzie "What color has he bought?"

"Pale yellow" I said "like Momma's dress"

"Perfect" said Izzie "We'll have Louis get the paint, door & curtains on Wednesday and we'll hang a sheet to keep them out so it'll be ready by Monday"

"Yes!! We make a great team" I said "make sure they're lace curtains Izzie"

"Okay lets go before Liam comes in" said Izzie

"Okay" I said

We went into the Livingroom just as Haz & Papa came thru the door from work.

"Shh" I whispered and pointed to the couch where Liam & Zayn were sleeping "Don't wake them... lets go out to the patio" everyone nodded "Psst… Charlie.. lets go outside boy" I whispered

"How was the appointment?" asked Papa

"Oh Papa, it was amazing" I said "we'll tell you about it when they wake up... its been an emotional day"

"I'll bet... How did the shopping go?" said Haz

"Good... Zayn had a moment trying on maternity clothes" I said "but he pulled it together... we have to keep in a positive mood and no stress, Dr.'s orders.... his mood swings & cravings are going to be a problem bc he is all over the place - it was scarry"

"Oh crap... okay peanut" said Haz "He needs a project to work on"

I have a project... I'll fill y'all in when they wake up" I said

"Okay poppet... Have you seen your room yet?" asked Papa

"No, Louis & Gem are still working on it" I said "they're almost done... I've been listening"

"Ah okay" said Papa "you do know that's rude, right?"

"I know Papa, but I'd rather be rude then fo up there and be killed for scaring the crap out of them" I said

"Good point... continue" said Papa

"Everything is right on track" I said "Gran comes tomorrow, my bed arrives on Wednesday, Louis has a new project on Thursday, we have our wedding thing on Friday, which leaves the weekend to tie up loose ends... its a banner week"

"Wow, I guess so" said Momma

"Liam & Zayn are awake.. lets go inside" I said and went inside "Hey there sleepyheads... did you have a good nap?"

"Oh my God, the best" said Zayn "I didn't realize I was so tired"

"Well, I have somethings I picked up at the book store for both of you and Zayn, I have a special project just for you and its for relaxation" I said

"Oh okay" said Zayn

"I know this new for you Zayn, and if you have questions, that Anne & Mary are here to ask, but I think you should have these" I said and handed him the books

"Oh, thank you Jessie" said Zayn

"I also got you a book of baby names" I said "I know its early and we don't know yet, but sometimes its fun just to play around with names"

"Oh cool" said Liam "we can look up our names too babe"

"Now this last thing is your project" I said and took out 4 of the journals "you each get 2 journals.... 1 Journal will be used as a pregnancy journal - anything you want to ask Dr. Carlisle, from the first baby kick to what you did on your date night - from your point of view.... the other journal is yours - personal thoughts, stories, songs, poems, drawings, whatever you want to put in them... no pressure, no stress, just if you feel like writing somethings down, you have it"

"Oh, Jessie... thank you, this..." said Zayn and started crying "is perfect"

I gave Zayn a hug "Shh.. you're welcome" I said softly "now just breathe, you need to stop crying bc then I'll start crying, then Momma, Izzie, Haz & Papa will start crying and we'll all be a hormonal hot mess"

Zayn started laughing and wiped his eyes "Okay princess"

"Now.. Who's hungry?" I said knowing the answer

"Ooo yes.... me, me, me, & me" said Zayn, making us all laugh

"Okay, what do you feel like Pops?" said Momma

"Mom's meatloaf with baked potatoes & corn" said Zayn "please Mom?"

"Alright Zayn" said Izzie "one meatloaf with the trimmings, coming up"

"Yes!!" said Zayn "Thanks Mom... you're the best"

"Come on Pamela, you can scrub the potatoes" said Izzie

"Hey Momma!" I said

"Yes baby?" said Momma

I pointed upstairs "The Eagle has landed" I said

"Its about time" said Momma & Izzie together "Who made the first move?" asked Momma

"Who do you think?" I said

"Go Gemma" said Momma and started dancing

"What are you talking about?" said Haz "What about Gem?"

I sing songed:

Louis & Gemma, sitting in a tree  
K-I-S-S-I-N-G  
First comes Love, then comes marriage,   
Then comes Louis with a baby carriage.

"Oh... its about time" said Haz

"Wait... you knew?" I said "When?"

"Last night... when Gem said she was taking the week off" said Haz "she NEVER takes a week off... NEVER"

"Wow Haz… good job" said Papa "You finally learned how to keep a secret"

"I had to" said Haz "She gave me 'the look' and you know she'd have drowned me in the toilet... you know she would"

"Yeah mate, I know" said Papa "Jessie's been putting ideas in her head"

"I have not" I said "she has her own ideas for revenge trust me I know.... OH HELL NO!!… LOUIS WILLIAM TOMLINSON-WILLIAMS!! GEMMA ELIZABETH STYLES!! NOT.. IN.. MY... ROOM!!… Momma where's the air horn?"

"Right here baby... catch" said Momma and tossed it to me "cover your ears!!"

I ran upstairs and pulled the trigger.

"IF MY ROOM IS DONE, THEN GO MAKE OUT AND HAVE SEX IN YOUR ROOM GEMMA" I yelled

"Bloody Hell munchkin... are you trying to kill us?" said Gem "Louis fell off the ladder"

"That doesn't involve making out on my floor Gem" I said

"Just come help me get him off the floor" said Gem "Come on Jessie"

"Fine... but thid idn-" I walked into my room "oh gosh!!!"

"SURPRISE!!" yelled Louis & Gen

My room was beautiful.

"Oh my God" I whispered "Oh my God" I was stunned... it was all decked out "My bed... How?"

"The store called, they had a cancellation amd said they could deliver it today" said Louis "so they did and set it up for us.... What do you think?"

"I think you're a miracle worker... both of you" I said and gave them a group hug "oh my god... thank you so much, its absolutely beautiful"

"You're welcome munchkin" said Louis & Gem together

I ran to the stairs "OH MY GOD!! Y'ALL NEED TO COME SEE MY ROOM! OH MY GOD!!" I said crying "ITS GORGEOUS!"

Everyone came upstairs as I ran back to my room and crumpled to the floor crying.

"Wow its gorgeous Gem, Louis" said Haz "excellent job"

"Oh poppet" said Papa "Shh its okay"

"Oh Jessie" said Momma "its just how you wanted it baby"

"Now Jessie, there's a surprise in here but you have to look for it" said Gem "something you didn't have here before..."

I looked around but I didn't see anything new, but I kept looking.... the dresser - nope... the desk - nope... the bookshelf - I gasped

"How?" I said and picked up a photo frame of me, my Momma, Grandma & Grandpa "How did you get this?"

"Mr. Burke sent it priority shipping" said Louis "Rothsdale gave him the address... he's been holding onto that for you since you moved.... and there's another surprise in here... keep looking munchkin"

I kept looking at the bookshelf - nope, nothing else here... and then I saw it on the bedside table - another picture frame of me, Momma & Papa sleeping.

"When was this taken? I don't remember it" I said

"I took it the other morning" said Haz "when you had that riugh night and we all slept in the Livingroom"

"Oh Haz.. thank you.. its beautiful" I said as I set Momma's frame next to it

"You're welcome peanut" said Haz

"Okay, I need to talk to Gem & Louis for a minute please" I said

"Sure peanut, we'll see you downstairs" said Haz

"Okay Hazzabear" I said as everyone left, except Louis & Gem "Well played... you got me good, but seriously, y'all like each other and I know how y'all feel about each other, so why are you playin hard to get?"

"We're not munchkin, its just awkward bc Louis is living at Mum's" said Gem "we're taking it slow, that's all"

"Honey a snail moves faster than you two" I said "news flash Gemma.. we ALL know you got the hots for each other... $10 bucks says Anne knows too"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis "What's the real reason you want to talk to us?... I can hear the gears spinning in your head"

"Momma, Izzie & I have a special project for you two" I said "Izzie wants to turn the formal dining room into a nursery for Liam & Zayn"

"Wow okay, what color?" asked Louis

"Pale yellow" I said "The furniture is being delivered next Monday and a set of double doors needs to be installed before then... white lace curtains on the windows... can you do it?"

"Yeah" said Gem "Maura & Gran wont show up till 5, so we can go get the paint & stuff tomorrow, measure the opening for the door... we'll snag Haz's truck and he & Ni can use my car tomorrow... no problem"

"Have you ever installed a door?" asked Louis

"Yes, I remodeled my entire flat" said Gem "new windows, doors, kitchen, bathroom, floors & fireplace and rewired it"

"Marry me" said Louis

"Oh here we go again" I said "I'm telling Papa you're stealing his moves Louis"

"Wait, How do you know that?" said Louis

"I told you... I know EVERYTHING in this house" I said "None of you are quiet.. y'all may not be verbal a whole lot, but your thoughts run a mile a minute... and I know something that NONE of you knows about and I'm not telling... yet"

"Okay munchkin" said Gem "keep your secret till its time to tell us, now lets go downstairs, I'm hungry and something smells wonderful"

"Moms meatloaf, baked potatoes & corn... Zayn's favorite" said Louis "which means Zayn has a surprise for us"

"You're good Lou... spot on" I said "I'll get you the money for the renovation tomorrow morning"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis "lets go see the surprise"

"Gem, call Anne she needs to be here for the surprise" I said

"Okay munchkin" said Gem and pulled out her phone "Hey Mum, you need to come over to Mary's... Zayn & Liam have a surprise... okay, see you soon, bye"

We went downstairs and were gatherd in the Livingroom when Anne came in.

"Okay, I'm here... Gem said Liam & Zayn had a surprise to share" said Anne

"We got pictures of the babies and we got to hear their heartbeats... Jessie, go ahead" said Zayn

I pulled out my phone and hit play on the audio file.. The sound of heartbeats came thru loud & clear.

"Jessie?" said Liam "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Grandpa.. I'm just listening" I said as the file played. When it stopped, I put my phone in my purse and sat down, closing my eyes and listened.

Charlie came over to me and growled at nothing, but I knew why... He was here and he was pissed that I'm alive and he isn't. 'Help me! God, Help me!' I thought... I shuddered violently.

"God, protect this house and all in it from the evil trying to get in" I said and crossed myself as Charlie continued growling 'Momma, make him stop.. don't let him hurt us' I thought.

I opened my eyes, stood up and went to the backyard.. this was it.. I wasn't going to let him hurt my family again, not this time.

"I know what you did Daddy.. I survived you, despite your best efforts to kill me" I said "SO YOU CAN FUCK OFF AND GO TO HELL!!"

"I may have killed your family, but YOU'RE MINE!!" yelled Daddy "I'm taking you with me you little bitch, and your precious family too"

"Over my dead body David" said Mom "We will stop you this time and you have no right over Jessie... you never did... she's not your daughter, she's HIS and you know it"

"Get away from MY daughter - Jessica Renee Horan" said Momma

"Heavenly Father bless us with the strength of your love and the grace to that love in return.. In the name of the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit.. AMEN"

"AMEN" said my family in unison as I wlked up to Daddy

"You think you can come here and take me against my will?" I said "Then do it you chicken shit bastard... DO IT!! YOU TRY AND TAKE ME WITH YOU AND I'LL SPEND ETERNITY KILLING YOU OVER & OVER AND YOU KNOW I'LL DO IT TOO - DARE ME DADDY!! CALL MY BLUFF AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU"

"David, that's enough, I'll take it from here" said a voice

"Yes sir" said Daddy

I felt Daddy's anger fade and then he was gone.

"Hello Jessica" said the man "We meet again... its been a long time"

"Hello Lucifer" I said "Yes it has been a very long time"

"How's life been?" asked Lucifer

"Like you don't know" I said "You need to keep a leash on your lapdog"

"He's a newbie.. you know how hard they are to train" said Lucifer

"Yeah well, that's your problem, not mine... not any more" I said "Mary take everyone in the house please.. everything is fine.. I'll explain it all shortly"

"Okay Jessie" said Mary "Come on.. lets go inside"

"You go ahead Mary, Pamela & I are staying" said Papa

"Alright Ni" said Mary

"You do look good tho Jess" said Lucifer "I heard your brother is going to be a Dad again, Congrats"

"Gee thanks Luce" I said "Forgive my lack of enthusiasm that you know... nothing gets past you"

"You did... didn't you?" said Lucifer

"I was given a second chance... just like Liam" I said "its not my fault your goon squad keeps botching up mine"

"You kept landing in the wrong time & place Jess" said Lucifer "see, you may be HIS, but your second chance falls under my jurisdiction and I am to make sure you're at the right place, in the right time for that to happen"

"Why didn't you just say that!" I said "I died 17 times Luce, you could have told me"

"Sorry Jess... that's one thing I can't do" said Lucifer "I can't alter your path once its been written... I can only make sure you get there - one way or the other"

"So am I where I should be now?" I asked "or am I going to die again?"

"Yes, you're in the right place now" said Lucifer "You havde to teach those babies everything you have learned since your time among humans and you're going to do amazing things Jess, truly amazing things"

"Oh thank God" I said and relaxed "Would you like to meet my parents?"

"Yes please" said Lucifer

"Okay, come on" I said as we walked over to Momma & Papa "Lucifer, this is Niall & Pamela... Momma, Papa, this is Lucifer... my Uncle"


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Its nice to meet you" said Lucifer and shook their hands "I've never met any of Jess's parents before"

"Your Uncle?" said Momma "Um, okay... nice to meet you as well"

"I know... no one ever gets to see my good side" said Lucifer "its fine Pamela, I'm used to it... Jess will explain it all in due time"

"What's going to happen to David?" asked Papa

"He'll face his judgement soon... I'm sorry about him scaring your family like that, but since Jess's accident, her GPS - her aura - hasn't been working correctly and it was hard to find her, so, unfortunately, I had to use David to find her... If I had been able to track her on my own, this would've gone much easier"

"Can you fix my aura?" I asked

"No Jess" said Lucifer "aura's are attached to the soul... a soul can be taken or given to a human, but once the aura has been damaged, only the human can fix it... with time and loving care"

"So what do I do now?" I asked

"You live the life you were meant to have all along" said Lucifer "I'll see you again Jess... but not for a very, very, very long time"

"Oh gosh" I said "Momma... I get to stay"

"I heard baby" said Momma "Thank you"

"You're welcome Pamela" said Lucifer "and don't worry about Jess's paranoia, the 'goon squad' wont be coming after her ever again... I promise"

"Thank you" said Papa

"You're welcome Niall" said Lucifer "I have to go now, have an incredible life Jess"

"Catch ya on the flip side Luce" I said "and thanks again.. for everything"

"My pleasure Jess" said Lucifer and disappeared

"Well... I have a lot to explain.. seeing as you know pretty much everything" I said "lets go inside... I owe Zayn an apology"

"Gee You think?" said Momma

"I'm sorry Momma... I didn't know how to tell you" I said "I mean, how do you tell your parents that you're gonna die soon?... But now that I know I get to stay... its no longer necessary"

"Lets go inside... we need to sit down for this poppet" said Papa

"Okay... we'll have dinner and I'll explain.. everything, I swear" I said

"Okay baby" said Momma

We went in the house and into the Livingroom where everyone was sitting.

"I'll explain everything over dinner" I said "But first, Zayn, I'm so sorry for ruining your surprise... I didn't know this was going to happen so soon"

"Come here princess" said Zayn and hugged me "its alright Jessie, you had no control over this, its not your fault... I'm just glad you're okay... that was scarry for a bit"

"Thanks Grandpa" I said

"You're welcome princess" said Zayn "Now lets eat... I'm starving"

"Okay" I said, giggling "Lets get these babies fed already... come on everyone, lets have dinner"

We all set the table and said Grace, as I started explaining things while we ate.

"Now, I know I'm repeating myself, but I need to start at the beginning, in order to explain everything" I said 

"When a soul is created, its given 2 choices.. 1) to stay in Heaven or 2) be human.. At the time I was created, there was another soul that was created as well. Souls have no gender till they become human, so we'll call this other soul my 'brother'... any way, I stayed with my brother and we watched other souls be born, live, die and become angels. My brother wanted to be an angel one day, so he was born and I watched over him till I was born... many times... 18 times actually"

"What?.. Why so many times?" asked Haz

"According to Uncle Lucifer... I'll explain that part later" I said "He said that when a soul becomes human, that they have a path to take and that path has a specific place & a specific time to live in and apparently I kept hitting the wrong place & time, so each time, I was born, I died... over & over & over again... each time I died, I remembered everything from before, which is why I know 9 languages and why I breezed thru elementary and middle school bc I never lived to be 15.. I always died before then... then I was born in 2001 and here we are"

"So where is your brother?" asked Gem

"Well that's a little more complicated" I said "bc the last time I saw him, he was a baby, but Lucifer said he's here... Grandpa Li is my brother, which explains how he was able to talk to John and why he saw the angels that used to visit him when he was little... I couldn't say anything before now bc I wasn't sure till Lucifer confirmed it tonight cuz I read thoughts & memories, not auras.. Liam kept blocking his earlier memories so I didn't know... which now explains why the angels are all excited about the babies bc Liam & I have been reunited and Lucifer said that I was to teach the babies everything I've learned since my first birth"

"When was your first birth?" asked Anne

"1901" I said "but the first 12 times, I died at birth and the last 5 I died in my sleep, between ages 10 & 15 so you could say I have mastered dying... at least they weren't violent deaths"

"So there's an upside to dying" said Louis "good to know"

"Louis, I had no control over how or when I died" I said "Lucifer just kept sending me back... its not like I could say 'Hey, you mind? stick a fork in me, I'm done'.. I had a path that eventually led me here, to this town and to this family... I don't have a crystal ball and I'm not running a con job on y'all"

"We know that baby" said Momma "Its just hard to hear you say it, is all"

"So what's got your knickers in a twist Louis?" I said

"I don't understand why you didn't tell us all this the other day?" said Louis "I mean, Why?"

"Louis, this is my 18th life and in 10 years, I have been scared shitless... 4 years of sexual abuse, 1 car accidents and I had a miscarriage - oh by the way, sometime in the next 5 years, I'm gonna DIE FOR NO GOOD FUCKING REASON!!…. IS THAT HOW YOU WANTED TO BE TOLD?" and walked to the backyard crying

PAMELA'S POV

"Lou... you need to apologize" I said "You could've asked that with a little less anger"

"Louis" said Anne "Jessie was right not to tell us... she's been hurt so many times and gone thru more than a child her age should ever have to endure. She is trying to cope with it in her own way - to avoid hurting those she loves most... put yourself in her place... Would you have told everything? or would you have not said anything to protect the people who love you?"

"Remember what she told us Lou?" said Gem "That she knows something that NO ONE else knows? This is what she was talking about... and we just brushed it off and didn't push hwe to tell us... we have no right to be angry with her.. for any reason"

"When did she say that" I said

"When Lou & I were talking to her in her room" said Gem "I think she knew what was coming tonight... well obviously she knew it was coming, but I think she knew something was off in the house"

"I knew something was wrong when Charlie was protecting her" said MOM "Charlie never growls and she was shaking in her chair... you can't fake that kind of fear"

"So how does Lucifer tie into this?" said Haz "He's the Devil"

"Apparently, title aside, tracking souls who choose to be human, falls under his jurisdiction" said Ni "He's in charge of making sure they end up in the right time & place to line up with the path that's been written for them, but Jessie's path kept getting interrupted, so he kept sending her back to get to the proper timeline... she called him 'Uncle Lucifer'.. I think he really cares about her.  
"I suspect there's something about her & Liam that makes him care more for them than what we humans know about. He said Congratulations on the babie and he was polite... they talked like old friends and the way he looked at her... like she was a ray of sunshine on a rainy day, his face just lit up"

"I think children have a soft spot for him" I said "bc they're innocent and he does for them too, that's why she called him uncle"

"Lucifer also said she was going to do amazing things, and to haved an incredible life" said Ni

"So what's the deal with her Dad?" said Gem "Is he really Lucifer's lapdog?"

"I think that was a joke between him & Jessie" said Ni "When I asked about what was going to happen to David, Jessie grabbed my hand, like she was holding on for dear life... Lucifer said that David would be facing his judgement soon... I guess David will be punished severely for what he's done to Jessie & her family"

"Jessie also asked Lucifer if he could fix her aura, but he said, no" I said "according to him, aura's are attached to the soul... a soul can be given or taken, but only the soul can repair a damaged aura - with time & loving care.. so we need to give Jessie time and love and not push her too much to talk about things like this... okay Lou?"

"Yeah okay" said Louis "Li, can you tell if she's still crying out there?"

Dad closed his eyes in concentration "I don't think so, she's pretty quiet right now" said Dad and opened his eyes

"Okay, I'll go apologize... I hate it when she cries" said Louis "It breaks my heart, especially when I'm the reason" and headed for the backyard

"Louis cares more for her then even he knows" said Anne "He'd walk thru fire for her and not think twice about it"

"I know" said Mom "He feels the same way about Pamela... it almost killed him when she destroyed his room with that baseball bat and then turned on him with it"

"Yeah well if he hadn't dumped that damn ant farm in my bed, I wouldn't have destroyed his room and tried to kill him" I said "He's lucky Dad stepped in and saved his sorry butt"

"How old were you?" asked Ni

"I was 6" I said

"Lou said you were 10" said Haz "cuz John made you two room together till someone apologized"

"I was 8 when Grandpa died" I said "The 'ant' incident happened after I started 2nd grade... I was 6, After that Dad & Pops got me into Little League Baseball"

Lou came in carrying Jessie "She was asleep at the picnic table" whispered Louis "I'll apologize in the morning for upsetting her"

"Okay Louis" I whispered "lay her on the couch..we'll take her up when we go to bed"

"Okay" whispered Louis and laid her down and covered her with the throw blanket "Have you ever noticed that when Jessie gets angry or upset, that her eyes go from light blue to Ni's eye color in a flash?"

"Yeah, I noticed that too" said Haz "You can tell her mood by the color of her eyes"

"She's a unique little girl" said Anne "Life with her will never be boring that's for sure"

"That's true" said Zayn "She's always thinking & listening... not many kids are like her"

"I can't wait for her t meet Gran" said Ni "Their personalities are similar... it'll be fun to watch them"

"Your Gran is a trip Ni" said Haz "You remember that Christmas after you moved here? and laughed "We had her out in the snow making snow angels and having snowball fights for hours... she threw a snowball and hit Ni in the back of the head... she's so cool"

"Yeah, I also remember when she put that snowball down the back of your shirt bc you knocked over the snowman" said Ni "trying not to slip on a patch of ice"

"Yeah.. good times" said Haz "Best Christmas ever"

"Yeah, it was" said Ni "and then we got sick... all 3 of us.... New Years was hilarious... there we were - me, Haz & Gran wrapped up in blankets, coughing & sneezing and laughing like hyenas bc the hot toddies Gran made us had rum in them... rum & cough medicine don't mix"

"Maura & I went to our office New Year party" said Anne "and we came back they were drunk and laughing watching The Santa Clause on DVD"

"Yeah and we slept for 3 days straight too" said Ni "You & Mom would've thought we were dead if it wasn't for us snoring the whole time"

"I don't snore" said Haz

"Yes you do" said NI, Anne, Gem & Mom in unison

"The only time you don't snore is when you sleep on your stomach" said Mom " and that doesn't happen that often bc it hurts your back"

"Haz hurt his back when he was little climbing the ladder on the slide atg school" said Anne "His foot slipped and his foot got stuck when he fell backwards and hit his back on the ladder"

"Ouch.. damn Haz" said Louis

"He had to spend a week in bed on his stomach bc it hurt too much to sit or lay on his back said Anne

"No wonder your back hurts so much Haz" said Ni "You really should let Jessie pop & align it for you.... my back hasn't hurt since she worked her magic on mine"

"Yeah Haz" I said "She worked on my back and I haven't had a headache or migraine since"

"Okay, okay, I'll let her work on my back in the morning" said Haz

"Its about time" said Jessie "I thought I was gonna have to do it when you were sleeping"

"Hey peanut.... how was your nap?" asked Haz

"It was okay... my head hurts a little" said Jessie as she got a pain killer, water & a banana "but i'm fine" and ate her banana

"I'm really sorry for being an ass and upsetting you Jessie" said Louis

"Thanks Lou" said Jessie "I Love You all, but I'm done.... I can't talk about this any more... so please, let it go... I'm going to bed... goodnight everyone"

"Do you want me to braid your hair?" I said

"Not tonight Momma" said Jessie "Come on Charlie, lets go to bed"

"Okay baby" I said "goodnight" as she walked up to her room

"She's pissed" said Dad "Sje's finally hit her breaking point... explaining everything tonight, finally broke her"

"So what do we do?" asked Louis

"We leave her alone Lou" said Dad "let her come to us when she's in a better head space.. other than that, nothing, just leave her alone for a while"

"Okay Li" said Louis

"Ni... does your Gran like spaghetti?" asked Mom

"She loves spaghetti" said Ni

"Good" said Mom "Pamela, we're gonna get the stuff for the sauce and we'll make homemade meatballs and garlic bread for dinner tomorrow... and we'll take Jessie with us and she can get the things for her pizza's"

"Okay Mom' I said "But Jessie can't eat pasta, remember? It gives her acid reflux"

"I know.. we'll stop off at the pharmacy and get her something for it" said Mom

"Okay Mom" I said "Spaghetti sounds great... do you still have Old Joe?"

"Yeah, he's in the back corner of the food pantry" said Mom

"Who's Old Joe?" asked Haz

"Old Joe is Great-Grandpa's bread mixer" I said "He was a baker... we'll pull him out before we head upstairs"

"Sounds good" said Mom

"I can't believe you still have Old Joe" said Dad "and that it still works"

"Oh he still works and once a year Old Joe & I go to the rectory down at the church and bake bread with the Nuns for their holiday baskets and pantry" said Mom

"Is that where you met Ellie?" I said

"Yeah it is" said Mom

"So Pops... What's the first thing you're gonna do after the babies are born?" I asked

"I'm going on a 2 day chocolate bender" said Pops "bc I can't have chocolate for my entire pregnancy - it could raise my blood sugar"

"Ooo we'll have a chocolate party Pops" I said

"Yes!!" said Gemma "and we'll watch movies & make chocolate covered popcorn with peanuts"

"Oh God that sounds like fun... its a date, the weekend after the babies are born we're having a chocolate party" said Pops 

"You got it Pops" I said

"Subject change" said Haz " so Lou... seeing as there are in fact 3 babies, are you prepared to get your teddy bear tattoo yet?"

"Oh God" said Louis "I forgot about that... Thanks Haz"

"No problem mate" said Haz, grinning

"And no, I'm not ready yet" said Louis

"Well when you are, I'll give you the name & address of the tattoo place I go to" said Haz "He's really good... I had 2 done on my break today"

"Of what?" said Anne & Mom

"2 birds... just below my collar bones" said Haz "I'll show them to you in a few days, when they've healed a Little"

"Oh okay" said Mom

"Thanks Haz" said Louis "You got any tattoos Ni?"

"No... I'm not a fan of needles mate" said NI

"Does getting a tattoo hurt?" asked Louis

"Not too much" I said "It depends on where you want it put.... the more muscle, the less it hurts... not a lot of muscle, its gonna hurt more.... arms, legs, chest, back & butt cheek hurt less"

"Good to know" said Louis "Did it hurt when you had yours done?"

"No, I had mine numbed" I said "bc mine were more detailed and it took several weeks to do them... come look" and moved my hair out of the way "The phoenix has 4 different colors - red, dark pink, orange & yellow... the Marine coat of arms has 3 - red, black & yellow... the more detail, the longer it takes"

"Mine are all in black ink... except the birds I just had done... they're blue" said Haz

"What type of birds?" asked Louis

"Swallows in flight" said Haz "They're Mary's favorite bird"

"How do you know that?" asked Gemma

"Mary told me... she talks in her sleep" said Haz

"What else has Mom told you?" I asked

"I'm not telling" said Haz and winked at Mom "A Gentleman never tells"

"Oh God" said Mom and covered her face with her hands "That's it, no more tea... I'm cut off"

"Aw princess, don't do that" said Haz "You love tea, just cut back a little"

"Okay Haz" said Mom "but you tell me if I talk in my sleep again, okay?"

"Maybe... it depends on what you say" said Haz "as to whether I tell you or not"

"Haz, tell me what I said" said Mom, whining 

Haz leaned towards Mom and whispered something in her ear... whatever he was saying had Mom blushing red as a tomato.

"As I said princess... a gentleman never tells" said Haz

"Oh dear God" said Mom "I'm in deep shit"

"Mom!" said Louis & Dad

"Mary!" said Anne & Ni

"We saw that one coming" said Pops & I in unison and gave each other a high-five

"Tell us how you really feel Mom" chuckled Pops

"Oh hush Zayn" said Mom, laughing "Lets clean up here and have some lemonade out on the patio before bed"

"Sounds good Mary" said Anne

"I'll be right back" I said "I want to check on Jessie"

"Okay poppet" said Ni "Hurry back"

"I will sunshine... promise" I said and went upstairs

Jessie's door was open bc of Charlie being in her room, so I just took a peek inside. Jessie was in bed petting Charlie, looking at her phone, and was typing fast... probably working on another checklist. I didn't say anything or went in her room, I just turned around and went back downstairs to help clean up.

"Is she sleeping?" asked Gem

"No, but she's in bed" I said "she's listening to her Ipod and probably working on another checklist"

"Well at least she's trying to relax" said Anne "she'll be fine Pamela, try not to worry too much"

"I'm trying... its not easy" I said

"It never is" said Anne "but she knows where to find you when she's ready"

"Anne's right baby girl" said Dad "she's fine... she's allowing what Lucifer said to sink in"

I sighed "Okay Dad, Anne... thanks" I said "The meatloaf was really good Mom... what did you put in it? It tasted different from what I remember"

"Brown sugar, garlic, onions, bread crumbs, burger, turkey sausage and an egg" said Pops

"How did you know that Zayn?" said Mom

"I could taste it" said Pops "and you smashed it Mom... it was just as I remembered"

"Thank you Zayn" said Mom "I'm glad it was as you remembered... I thought I had added too much brown sugar"

"No Mom, it was perfect" said Pops

We finished cleaning the kitchen, started the dishwasher and took our drinks out to the patio to unwind before bed. It was a beautiful clear night.. I wish Jessie was out here to enjoy it with us, but she needed some space to herself for a while.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

A wile later, Jessie came out.

"Hey peanut.... Couldn't sleep?" said Haz

" I didn't even try" said Jessie "I'm sorry for being mean, swearing and running off like that...y'all didn't deserve that"

"Its alright princess" said Dad "We all have our breaking point, you just finally hit yours, is all... next time you feel like that, just say 'I need some alone time' and then you wont need to apologize, okay?"

"Okay Grandpa... thanks" said Jessie

"You're welcome princess" said Dad "Do you want to join us for a while?"

"Yes please" said Jessie and sat down "Uncle Lou, my room is perfect... You're off the hook - no tattoo"

"Oh thank God" said Louis "Thanks munchkin... I'm glad you like it and I'll never doubt you again"

"Okay, but, yes you will" said Jessie "its in your nature... till you're proven wrong anyway"

"Jessie's got you pegged Lou" said Mom "to the core"

"Yeah, don't I know it" said Louis "can't get anything past her"

"Yeah?.. I was home almost 2 hours and not once was I aware that my bed had been delivered" said Jessie "and then you played your little head game to get me upstairs... conniving buggers... yeah, you too Gemma, but I've got your number chickadee and you ain't pulling that one on me again"

"Chickadee?" said Gem

"Its a bird Gem" said Haz

"Oh" said Gem "Okay"

"Oh I like that" said Louis "my little chickadee"

"Oh no you don't mister" said Gem "or I'm calling you boobear"

"Aw look Momma.... their first lovers spat" said Jessie "ain't they cute?"

"Oh God" I said laughing "careful Gem.. he doesn't like that nickname"

"Yeah, that makes two of us" said Gem "pick another one Lou... okay honeybunnybooboo"

"Honey... bunny... boo boo?" said Louis "seriously?'

"As a heart attack" said Gem "snookums"

"Oh she's good" said Jessie "someone's been looking up 'southern slang' on Google"

"Oh come on Gem... don't do this" said Louis "how about... nope, nevermind…. not gonna go there, its not worth it"

"Think it Lou... I'll tell ya if its worth it" said Jessie

Louis shrugged and looked at Jessie, as if to say 'what do you think?'.

"No Lou, you're right.. its not worth it" said Jessie "No Louis, give it a rest for tonight"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis

"You're not real good at picking nicknames Lou" said Jessie "You call me munchkin, and that's fine, but its not gonna fit when I'm taller than you"

"Then I'll call ya beanpole" said Louis

"You call me that and I'll shove a broomstick up your butt" said Jessie " promise"

"Okay... I wont call you that.. ever, I swear" said Louis

"You can call me Jess, NeeNee, JR - take your pick" said Jessie "Luce calls me Jess, Uncle Simon calls me NeeNee or shutterbug, Grandpa called me JR - cuz I could sell ice water to an Eskimo.. Grandma called me carebear, Momma called me curly top, and well, we know what Daddy called me"

"Okay... I like munchkin for now" said Louis

"What does Mr. Burke call you?" asked Haz

"Doodlebug" said Jessie "He caught me drawing on my bedroom walls with Momma's paints... it stuck"

"How old were you?" asked Haz

"I was 3" said Jessie "Boy did I get in trouble for that one... Momma yelled at me, Daddy yelled at Momma, Grandma yelled at Daddy, Grandpa laughed his ass off, cuz I just sat on the floor and painted my jeans and ignored them all.... there was nothing else to do, I still had the paintbrush, so what the heck... Momma got me cleaned up and eventually, Grandpa re-painted the walls when the other paint was dry"

"What kind of paint was it?" asked Louis

"Acrylic artist paint" said Jessie "I got it from Momma's paint studio"

"Damn" said Louis "You're lucky you didn't get it on you, it doesn't come off with water.. you gotta use mineral spirits to get that paint off ya... that's why I use water-base paint, its less messy and washes up with soap & water and makes cleaning the walls easy bc nothing sticks to it"

"Good to know" said Jessie

"Jessie, Pamela & I are going to the store to get the stuff for spaghetti & meatballs... Do you want to come with us and you can get your stuff for your pizza's?" said Mom

"Sure... what time?" asked Jessie

"Around 10-10:30" said Mom

"Okay, I'll be ready" said Jessie "You do remember that I can't eat pasta, right?"

"Yes sweetie... We're going to stop off at the pharmacy and get you something for your acid reflux so that you can have some" said Mom

"Awesome sauce!!" said Jessie "Whoa, that means I can have pickles & cucumbers and rice & green peppers again... hot digity damn... thankyou, thankyou, thankyou" and started dancing in her chair

"You're welcome sweetie" chuckled Mom

"Ooo I'm goona get the stuff to make deep fried pickles, grilled zucchini, and stuffed peppers" said Jessie "and vegetarian Lasagna, shrimp alfredo, and a cheesy chicken, broccoli & rice casserole.... oh I'm gonna have fun and Momma gets the week off from cooking"

"Oh wow" I said "Are you sure baby?"

"Yep... no cooking for you till Monday.. may be Tuesday" said Jessie "unless I pass out from excitement"

"Okay baby" I chuckled

"Do you have anything planned for dessert Izzie?" asked Jessie

"No.. what's your idea sweetie?" said Mom

"A pumpkin cheesecake" said Jessie "its soo good... oh yeah... you ain't lived till you try it"

"Oh dear God" said Pops "I'm gonna gain 50 pounds this week"

"Yeah and you'll be thanking me with every bite" said Jessie

"Yeah, probably" said Pops

"I'll take your list with us" said Jessie "and if there's a problem, I'll adjust the recipe to fit"

"wow okay" said Pops

"Now I know you had bacon this morning, but do you have any food allergies or certain vegetables that you don't like?" asked Jessie

"Nope, none... thank you for asking" said Pops

"You're welcome... Does anyone else?" said Jessie

"I don't like lima beans, but other than that, I'm good" said Louis

"Okay... Lou - no lima beans" said Jessie as she typed out her shopping list "got it... so everyone is good?"

"I guess so baby" I said

"Okay cool" said Jessie and continued making her list "Do we have nutmeg?"

"Yes" said Mom

"Okay good" said Jessie and was still typing away on her phone "Okay, that looks about it - I don't think I forgot anything.... crap, I forgot the soup, the stuff for a monster nacho and smoothie fruit for Grandpa - there, now its done"

"Wow, that's a massive grocery list poppet" said Ni

"That's what I need for the week Papa" said Jessie "And I'm planning a movie night, so I need the stuff for a monster Nacho for dinner that night.... making each dinner takes a lot of ingredients, yeah, I could go with a lot of canned or jars of sauce, but there's something about making dishes from scratch that makes them just taste better"

"Haz… Anne fell asleep" said Jessie softly

"I see that" whispered Haz "I'm gonna take Mum home princess, I'll be back in a bit"

"Okay Haz" said Mom

"Lou, Gem.. are you heading home or are you staying a bit longer?" whispered Haz

"Yeah, we're heading home" said Gem "Lou & I have another project to shop for tomorrow"

"Then I'll carry Mum" whispered Haz "Can you help her get in bed?"

"Sure bug" said Gem

"Lou.. come here a minute" said Jessie

Lou came over to Jessie and leanded down as whispered in his ear "If I'm not here in the morning, the money will be in the top drawer of my dresser"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis "see you tomorrow"

"See you Lou.. Gem" said Jessie

"What was that all about?" said Ni

"Momma will tell you Papa" said Jessie

"Okay poppet" said Ni

"Dad, Pops, why don't you go to bed... you two look exhausted" I said "you've had a long emotional day"

"Yeah, it has... come on babe" said Dad "lets go snuggle our babies and get some sleep"

"Okay babe" said Pops "Night all"

"Goodnight" we said as they went inside

"Okay, what's going on?" asked Ni

"Mom, Jessie, Gem, Lou, & I are turning the formal dining room into a nursery for Dad & Pops" I said "The furniture is being delivered on Monday, so Louis & Gem have 5 days to paint the room and install a set of double doors. The delivery men will set it all up while Mom & I get Dad & Pops out of the house for the day"

"Ah, okay... good plan" said Ni "I take it Anne & Haz don't know?"

"No they don't, so don't tell them" said Mom & Jessie

"I wont say a word... I promise" said Ni "You three are sneaky"

"it was all Jessie's idea... we just went along with it" said Mom "and it made sense... we don't use it and Liam & Zayn need the extra room for the babies so the extra space is finally getting used for once"

Haz came back "Gem's getting Mum settled in bed" said Haz and sat down

"Oh good" said Mom

"So Haz.. How do you feel about Anne maybe getting remarried - if Robin were to ask her?" said Ni

"I'm okay with it, I guess" said Haz "After Mum & Dad split, she never dated, so now that she's met Robin, I'm actually relieved knowing she wont be alone any more, especially after I got to University.... the divorce did a number on her and she wont let herself relax and enjoy this time with Robin, like she should"

"What was their relationship like?" asked Jessie "Anne keeps those memories locked up so I don't know"

"Not so good peanut" said Haz "I don't know when it went bad - Gem may know - but it was like World War II bad... they were always fighting and throwing things at each other.. Mum tried not to let Gem & I see how bad it was, but we could hear it and it, to use your phrase - scared me shitless"

"And good luck trying to get Gem to talk about it" said Haz "she's got those memories locked up too, just like Mum, but Gem truly hates him... he could drive off London Bridge and she wouldn't care or cry about it... She's never cried over Dad leaving.. He packed his bags and left them on the porch while he went to work and Mum had a locksmith come change the locks so he couldn't get in.. It took Gem a long time to let it go and move on"

"No wonder she became a lawyer" said Jessie "Gem took care of you when Anne had to find a job... she became your Mom while still trying to be your sister and not losing her focus on school... that explains a lot"

"Yep, that's Gem.. my other Mum" said Haz "that's also why she never asked you a question that night... unless or until she hits that brick wall she built in her head, she wont ask bc she knows she'll break if she does, so she uses her job to strengthen it... God help her when that wall comes down"

"Louis is already working on that" said Jessie "one brick at a time... he'll help her get thru it Haz, let him work his magic, okay?"

"Okay peanut" said Haz "He better not hurt her"

"Do you trust me" said Jessie

"Of course I trust you peanut" said Haz

"Then trust Louis.. he wont hurt her" said Jessie "Gem needs him and Louis needs her - two peas in a pod those two are"

"Okay peanut" said Haz "lets all go to bed... we have a busy & exciting day tomorrow"

"Yeah we do" said Ni "we need to stop off at a flower shop on our way home tomorrow... I want to get Mom & Gran some flowers and it'll make them smile"

"Okay Ni" said Haz

"Gramps says white roses for Gran and pink roses for Maura" said Jessie giggling "Your Gramps is a riot... he doesn't say a word, just watches & listens... but the minute Gran is mentioned, he becomes a chatterbox.. his accent is so thick, I can't understand him very well & he talks so fast"

"Yeah, he was always like that" said Ni "Whenever Gran was cooking or whatever, he'd just sit and watch her.. like he was committing every little detail about her to memory.. and when she'd ask him something, he'd say - "

"Yes darlin" said Jessie "my beautiful Irish rose"

"Yep, that's Gramps all right" said Ni "He told me once, 'when you find your other half, propose constantly till she says yes - the ladies like that... and it worked on the third time"

"Oh so it was Gramps's idea, huh?" I teased

"Partly" said Ni "you had me with your cooking... among other things poppet"

"Well lets get our daughter settled and you can tell me about those 'other things' " I said and kissed him

"Oh get a room" said Jessie "I'm sleeping with my Ipod tonight.. just sayin"

we chuckled "Okay baby... off to bed and brush your teeth please" I said

"Yes Momma" said Jessie and gave us each a kiss & hug "goodnight y'all"

"Goodnight Jessie" we all said as she went inside

"Gems in good hands Haz… relax" I said "Louis is an old soul he wont push her, she'll tell him in due time... she needs to heal slowly and he knows that... You on the other hand, you & Jessie need to talk so she can help you figure things out and put them in a different context to deal with them better"

"To be honest, I just want to forget about him" said Haz "I made a promise to never be like him - ever.. and I intend on keeping that promise"

"You wont be Haz" said Mom "you may have made that promise, but you're too much like Anne, its not in your nature Hazzabear"

"Sometimes, I'm not so sure princess" said Haz "I feel like if he were tp show up, I'd snap his neck to keep him away from Mum & Gem... and that scares me so much"

"Well when or if that time comes, we're ALL here for you Haz" said Mom "and Anne & Gem... as a family"

"Always mate" said Ni

"To the moon and back and around again" I said

"Okay.. lets go to bed princess" said Haz

"Okay Haz" said Mom

"Come on sunshine lets go to bed" I said

"Okay poppet" said Ni and we all went to our rooms.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

LOUIS POV

I was laying in bed staring at the ceiling, thinking of my plans for the nursery. Jessie wants a double door, but those need to be ordered and we don't have time for that, so may be just a plain door, painted white... I need to ask Mom what she wants done with the dining room table, may be donate it to the church or something... There was a knock on my door.

"Come in Gem" I said as she came in "hey beautiful.. why aren't you sleeping?"

"Can't sleep" said Gem "Can I stay in here tonight?"

"Sure, come here honey" I said and lifted the blanket as she got in bed "so what's got your brain spinning?" and kissed her head as she laid her head on my chest

"Nothing but everything" said Gem "its been a non-stop rollercoaster since Friday and just when it felt like things were settling back down, it all started back up again... my head feels like its being pulled in 50 different directions all at the same time"

"I know honey" I said "it will settle down after Ni & Pamela have their appointment on Friday, once that's done, the stress and tension will ease up and Jessie will finally relax and stop listening to us 'motormouths' " I chuckled.. Gemma giggled

"I can't believe we pulled that off" said Gem "The llok on her face was priceless, absolutely priceless"

"I know.. thank god they had a cancellation" I said "or it wouldn't have happened and she needed a surprise"

"Wait till you meet Ni's Gran" said Gem "she's a firecracker of a lady... watch Ni's face go red as a tomato"

"Did she really get Haz & Ni drunk?" I said

"Yeah.. I thought for sure Mum & Maura were gonna flip out, nut they just kept their eyes on the boys and let it pass - the damage was already done" said Gem

"Gem... why doesn't Anne & Haz ever talk about your Dad?" I asked

"Because Haz & I don't have a Dad... we have a sperm donor" said Gem "Mum doesn't talk about him bc it upsets Haz… He hit Haz a couple of times - really bad - Haz pulled a knife on him and said he'd kill him if he ever came back... don't tell Haz - he doesn't remember... please Lou"

'"I wont tell him honey, I promise" I said "If you ever feel like talking about him, I'm here to listen, okay?"

"Okay" said Gem "Lou?"

"Yeah honey" I said

"Move in with me" said Gem "we... can... talk... tomorrow"

She trailed off and fell asleep. Was she serious about that? Oh God, I want to, but moving in together is a bug step, for both of us... Gem snuggled into me and tucked her face into my neck and sighed.

"I Love You Lou" whispered Gem

"I Love You too Gem" I whispered

And we drifted off to sleep in each others arms.

IN THE MORNING....

I woke up before Gem. She was wrapped around me like I was her personal body pillow. Gems leg was between mine and her head & arm were on my chest. I nuzzled her hair and kissed the top of her head. Her hair smelld like strawberries & vanilla.. God, she smelled good. I checked the time on my phone - its 9am - oh man.. we're usually up before now. I rubbed circles on Gems back to wake her up gently. She groaned and buried her face in my chest.

"I don't wanna get up yet" Gem whined "can't we sleep a little longer?"

I chuckled "We could, but its 9am already honey" I said

"damn" said Gem and kissed me neck... this time I groaned

"Careful honey" I said "This could go somewhere we're not ready to go to yet"

"What if I want to go there...now?" said Gem

"Are you sure? I said as I rested my hand on her hip and gave it a squeeze. She raised her leg and flung it over my hip and straddled my waist.

"Mhm" Gem hummed and moved from my neck to my jaw "I'm" to my lips "sure"

As we kissed, my hands slipped under her shirt, up her ribs to her breasts, brushing my thumbs across her nipples, causing Gem to moan.

"Take your shirt off honey" I said

As she leaned back to take her shirt off, I sat up and removed mine and kissed her neck, leaving love bites down to her collar bone, to her breasts, rolling her nipple between my teeth, while sucking & blowing on them, causing Gems breath to hitch.

"Oh god" moaned Gem, as she put her hands on my shoulders

NOTE: Sorry y'all.. I've tried to write love scenes, but they're just not turning out right... Feel free to use your imagination... again, I apologize for this.

We laid there for a moment as we came down, holding each other as we tried to catch our breath. I pulled out as I collapsed onto my back and removed the condom, tied it off and tossed it in the waste paper basket.

"Holy wow" said Gem, panting "that was amazing... mind blowing, toes curling, amazing"

"Yeah.. complete & total bliss" I panted "I could stay here all day and make love to you"

"Well unfortunately, we have a nursery to prep and a door to hang" said Gem "and we gotta get the truck before Haz leaves or we can't haul the doors & wood"

"Shit.. I forgot about that" I said "You go take your shower and I'll go swap keys with Haz… I'll shower after you and we'll go get the stuff"

"Okay" said Gem "If we get the room prepped quickly, we could always have Round 2 before Mum gets home"

"Oh really?" I said

"Yep" said Gem as she grabbed her clothes off the floor and walked to the door naked "stud muffin" and walked out of the room

"You're gonna kill me woman!!" I yelled playfully

"At least you'll die happy stud muffin" yelled Gem, as she turned on the shower

I got up and put on my sleeping pants and tank top and headed over to Moms to swap keys with Haz. Moms car was gone so I knew Ni & Haz were still home as I walked thru the door. No one was around so I called out...

"YO!! Haz!! Where are ya?" I yelled

"OUT ON THE PATIO LOU!!" yelled Haz

I headed out to the patio "Hey Haz.. Gem & I need the truck today" I said "Gem said you can take her car"

"Okay Lou" said Haz and handed over the keys "Whatcha need the truck for?" as I gave him Gems keys

"We gotta go to the hardware store for supplies for a project Mom wants me & Gem to do" I said

"Oh okay, cool" said Haz "Have fun... is that a hickie on your neck?"

Oh shit.. damn Gem "Um.. yeah" I said - Why deny it? We're adults, right?

"Mhm... looks fresh" said Ni and snickered

"I was thinking the same thing Ni" said Haz "I wonder where he put the one on Gem?"

"Probably somewhere we'll never see" said Ni

"Oh shut up" I said chuckling "see you later guys"

"Later Lou" said Ni & Haz

I walked back to the house and upstairs as Gem was coming out of the bathroom in a towel.

"Thanks for the hickie Gem" I said "Haz & Ni saw it and razzed me about it"

"Oops, sorry babe" said Gem and kissed me

"At least no one will see yours" I said "unless we go swimming, that is"

"Yeah thanks" said Gem "trying to explain that at work would've been weird"

"Why weird?" I asked

"Because I haven't told anyone at work about us yet" said Gem

"Ah okay" I said "so... were you serious... about me moving in with you?"

"Yes" said Gem

"Where do you live?" I asked

"Across town" said Gem "I've got a 2 bedroom flat.. but we can share my room"

"I like the sound of that, but..." I said "I need to get a car before I can move in Gem"

"Okay Lou" said Gem "no rush... go take your shower and I'll meet you over at Mary's"

"Okay honey" I said "see you there" and kissed her nose as I headed to the bathroom

I finished my shower and got dressed in my work clothes and went to Moms... Gem was in the nursery taking measurements for the doors and making her list for the room with Haz & Ni.

Where are you gonna put the table while you're working on the room?" asked Haz

"I'm not sure yet" said Gem "but it can stay in here till we figure that out" said Gem

"Why don't we swap it out with the one in the kitchen?" said Ni "We'll need the extra seating with Mom & Gran"

"Good idea Ni" I said "I'll call Mom and see what she says" and pulled out my phone

MARY: Hello?

LOUIS: Hey Mom... I gotta question for ya

MARY: Hey Lou.. What's your question sweetie?

LOUIS: Do you mind if we swap the dining room table with the one in the kitchen?.. We need the extra seats for Maura & Gran

MARY: Sure, go ahead... if you don't mind, could you take the kitchen table & chairs to the church as a donation?

LOUIS: Sure Mom... consider it done

MARY: Oh good, thanks Louis... we'll see you soon sweetie

LOUIS: See you soon Mom ( and hung up )

"Mom said go ahead and swap them out and to take the table & chairs over to the church, so we'll do that before we head to the hardware store" I said

"Okay babe" said Gem "let put the chairs in the Livingroom so we can flip the table and take it apart... I'll go get some flat sheets to cover it all"

"I can do that Gem... how many do you need?" said Ni

"Oh okay, thanks Ni... just 3 - the flat one, not the fitted ones please" said Gem

"You got it Gem" said Ni and went upstairs and came back with the sheets "Where do you want them?"

"Set them on the couch for now Ni" said Gem "Thanks"

"You're welcome Gem" said Ni "Haz & I gotta go, but Liam's here if you need help... Zayn isn't allowed to lift ANYTHING heavier than a frying pan - Dr.'s & Jessie's orders"

"Okay Ni" I said "duly noted... I've got my toolbox in the laundry room.. I'll go grab it then come help move the chairs"

"Okay babe" said Gem as she went into the kitchen and started moving the chairs

"There's rope in the truck behind the drivers side seat" said Haz "There's also extra rope in the garage if you need it Gem"

"Okay, thanks bug, have a good day at work and we'll see you later" said Gem "Drive safe"

"Always... Have fun you two" said Haz as he & Ni left

"So... why doesn't Haz remember?" I said as I carried a chair to the Livingroom

"Because after HE left, Haz blacked out" said Gem "When he came to, he didn't remember and we never told him... later, he said his head hurt really bad so we took him to the hospital and found out he had a concussion from being hit so bad and it never came up again"

"What did he get hit with to cause a concussion?" I asked

"His fists" said Gem "He hit Haz in the face and on the side of his head... Haz got away and grabbed the knife"

"Holy shit" I said in shock "No wonder he blacked out... that man got off easy.. I'd have cracked his skull open with a tire iron for hitting a kid like that"

"When Jessie was reading Haz's thoughts, I was afraid of what she'd tell him" said Gem "but when she said 'no, you & Gem weren't the reason he left', I knew he still didn't remember and that's why I didn't ask a question... bc I knew she'd find out and tell him"

"You should tell Jessie... if she knows, she wont tell him" I said "but if you don't, she may let it slip by accident"

"Yeah, I know" Gem sighed "I'll tell her tonight after Gran & Maura leave... I promise"

"Honey, you don't have to promise me that" I said "Its important that Jessie know... we don't know how Haz will react to finding out what happened and not being told about it... its for his own safety & sanity to keep it from him - for the time being"

"You're right babe" said Gem "Now lets get this table flipped and out to the truck"

"Yes ma'am" I said - conversation over... for right now

We got the table aprt and moved into the Livingroom and the dining roo, table moved into the kitchen and set then started hauling it all out to the truck. Gem took one of the sheets and spread it out on the floor of the truck bed to keep the chairs from getting scratched, then covered them with the 2nd sheet. We laid the table on top of the chairs, covered it with the 3rd sheet, tucking the edges under the table top and secured it with rope>

"There that's done... lets take a break and have some coffee & a sandwich before we leave" I said

"Sounds good" said Gem

We made our coffee then I made us a couple of meatloaf sandwiches.

"You want ketchup or mayo on your sandwich?" I asked

"However you make yours babe" said Gem

"Ketchup it is then" I chuckled

I put some meatloaf on a plate in the microwave to warm it up and put some ketchup on the bread. Oce they were done, I cut them in half and took them to the table.

"There you are ma'am, one meatloaf sandwich" I said with a bow

"Thank you sir" said Gem teasingly and took a bite "oh my god... this is so good... I didn't realize I was so hungry"

"Sex will do that" I chuckled "You need to eat to keep up your strength honey"

"Apparently" said Gem "oh.. Round 2 is gonna be fun" and winked "You better eat up stud muffin... you're gonna need it"

"Oh really... do tell honey" I said "What's floating around in that beautiful head of yours?"

"You'll just have to wait and see" said Gem "A lady never talks such things in public"

"Oh.. I see" I teased "Well then, may be I should tell my girlfriend cuz..." I looked around "she gets a little bossy in bed"

"Ah, I see" said Gem "may be if you let her have her way, she wouldn't be so bossy"

"There's a thought" I said "let her be in charge... oh yeah.. Round 2 is gonna be really fun... that show is all yours beautiful"

"Just like that?" said Gem in shock

"Yep.. just like that" I said "Why?... I'm a pretty agreeable person.. within reason, of course"

"Lets just say... you're the first" said Gem "and leave it at that"

"Ah... I see your point" I said "anything you need or want... just tell me honey... I have no problem working under a woman"

Gemma choked "Alrighty then... good to know"

"Careful honey... smaller bites" I chuckled

"Oh hush up and eat" said Gem "we've still got shopping to do and a table to deliver... stud muffin"

"Oh... get a room" said Liam "wow.. nice table... where'd that come from?"

"The dining room" I said "The church needed a table so Mom is letting them use the other table for a while"

"Oh cool" said Liam "You need any help?"

"Nope.. its already loaded in the truck" said Gem "but thanks for the offer tho"

"Wow.. you two work fast" said Zayn "How long did that take you?"

"About 30 minutes" I said "Gems great at organizing to accommodate a large haul... not to mention she's all business when there's a job to do"

"Wow... go Gemma" said Zayn "whip his butt into shape girl"

"His butt is already in shape" said Gem "I know... its mine"

"Ooo you bad girl" said Zayn "High-five" and smacked their hands together

"Okay ladies... now that you've had your fun at my expense, can we go now? We've got a lot to do today" I said

"Oh, by all means.. go do your thing" said Zayn "We'll see you later on"

We took care of our coffee cups and luch plates and went up to Jessie's room to get the money, then headed out to the truck. I drove this time, knowing the way to the church and drove around to the rectory to deliver the table and spoke with Sister Grace.

"You must be Louis" said Grace "Mary called to say you'd be coming... Do you need help unloading?"

"Yes, I am, Sister" I said and shook her hand "This is Gemma... No thank you sister, we can unload it, we just need to know where you want it set up at"

"In the dinning hall id fine" said Grace

"Okay" I said as we untied the ropes and lifted the table top out of the truck "Lead the way Sister" as Gem folloed with the legs and toolbox

"I'll attach the legs, you grab the extender and the chairs" said Gem

"Yes ma'am" I said and headed to the truck to finish unloading


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

GEMMA'S POV

"How did you & Louis meet?" asked Sister Grace

"Louis & his brother's family came back with Mary when she returned from her visit to the states" I said "I was Louis date for the summer formal at the high school"

"Ah, I see" said Grace "and how long have you been dating?"

"Not quite 2 weeks" I said "How did you know?"

"The way he looks at you" said Grace "you're the sun in his universe dear and he's the air you breathe... you belong together"

"Jessie said the same thing" I said

"She's a smart girl" said Grace "How is she?"

"She's doing better" I said "She still blames herself for the accident, but it helped for her to see Ellie and to know she's going to be alright"

"Ellie told me about what Jessie's Father did to her" said Grace "we've been praying for her"

"She hasn't talked about it" I said "Jessie had a miscarriage 3 days ago... after we came to visit Ellie... she hasn't talked about that either"

"the poor thing, jow horrible" said Grace "She may never talk about it dear... just be there for her.. when she's ready, she'll find you and we'll continue to pray for her"

"Okay Sister, and thank you" I said as Louis brought in the last of the chairs "Okay Lou, lets flip it over and put in the extender"

"Okay Gem" said Louis "You ready"

Yep, lift on 3 - 1.. 2.. 3 - lift and flip" I said "easy Lou and set it down... any wobble on your end Lou?"

"Just a little on this corner" said Louis

"Okay, you lift and I'll tighten the bolt" I said

"Okay" said Louis

I sat on the floor under the table as Lou lifted the corner and tightened the bolt.

"Okay Louis, it shouldn't wobble any more, go ahead and set it down" I said as I moved out of the way

"Perfect Gem.. no more wobble" said louis

"Thank you Louis, Gemma" said Grace "Mary never said why she was giving us the table, but we appreciate it"

"She's turning the dining room into a nursery" said Louis "My brother and his husband are going to have triplets in March, so there was no room for the table"

"Oh how wonderful" said Grace "Congratulations"

"Thank you Sister" said Louis "We're all excited.. we haven't had a baby in the family since my niece was born and she's getting married here in a couple of months"

"Oh blessed be" said Grace " a baby and a wedding, how exciting.. Mary must be overjoyed"

"She is" said Louis "Well Sister, I hate to end the conversation, but Gem & I have to get supplies for the nursery"

"Oh, of course" said Grace "Thank you again and drive safe"

"Always Sister and You're welcome" said Louis and picked up the toolbox & sheet "Ready Gem?"

"All set" I said "Have a nice day Sister"

"You too dear" said Grace

I folded the sheets and put them in the toolbox and put it behind our seat before getting in and heading to the hardware store. We got the paint for the walls and a gallonof white paint for the door & trim. They had the doors in stock, grabbed the curtains & rods, 3 extra drop cloths, and more painters tape & roller sleeves.. then we looked at carpet, tables & lamps and I sent a text to Jessie...

TO: Jessie  
FROM: Gemma

Did Liam & Zayn pick out any lamps & end tables?

TO: Gem  
FROM" Jessie

Nope

TO; Jessie  
FROM: Gem

Okay cool bc we found some that would be perfect for the room.  
See you soon munchkin xx

TO: Gem  
FROM: Jessie

Awesome sauce! Okay Gem.... See you soon xx

"I texted Jessie.... They didn't get any lamps or tables, so we can put these on the list with the carpet" I said

"Oh cool" said Louis "lets get this rung up and get home... we'll paint the door first and get it hung before we get started on the room"

"Yeah sounds good" I said "plus it'll be easier to hide the room from them if the door is up"

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too" said Louis

We headed to the check out counter and then loaded up the truck. The door didn't fit in the truck bed so Lou sat in the truck bed to hold the door in place so I drove us home.

"Take it easy honey and turn on the emergency flashers" said Lou "the button is to the left of the steering whell, with the red triangle on it"

"Okay, found it" I said "You okay back there Lou?"

"Yep, I'm good honey" said Lou

The drive home was slow and nerve wracking but we made it in one piece.

"I'll take the box inside and send Liam out to help you bring the door in" I said

"Okay honey" said Louis

I came thru the door as Liam was coming down the stairs "Hwy Liam, Louis needs help bring in a door.. You mind giving him a hand?" I said

"Sure Gem" said Liam and went out to the truck

I set the box down in the nursery and was just about to head back to the truck as Louis & Liam came in with the door.

"Prop it up against the wall at a slight angle Li" said Lou "It'll be fine here for now"

"Okay Lou" said Liam "Man, this is a heavy door"

"Its a double French door Li.. its supposed to be heavy" said Lou

"Oh okay" said Liam "so what's the new project?"

"Mom didn't say" said Lou "she just gave me a list of stuff to get... more information to come later, I guess"

"oh okay, well I guess we'll find out when she's ready to tell us" said Liam

"Yeah, guess so" said Louis "Thanks Li"

"No problem Lou" said Liam "I'm gonna sit out on the patio with Zayn till the girls get home... you two want to join us?"

"Yeah, we'll be out as soon as we finish unloading the truck" I said "Come on Lou"

"Okay honey" said Louis as we headed for the truck

"Nice cover babe... that was close" I said "This isn't gonna be easy keeping it a secret"

"I know but we'll leave that for Mom & Jessie to deal with... this is their idea" said Louis

We grabbed the door trim, toolbox & saw horses and headed back inside to put them with the door. I took the sheets out of the toolbox and put them in the washing machine & started it as we went out to the patio with Liam & Zayn.

"All done unloading everything?" asked Liam

"Yeah... tomorrow the fun begins" said Louis "Room prep and Install"

"Ooo sounds like fun... Can I help?" said Zayn

"Nope" I said "You've got your project Jessie gave you to work on... besides, paint fumes aren't good for you Zayn"

"Darn it" said Zayn "I wish I could help, I love to paint"

"I know you do babe, but Gemma's right, the paint fumes aren't good for you or the babies" said Liam

"Alright... may be next time... after the babies are born" said Zayn

"Absolutely... you'll be our first call.. I promise" I said, that made Zayn smile

"Yay!!" said Zayn, chuckling

"So have you done any writing yet?" I said

"Yeah, some.. its hard to get started" said Zayn "but I've been reading some of the pregnancy books and there's a thing that women go thru called 'nesting'... it is so cool, it helps during pregnancy to set up the baby's room and to ease restless moments without over exerting yourself and what to expect during each trimester of the pregnancy"

"Wow that does sound cool" I said "When will you be getting the baby stuff?"

"We got some things testerday" said Zayn "just the basics for now"

"We were going to get some of the baby furniture, but the items we wanted are on back order and wont be able to get them for a few weeks" said Liam

"That sucks" said Louis "So what are you going to do?"

"They'll call when it comes in and we'll get them then" said Liam "it'll give us more time to rearrange our room and figure out where to put things so we can make room for the babies' things"

"Well that's good" I said "at least you have a back up plan to work with... if you need any help re-organizing things, let me know.. I help Mum with that stuff all the time"

"Thanks Gem... we may need your help seeing as how I can't lift anything, except a frying pan" said Zayn "by the way, you two did an amazing job on Jessie's room... I love the color too - it suits her tastes"

"Thanks" said Louis & I

"That was all Jessie" I said "she picked everything she wanted, we just put it together for her"

"WE'RE BACK!!" yelled Jessie "AND WE COULD USE SOME HELP BRINGING IN THE GROCERIES PLEASE"

We all headed out to the car to help with the groceries. The car was packed full of bags.

"Holy cow" said Liam "Do we have room for all of this?"

"I hope so" said Mary "Jessie kind of went overboard... most of this is from her list"

"Geez munchkin... You trying to give us all a heart attack?" said Louis

"No, but if you don't want homemade pizza or any of the monster nacho, feel free to load up on ramen noodles & mac & cheese" said Jessie "Otherwise, be quiet... stud muffin"

"What?" said Louis "How?... never mind - being quiet"

"Good" said Jessie "by the way.. nice hickie there Uncle Lou.. good job Gem"

"Oh god" I said, blushing "um.. thanks"

"Next time put the hickie somewhere no one will see it" said Jessie "and no one will comment on it... gee Gem"

"Yeah.. I'll try and remember that" I said rolling my eyes as I looked at Louis

"Lou, good job putting that hickie where no one would see it... except you, of course" said Jessie with a wink

"Okay... subject change" said Pamela "Pops, Jessie got you some healthy snacks from your food list"

"Oh wow.. thank you princess" said Zayn "like what?"

"Some granola bars.. trail mix.. banana chips.. apples.. oranges.. grapes.. a couple of grapefruits and some raisins & dried cranberries" said Jessie "Your Dr. said no more than 2 servings of fruit per day, and that you can go crazy on the granola, trail mix, and dried fruit bc they're good snacks for you & the babies"

"You talked to my Dr.?" said Zayn, in shock

"Yes... I wasn't sure how much 'natural sugar' you were allowed to have, so I called her to find out" said Jessie "She said your sugar was fine right now, but that you shouldn't overdo it bc it can cause you to get diabetes"

"Oh okay.. thank you for checking on that then" said Zayn

"You're welcome Grandpa" said Jessie "oh she also said you can have the chocolate popcorn with peanuts - once a week... so make it count"

"What?.. woohoo!" said Zayn "we could make some for our movie night... right?"

"Absolutely" said Jessie "I bought the stuff so Haz or Gem can make it for us"

"Oh gosh" said Zayn as a few tears ran down his cheeks "you're the best princess"

"Hey now, no tears" said Jessie softly as she wiped his tears "I told you.. we're all here to make this pregnancy easier on you and that means making sure you have what you need - within reason, moderation and with Dr. Carlisle's approval... okay?"

"okay" said Zayn and hugged Jessie "I Love You princess"

"I Love You too Grandpa" said Jessie "now why don't you get an apple or a orange while we put this stuff away.. its going to be a while till we have dinner"

"Okay Dr. Jessie" chuckled Zayn and grabbed an apple & a orange "I'll so out and sit with Li.. come on out when you're done"

"Will do" said Kessie

"I believe you just made his day munchkin" I said "but you want to tell them about the nursery - not the furniture, just the room"

"Why... what happened?" asked Jessie

"Li & Zayn asked about the project - we didn't tell them - but they wanted to help" I said "something about 'nesting during pregnancy'.. they were a little disappointed that they couldn't help"

"shit.. damn" whispered Jessie "thanks for telling me Gem, I've got this"

"okay munchkin" I said "don't tell them about the furniture tho… let that be the surprise"

"Yeah, that sounds like a better idea" said Jessie "and the surprise factor is still there"

"Exactly" I said

"You've been thinking about this for a while, huh?" said Jessie

"Yeah.. since the problem hit... it seems like the right solution and will ease some worries & stress" I said

"I agree" said Jessie


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

JESSIE'S POV

We finished putting away the groceries, so I grabbed a couple bottles of water and headed out to the patio while Momma & Izzie worked on dinner. I decided to tell Liam & Zayn about the nursery now so that we could get it out of the way and we can all enjoy the day a little more relaxed.

"So I guess you heard about the project Lou & Gem are working on" I said

"Yeah kind of... Lou said he didn't know what it was, but we'd find out when Mom was ready to tell us" said Grandpa Li

"Do you know what the project is?" asked Grandpa Zayn

"Yup.. it was my idea" I said

"What is it?" said Grandpa Li & Zayn together

"A nursery for the babies" I said "that way you can take your time building your dream house and you don't have to rush it"

"When?.... How?" said Grandpa Li

"Yesterday.... when I was talking to Momma & Izzie" I said "I asked Izzie if we could convert the dinning room into a nursery bc we don't use it and she said yes"

"Babe.. we're gonna have a nursery" said Zayn "we don't need to rearrange our room any more"

"I know babe" said LI "and we'll have everything in place by the time the babies come"

"Thank you Jessie" said Zayn "now I can stop worrying about where to put things"

"You're welcome Grandpa" I said "No more worrying.. let Grandpa & the rest of us do the worrying and I want you to stay out of the nursery till its done... I don't want you getting sick from the paint fumes, okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said Zayn "What color is the nursery going to be?"

"You picked a lot of pale yellow baby stuff, so that's the color I went with" I said "If you want a different color, that's fine, just tell Louis before he starts painting"

"No, No, pale yellow is perfect" said Zayn "oh its going to be beautiful... I can just see it... the crib sitting between the two windows, white lace curtains, rocking our babies to sleep... its going to be absolutely perfect"

I watched Zayn visibly relax as he laid his head on Liam's shoulder and closed his eyes, smiling as he fell asleep.

"Thank you Jessie" said Grandpa Li "He woke up this morning ina panic about where we were going to put everything in our room"

"You're welcome … poor thing" I said "We were going to keep it a secret, but I can see its better to have told you... it'll be easier to keep him away from the paint fumes & keep him relaxed and calm"

"I'm going to take him upstairs... I'll be right back" said Grandpa Li

"Okay Grandpa" I said as they went inside and Louis & Gem came out

"Poor Zayn looks exhausted" said Gem

"I told them about the nursery" I said "apparently Zayn woke up in a panic worrying about where they were going to put all of the baby stuff and how to make it all fit in their room"

"Oh man.. that's not good" said Louis

"No, its not, but once I told them Zayn relaxed and fell asleep" I said "they still don't know about the furniture, so don't tell em Lou"

"Yes ma'am boss lady" said Louis

"I can't wait to get started tomorrow" said Gem "I figure if we can be done by Friday, get the carpet installed on Saturday, then we can get the tables & lamps on Monday after the delivery comes"

"Wow, it sounds great Gem" I said as Liam came back out and sat down

"Zayn's sleeping better" said Grandpa Li "he never even woke up when I laid him in bed... thank god... he was tossing and turning all night.. he tried writing to relax, but that didn't help"

"I have some relaxation things I can show him" I said "You can join us too Grandpa.. you look like you could them too bc you're looking just as stressed out as Zayn"

"I'll try anything princess" said Grandpa Li "this may my 2nd go as a Dad, but its my first time being around a pregnant person 24/7 and its scaring the shit out of me"

"Why didn't you say something Dad?" said Momma as she came out and sat down

"Because I need to take care of your Pops" said Grandpa "He doesn't need to worry about me being scared about him & the babies"

"You still should've said something Dad" said Momma "You two act like you share the same brain.. if you're scared, he will be too and then he'll start worrying about you and you about him... its not healthy Dad - for either of you"

"I know baby girl" Grandpa sighed "I know, that's why I'll try anything to help Zayn relax more"

"okay Grandpa, come on" I said "You're getting a relaxation session now... out in the grass... lets go" as we walked out to the middle of the yard and sat down

"Sit down across from me and cross your legs Grandpa" I said as did so "Hold your hands up in front of you, palms facing me" and put our palms together "now close your eyes.. tune out everything but my voice.. breathe slow & easy.. now clear your mind of all your fears and worries.. come on Grandpa, its okay, clear your mind - that's it... now I want you to think about hearing the babies heartbeats and how healthy & strong they sounded - that's your calm place, okay?" Liam nodded "Now I want you to go to your calm place, and as you remember, lower your heart rate and breathe slow and easy - let the sound wash over you like rain drops on a lazy summer day... let your hands fall to your lap as all your fears and worries drift away like a breeze - there they go far, far away.... and now you're totally relaxed... I want you to stay here for 5 minutes, then slowly open your eyes" and got up and headed back to the patio.

"He'll be fine in a few minutes.. if he doesn't fall asleep first" I said "He was a mess in there" and tapped the side of my head "we created a calm place in there where he can let go and relax"

"Is that what you do when you do your headstands?" said Gem

"Sort of" I said "my brain is more like a broken hour glass - its everywhere - so when I do my headstands, its the broom that cleans up the mess and replaces the hour glass, so I can think again... till the next time it breaks"

"Ah okay" said Gem "I get it.. I've been there before"

"Tell her honey" said Louis "its alright" and squeezed her hand

"When you read Haz's thoughts that night.. you only saw what he remembered" said Gem "not what really happened the night my Dad left"

"Okay, what didn't I see?" I said softly

"My Dad hit Haz a couple of times, really bad" said Gem "Haz got awau from him and pulled a knife on him and told him to leave and never come back... or he'd kill him..... after that, Haz blacked out - we found out later he had a concussion - when he woke up, he didn't remember any of it, so Mum & I didn't tell him... we just told him Dad left"

"Oh my God" said Momma "Haz told us last night, after you left, that he's scared that if your Dad were to come back, that he feels like he would snap his neck if he tried to hurt you or Anne again"

"Oh shit" said Gem, calmly "He's starting to remember... Can you help him? It'll mess him up if he remembers on his own... he can't handle it, Jessie"

"I can help him Gem, now that I have the full story" I said "we'll all get him thru it... especially you & Anne - he was protecting you both from your Dad - he'll be hurt that you didn't tell him, but he loves you both and bc of that single reason, he'll forgive you for not being told"

"Okay" said Gem "I just want my bug to be okay again"

"He will be Gem... with time & love, he will be" I said

There was a soft thump out in the yard "Yep, he fell asleep all right" said Momma "Poor Dad" and shook her head

"Sleep will do him good" I said "like I said, he was a mess in there"

Izzie came out and sat down "What's Liam doing?"

"Sleeping" said Momma "Jessie got him to relax and he fell asleep"

"Good" said Izzie "He had more bags under his eyes than Samsonite has luggage"

"Yeah, they both had a rough night" said Louis "we had to tell them about the nursery bc Zayn woke up in a panic worrying about where they were gonna put all of the baby stuff in their room"

"Once I told them, Zayn relaxed and fell asleep" I said "then Liam was stressing out so it was his turn to relax and sleep"

"Those two would be basket cases without us around to help them" said Izzie "good call telling them about the nursery tho… do they know about the furniture?"

"No, that's gonna be the cherry on the sundae" I said

"Okay.. you're secret is safe Jessie" said Izzie as I checked the time on my phone... it was 1:45pm "Relax Jessie, everything is right on track... the sauce is bubbling away, the meatballs are in the oven and the bread dough is rising as we speak"

"Okay... I'll start the dessert in about 30 minutes - then I'll relax a little.... the day just feels off for some reason" I said "my head is tingling all over & is making me uneasy"

"What are you making?" asked Gem

"Pumpkin Cheesecake with homemade whipped topping" I said

"Oh wow" said Louis "you want some help?... bc I'd love to see how you make it"

"Sure" I said "I'm cooking the rest of the week, if you want me to show you how to make a few things"

"That would be great munchkin" said Louis

"You can use the back up oven in the utility room sweetie" said Izzie "I use that one for holiday baking when the kitchen oven is being used"

"Okay, thanks Izzie" I said

"Not a problem sweetie... How long does it need to bake?" said Izzie

"An hour" I said "then it needs to cool and then chilled till we're ready to serve it... about 3 hours start to finish"

"That's a lot of work for a cheesecake" said Gem

"Yeah it is, but its soo worth it" I said "grandpa used to say 'if you were to put it on your head, your tongue would beat your brains out trying to get it' "

Everyone started laughing, causing Liam to wake up.

"Wow... I feel better" said Grandpa Li

"Well hello Sleeping Beauty... enjoy your nap in the yard?" I said

"Yeah.. How long was I out?" asked Li

"Almost an hour" I said "You look better... How do you feel?"

"Loads better" said Li and kissed my head "Thanks princess"

"You're welcome Grandpa" I said "I'm glad it helped and you can do that anytime you feel stressed or worried again... I'll show you more as Zayn gets further along in his pregnancy"

"Okay princess" said Li

"Come on Uncle Lou.. lets go start the dessert" I said

"Lead the way munchkin" said Louis

We headed into the house and washed our hands and got started. I got out everything we needed and let Louis do all of the mixing & measuring.. He asked lots of questions and followed my directions to the letter and 25 minutes later we were done and it was in the oven and the timer was set. We grabbed ourselves something to drink and went back out to the patio.

"So how do you feel about your first baking lesson?" I said

"It was fun... I can't wait to learn more" said Louis

"Why don't you look up a recipe and we'll make it one day next week" I said

"Wow okay" said Louis "and you'll help me.. right?"

"Of course I will" I said "I wouldn't leave you stranded like that on your first solo cooking venture, that's just cruel"

"Okay cool" said Louis

Zayn came out and sat down on Grandpa Li's lap.

"How was your nap pops?" asked Momma

"It was good, but I was lonely" said Zayn "I missed you babe" and rested his heade against Li's neck

"I'm sorry babe.. I was too wired to sleep" said Grandpa Li

"That's okay babe, I know how you get sometimes" said Zayn

"Are you okay Grandpa Zayn?" I said "You sound a little off"

"I'm alright princess... I just can't turn my brain off.. it keeps running a mile a minute" said Zayn "Things to do, things not to do, stuff to keep me calm, and I'm having trouble concentrating while trying to write"

"You need a change of scenery" I said "somewhere relaxing & quiet"

"That sounds nice" said Zayn "I like being outside"

"Ah.. you're a nature imp" I said

"A nature what?" said Gem

"A nature imp... they're kind of like a cupid, but are drawn to nature - trees, flowers, faeries, gnomes, birds, forests, streams" I said "that kind of thing... you feel more at home in that type of setting, don't you?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" said Zayn

"You spend a lot of time outside" I said "That's your sanctuary.. your 'zen garden' of sorts... your calm place"

"Why is his calm place different from mine?" asked Liam

"Because Zayn's is rooted in nature and yours is rooted in your heart" I said "As close as you two are, its good to have your own separate calm places so that you'll be more relaxed and at peace together... having a personal calm place is important to have when dealing with personal stress & anxiety, especially during pregnancy - don't take it personal Liam, there's going to be times when you & Zayn need a little space from each other to regroup and work better together"

"Oh okay... that makes sense" said Liam

"Zayn's going to be going thru a lot in the next 7 months... emotionally & physically to prepare for the babies and sometimes he's going to need to do that on his own" said Izzie ""Just take care of him and be there when he needs you"

"Okay Mom" said Liam "can you help Zayn now Jessie?"

"Sure, if Zayn wants to" I said

"Yes please" said Zayn

"Okay... Lou, you keep track of the timer and text me when it goes off" I said "we'll go to the front yard and sit under the trees"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis

"Okay princess" said Zayn "be back soon babe... I Love You"

"I Love You too babe" said Liam "take your time, I'll be right here, promise"

We went to the front yard and sat down under a tree near the birdbath and I sat down across from Zayn.

"Cross your legs and hold you hands up, palms facing me" I said placing our palms together (just like I did with Liam) "close your eyes... tune out everything but my voice... breathe slow & easy and clear your mind of all your worries and fears - its alright, I'm right here.. good - now I want you to focus... listen to the birds singing & splashing in the water, the breeze blowing thru the trees - thays your calm place, okay?" Zayn nodded "now go to your calm place and as you listen, lower your heart rate, breathing slow & easy.... let the sound wash over you like rain drops on a lazy summer day... now let your hands fall to your lap as your worries and fears drift away - let the breeze take them far away.. there they go and now you're totally relaxed... stay just like that for 5 minutes and then slowly open your eyes... I'll be out on the patio" and left Zayn alone.

I headed for the patio and sat down "Zayn is finally relaxing"I said and sighed "he had a hard time letting go, but once he did, his calm place became clearer and his mind finally calmed down"

"How are you able to do that so easy?" said Liam

"Do what?" I asked

"Find someone's calm place" said Liam

"Oh... when our palms touch, I'm able to read sub conscious thoughts" I said "Eyes are the windows to the soul, but the palms are the doors to our memories - in a way - I can focus on deeper thoughts by touching palms with someone and when you add a soothing voice, its kind of like hypnosis but without the subliminal messages"

"Can you do that so Haz doesn't remember?" asked Gem

"No" I said "All I can do is help Haz focus and process what his brain is trying to tell him and then help him find a calm place so that he can deal with it in a healthy way"

"What does Haz need to deal with?" said Izzie "Jessie?"

"Haz pulled a knife of his Dad and told him to leave and never come back or he'd kill him - after his Dad gave him a concussion" I said

"He's starting to remember" said HGem

"When did this happen?" asked Izzie "How old was he?"

"He was around 12, maybe 13" said Gem "I'm not exactly sure... why?"

"Okay.. I need my book... be right back" said Izzie and ran into the house and came out with a huge scrapbook "I made this after Liam & Louis's Dad died in 2001 - that's when I started hearing & seeing Haz… 12 or 13... that would be 2006 or 2007 then..." and opened her book, flipping thru pages quickly "What season was it?"

"Winter" said Gem

"Okay.. I think I found it" said Izzie "Dec. 5th, 2006" and read it out loud

My Dearest little one,  
What happened? I heard screaming and yelling. Its so quiet.. Are you alright? Talk to me.. I'm here just tell me you're okay.

Love always,  
The dream at the end of your rainbow

Midnight...

My Dearest little one,  
Oh thank God you're okay. I heard your Dad left, I'm so sorry. You're the Man of the House now, its your job to keep your family safe, so change the locks, change the phone number, and NO MORE KNIVES!, you don't need those any more.  
Get some rest and forget about all of the pain... If you need me, you know where to find me.

Love always,  
The dream at the end of your rainbow


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"You told him to change the locks & our phone number?" said Gem "Did you see what happened?"

"Yes I told him, but no I didn't see it, I heard it" said Izzie "It woke me up and then I didn't hear anything for a long time that day... It was after midnight when I finally heard Haz - he was crying bc his head hurt and your Dad had left. He was like that for almost a week... it broke my heart"

"I wonder why you didn't hear him threaten to kill him?" said Gem "You heard everything else"

"Because Haz's sub conscious took over" I said "Think of Haz's sub conscious as a separate entity - when a soulmate gets severely injured, the sub conscious takes over to protect the mind till its able to process what happened - but Izzie stepped in and aided Haz's sub conscious make decisions so then it retreated, taking those memories with it"

"But why is he remembering now?" said Gem

"Because it doesn't need to protect Haz any more" I said "Haz & Izzie are together and you & Anne have someone who is there to protect you now so now its Haz's turn to heal and be protected"

"I don't understand" said Gem

"When Haz got hurt, he was protecting you & Anne" I said "when Izzie said 'you're the man of the house, protect your family', he gave both of you time to heal and kept you safe by changing the locks & number.. now it Haz's turn to heal... you with me?"

"Yeah, I get it now" said Gem

"Good" I said just as the timer buzzed "That's us Lou, lets go check our baby"

"Okay" said Louis as we went inside

"We'll use a toothpick and check the center of the cheesecake... if it comes out clean, its done... if not, we'll put it back in, in 15 minute increments till the toothpick comes out clean" I said

"Okay" said Louis as I inserted the toothpick and slowly removed it

"All clean... its done.. pull it out, set it on the stove and turn off the oven" I said "we'll set it on the counter to cool... you go on back out, I'm gonna go check on Zayn"

"Okay" said louis "On second thought, I'm coming with you munchkin"

"Why?" I asked

"I got a bad feeling something's not right" said Louis and grabbed a baseball bat

We went out to the front yard but Zayn wasn't there. We looked around and saw Zayn talking to a guy out in the driveway, so we walked over

"Zaynie, Momma's looking for you" I said in my little kid voice "Who's this?"

Zayn looked at me and nodded "This is Harry's Dad" said Zayn

"Oh, hello... Mr.?" I said, holding out my hand

"Call me Des" said Mr. Styles "You?"

"I'm JR.. these are my uncles Lou & Zayn" I said "I think Harry's at work, ain't he Lou?"

"Yeah, think so munchkin" said Louis "Is there a message I can give him for you sir?"

"Can you let him know that I'm in town and that I'd like for him to call me... here's my number" said Des and handed Louis a piece of paper

"Sure thing" said Louis "I'll give it to him as soon as I see him"

"Thanks... I better go... Take care" said Des

"You too Des" said Louis and put the paper in his pocket as Des drove off "I ain't telling Haz shit"

"Are you okay Zayn?" I said concerned

"No, I'm not okay princess" said Zayn "That man is bad news"

"Yeah, we know" said Louis "Come om, we gotta tell Gem"

"Oh shit" I said "This is not good... not good at all"

"Tell me about it" said Louis "I can see the alcohol flowing tonight... scared & pissed off drunks is not a good combination"

"We're all gonna need a calm place after tonight" said Zayn "especially Anne, Gem & Haz"

We went out to the patio "We have a problem" I said

"What's wrong baby?" said Momma

"Louis, Zayn & I just met Desmond Styles" I said

"WHAT!!!" shrieked Gem "WHEN???"

"Just now... in the driveway" said Zayn

"Oh Holy fucking shit... this is NOT good" said Gem "Did he say what he wanted?"

"He was looking for Haz… said he was in town and wanted Haz to call him" said Louis "He gave me his number to give to Haz and left"

"No, we didn't tell him you were here" I said "we kept it civil... the last thing we need is for him to come back tonight"

"O-okay" said Gem.. she was shaking

"Its alright honey, just breathe" said Louis "call your Mom and tell her to have Robin meet her here after work... he needs to be aware of what's going on"

"Y-Yeah o-okay" said Gem and pulled out her phone and called Anne on speaker

ANNE: Hello?... Gemma?

GEMMA: Mummy.. um... I can't (and started crying)

ANNE: Gemmie, what's wrong baby

LOUIS: Anne, its Lou.. um... Des showed up today

ANNE: Oh god... Is Gemma okay?.... Where's Harry?

LOUIS: Gemma's fine, a little shaken, but fine... Harry's still at work

ANNE: O-okay

LOUIS: You need to call Robin and have him meet you here after work, okay?

ANNE: I don't have his number

MARY: I do Anne, I'll call him for you sweetie

ANNE: Thank you Mary... Gemmie, baby, calm down baby, Mummy will be there as soon as I can

GEMMA: O-okay Mummy... I Love You, hurry home

ANNE: I Love You too baby.. I will

and the call ended... Mary made her call next...

ROBIN: Hello.. Dr. Twist speaking

MARY: Robin.. its Mary.. can you talk?

ROBIN: Sure Mary... Is everything alright?

MARY: Not exactly Robin... Anne's ex showed up today...can you come by after work?

ROBIN: Does Annie know?

MARY: Yes, she knows... she didn't have your number, so I offered to call you... can you come by?

ROBIN: Yeah, its my early day so I can be there in an hour.. Is that okay?

MARY: That's fine Robin, we'll see you when you get here

ROBIN: Okay Mary... Thanks for calling

MARY: Yeah, no problem... see you soon

and that call ended... Momma pulled out her phone

"I'm gonna text Ni" said Momma

TO: Sunshine  
FROM: Poppet

Hey sunshine... Haz's Dad showed up today - we're fine but don't tell Haz.  
Anne knows and she & Robin will be here soon,, Gemma's a little shaken up,  
but she's fine... Don't forget the flowers for your Mom & Gran and we'll see you soon.

I Love You xx

TO: Poppet  
FROM: Sunshine

Oh crap... I wont tell him... oh good.... poor Gem... I wont forget poppet.  
We'll be home soon.... I Love You too xx

"Okay Ni knows and he's not going to tell Haz" said Momma "The last thing we need is for Haz to flip out at work"

"Okay good" said Gem "Is it alright if I have a beer?"

"Sure sweetie" said Mary "I'll go get it"

"Thanks Mary" said Gem "I'm fine babe, really... 1 beer is my limit - just to take the edge off my nerves"

"Alright honey" said Louis "I trust you... you know your limits"

"That man has the shittiest fucking timing ever... I swear to Christ" said Gem as Mary gave her the bottle of beer "And the hits just keep on coming... What's next?... A zombie Apocolypse?"

"Only if we're lucky" I said "Well Zayn, how did you feel... before HE showed up?"

"Oh my God... I felt wonderful" said Zayn "I was about to come back out when the shit hit the fan... The minute I saw him, I knew who he was - Haz looks a lot like him - same eyes, hair, smile.... Its creepy"

"Same temper" said Gem "but gets really upset when he gets angry and that usually calms him down.... usually"

"Are Haz & Des a lot a like?" I asked

"No, they just have the same looks and temper" said Gem "Haz is more like Mum... soft spoken, he's a 'people person'... Des is a drunk & a bully" and took a drink

"Is that why you have a '1 beer limit'?" I said

"Yeah... I got totally shit-faced one time and beat the crap out of a guy for grabbing my ass" said Gem "That was the last time I got drunk... other than right now, the last time I had a beer was 2 years ago"

"then you're good" I said "and just FYI... I would've beat his ass too if someone did that to me"

"Yeah, it wasn't my finest moment" said Gem "I was a mess - I broke my hand, got kicked out of the bar for life, and had the mother of all hangovers that lasted for 2 days.... and to this day, I have no clue how I got back to my flat"

"How in the Hell did you break your hand?" asked Liam

"I missed the guys face and hit the brick wall behind him" said Gem "I had to wear a cast for 3 months"

"Which hand?" said Zayn

"My left hand" said Gem "I had to learn how to write right-handed bc I'm left handed" and took another drink "Okay, I'm done... I'll be back in a bit"

Gem got up and walked over to her yard and took off her shoes. She climbed up on the trampoline and started bouncing and did a few flips, each time going higher & higher.

"Is she okay?" asked Zayn

"She's fine" I said "That's her calm place - where she can feel free of responsibility and lose herself in the weightlessness... she's amazing, watch her go"

"She's as good as you munchkin" said Louis

"No way... she's better" I said as Gem grabbed a branch like a parallel bar and flipped over it and back down to the trampoline "Hell yeah she's way better than me... go Gem"

A few minutes later she stopped bouncing and just laid there like she was sleeping, then made her way to the edge and sat there. She messed up her hair and put it in a messy bun, hopped down, put her shoes back on and came back to the patio and sat down.

"That was amazing" I said "How do you feel?"

"Better" said Gem "I haven't done that in ages... it felt great"

"I'm surprised you didn't split your jeans" said Momma

"Oh these aren't mine" said Gem "They're an old pair of Haz's that I keep for bumming around in and stuff... he doesn't know they're his tho" and smiled "they're comfy"

"Those are Haz's?" said Louis

"Yep... he loves his skinny jeans" said Gem "so do I... they're comfy"

"Yes, yes he does" said Mary, giggling

"Told ya Louis" I said "remember the 'women wear men's boxers' conversation?... we'll wear whatever is comfy... before you know it, she'll be wearing your boxers and t-shirts to sleep in"

"Yeah okay" said Louis "she can wear whatever she wants of mine... if they fit"

"Or not... either way" said Gem "Your clothes are mine"

"Oh ho ho… tell him Gem" said Momma "I wear Ni's all the time - eventually he gets them back, but I just take them again"

"I know right?" said Gem "I heard Liam wears Zayn's clothes all the time too"

"Not any more" said Zayn "and if I find any of my new clothes missing, he wont be able to have any more children"

"Aw come on babe" said Liam "I Love your clothes... they're so soft and smell like you" and gave Zayn a pouty face

"You can wear some of my old stuff babe" said Zayn "Just leave the maternity clothes alone... please"

"Oh alright" said Liam "but I might have to go get one of those fluffy robes tho" and chuckled

"I'll be right back... I need to go put dessert in the fridge" said Louis

"Set a round dinner plate on top of it Lou" I said "It'll keep it from drying out in the fridge"

"Got it boss lady" said Louis and went inside

"What's for dessert?" said Zayn

"Pumpkin Cheesecake with homemade whipped topping" I said "Louis helped make it with me"

"Oh my god... no way" said Zayn "You got him to cook something?"

"He asked if he could help" I said "so I let him... he's a quick learner - he picked up on the baking basics in about 10 minutes"

"Wow... she's a miracle worker too" said Zayn "Princess if you can teach him how to cook, I'll let you name the babies... I promise"

"Oh gosh" I said "you should do that... I want to do a gender reveal when we find out what the babies are.... bows if its a girl & fire trucks if its a boy"

"Perfect" said Zayn "absolutely perfect idea princess"

Louis came back out "The dessert is chilling in the fridge, Mom's got the meatballs in the sauce & is making the homemade garlic bread as we speak munchkin and its only 3:45... damn we're good - High-five" said Louis and we smacked our hands together

"One major hiccup, one minor meltdown, 3 phone calls and we still managed to knock this day out of the ballpark" I said "Just another fun filled day in the Horan-Williams-Styles funhouse of whacky shit"

We all laughed as Mary, Robin & Anne came out to the patio.

"Mum!" said Gem and ran into Anne's arms "Oh Mum"

"Shh, its alright baby.. Mum's here now" said Anne "Who saw Des?"

"I did Anne" said Zayn "I was in the front yard when he went up to your door and knocked... I told him no one was home - he was looking for Harry"

"Did he say why?" asked Anne

"No... Louis & Jess came out looking for me" said Zayn "He gave Lou his number and said to tell Harry he was in town and to call him, then he left"

"Mum... Haz is starting to remember what happened" said Gem

"That's okay baby" said Anne "remember what the doctor said... it was going to happen eventually, we just need to let it happen"

"I can help Anne... if you want me to" I said "Gem wants me to, but you're his Mom, its your call"

"You help him however you can sweetie" said Anne "I'll make sure he lets you.. don't worry"

"Yes ma'am" I said "He'll be home soon, but we'll wait till Maura & Gran leave tonight and we can tell him then"

"That's fine sweetie" said Anne

"Did you tell Robin yet?" said Gem

"Yes, he called me, so he's up to speed" said Anne

"Okay good bc I cant repeat it again" said Gem

"What can I do to help?" said Robin

"Can you stay with Mum at the house... till Monday?" said Gem "I'll feel better knowing you're there with her.... in case he comes back"

"Yes Gem, if your Mum is okay with the idea" said Robin "Annie?"

"I think you should" said Anne "It'll make both of us feel better knowing you & Louis will be there.... just in case"

"Alright Annie" said Robin "I'm going to go pack a bag and I'll be back soon.... Louis, keep them safe till I get back please"

"Yes sir" said Louis "You have my word"

"Hurry back & drive safe please" said Anne

"Always Annie" said Robin and kissed her cheek before he left

"Mum, make a quick grocery list and Louis & I will run and pick it up" said Gem "Mum will be fine Lou... Pamela & Liam will protect her while we're gone - 45 minutes tops"

"Okay sweetie" said Anne

"Okay honey" said Louis

"Anne, I'll go home with you so you can change and try to relax" said Momma "we'll go thru the back of the house... Louis give me your baseball bat"

"Here you go Pamela" said Louis and handed it to Momma "whack his brains out if he comes back snickerdoodle"

"You bet stud muffin" said Momma "Dad you're on look out with us... Pops if you see him, text Dad" 

"Got it peaches" said Zayn

"Mom, Jess, you watch for Ni & Haz till we get back" said Momma "we shouldn't be long"

"Okay Pamela" said Mary and I prayed

"God help Des and keep him away for today and give me the strength to help Haz" I said and crossed myself

"From your lips to God's ears baby" said Momma "You keep praying Jess"

"Yes Momma" I said

"Okay Louis, I've got the list, lets go" said Gem

"Okay honey... see ya in 45" said Louis

"Drive safe Louis" said Anne

"Yes ma'am - Always" said Louis as they ran for the truck

"Ready Anne?" said Momma

"Ready Pamela, lets go" said Anne

"Come on Dad" said Momma

"Okay baby girl" said Liam "be back soon babe"

"See you soon babe" said Zayn "It feels like we're gearing up for World War III"

"I know" said Mary "I just hope this is all for nothing"


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Better safe than sorry" said Zayn "Murphy's Law says if we ignore this, he'll come back... lets hope Murphy doesn't make us all liars"

"Keep praying sweetie" said Mary "Its 4:05pm, Haz & Ni will be here in less than an hour.... the longest 55 minutes in history"

My phone buzzed with a text from Gem..

TO: Munchkin  
FROM: Gem

shopping is done & we're checking out... be home in 10 minutes munchkin xx

TO: Gem  
FROM: Munchkin

okay.. see you in 10 xx

"Gem just texted me" I said "They're checking out and will be here in 10 minutes - let Momma know"

"Got it princess" said Zayn

TO: Peaches  
FROM: Pops

Gem & Lou are checking out and will be here in 10 minutes  
Pops xx

TO: Pops  
FROM: Peaches

Okay, thanks Pops  
Peaches xx

"Message sent & received" said Zayn "1 down, 2 to go"

Mary's phone buzzed with a text message.

"Its Haz… Linda is letting them leave early.. they'll be here in 20 minutes" said Mary

"2 down, 1 to go" said Zayn "Lou & Gem are back - thank god... so is Robin... now they can come back - oh Holy fucking shit - he's here, Des is here"

TO: Li  
FROM: Z

HE'S HERE!! DES IS HERE!! TELL PEACHES QUICK!!!  
Z xx

"Ok no.. no, no, no" I said and texted Papa

TO: Papa  
FROM: Jessie

Papa.. Des is back  
Make Haz go to the high school  
I'll meet you there  
Jessie xx

TO: Jess  
FROM: Papa

Okay poppet, be safe  
Papa xx

"I'm heading to the school" I said "Papa's gonna make Haz go there... Zayn, I need you to drive me - Izzie needs to stay for Anne - Izzie text me when Des is gone and we'll bring Haz back"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"Okay princess... tell Li where I'm at Mom" said Zayn

"I will sweetie" said Mary "Drive safe please"

"I will Mom - lead the way princess" said Zayn

We got in the car and headed for the high school parking lot and waited for Papa & Haz. They showed up a few minutes later.

"Hey peanut, Zayn... what's going on?" said Haz

"We need to talk before you go home" I said "You need to sit down Haz and promise you wont flip out"

"Okay" said Haz and sat down

"Promise Haz… no flipping out" I said

"I promise peanut... I wont flip out" said Haz

"Okay.. your Dad showed up at your house today.. He left his number and wants you to call him, then he left... but he came back and is at your house right now - Anne & Gem are fine Haz… Lou, Liam, Robin & Momma are with them and wont let Des hurt them, I promise" I said "Zayn, Papa & I are here for you, bc you're the one he wants to talk to... nod if you're with me so far Haz" Haz nodded "Okay good... breathe Haz"

"I.. can't... I... can't... breathe" said Haz, he was having a panic attack

"Its okay Haz" I said softly "Haz, look at me... look in my eyes - there you go... you're having a panic attack - you're not dying" I put his hand on my heart "just breathe Haz - slow & easy, in thru your nose & out thru your mouth... feel my heartbeat and slow your breathing Haz… that's it Haz, no, don't close your eyes, keep looking in my eyes... there you go, keep breathing Haz, just breathe normal Hazzabear - we're gonna stay right here till Izzie sends us an 'all clear' text" and Haz started crying "Shh, its alright Haz…. you remember what you told me that night in the kitchen?" Haz nodded "You told me I could swear & vent all I wanted bc I had been hurt and you wouldn't let anyone hurt me ever again"

"I... remember... peanut" said Haz as he cried

"Well you swear & vent Haz… he hurt you and we wont let him hurt you, ever... look at my eyes" I said "I swear to you on my own life, we will NEVER let him hurt you, Gemma or Anne EVER AGAIN... you hear me?"

Haz nodded as my phone buzzed "Papa check my phone please" I said as Papa took it out of my pocket "What's it say?"

"All clear poppet" said Papa "Anne wants her sweet baby boy home"

"Okay Haz, you're going to ride with me & Zayn" I said "Papa is going to drive Gems car, okay?"

Haz nodded as I led him to the back seat and got in next to him and held his hand till we got home. Haz didn't move to get out, so I took his hand and led him out of the car and into the house.

"Oh my sweet baby boy" said Anne "We're alright Harry... Louis, Robin, Liam & Pamela kept us safe baby... he wont be back - ever Pamela made sure of it and if he does, he'll go to jail - Rothsdale said so when Pamela called him"

Haz never said a word or moved unless someone was holding his hand.

"Okay everyone sit down - I need to snap him out of it, so no mental 20 questions" I said "clear you minds... I need it totally quiet so I can find him"

I sat across from Haz, closed his eyes, laced our fingers together and touched our foreheads together as we talked to each other.

"Okay Haz, where did you go" I said "hey, there you are.. everyone's waiting for you"

"Is he still here?" said Haz "I don't want to come out if he's still here"

"He's not here Haz, I promise" I said "Why are you hiding in the closet?"

"bc he never looks for me here" said Haz "I'm safe here... can I stay here?"

"Sure, I guess, but Gran is coming all the way from Ireland to see you" I said "Don't you want to see her?"

"Yeah, but are you sure he's gone?" said Haz

"Yep, I promise... Momma told Rothsdale how your Daddy hurt your head that one time and Rothsdale told your Daddy that if he came back, he would put him in jail... for forever" I said

"Wow... really?" said Haz

Yep, really" I said "Will you come back with me?"

"Can I tell you something before we go?" said Haz

"Sure Haz, you can tell me anything, any time" I said

"When Daddy hurt my head... that wasn't the only time he hurt me... he hurt me lots of times" said Haz

"Can you tell me what he did?" I asked

He hit me with his belt a lot when Mum & Gemmie weren't home... He broke my fingers twice with a hammer and told Mum I was jumping on Gems trampoline and fell off and then he hurt my head" said Haz

"Oh Hazzabear, I'm sorry he hurt you so much" I said "But if you come back with me, I promise, Rothsdale will make him go away... okay?"

"Okay peanut" said Haz

"Are you ready?" I said "Take my hand its really dark in here"

"Is Mum & Gemmie gonna be there too?" said Haz

"Yep and so is Robin, Liam, Zayn, Louis, Ni, Pamela, Charlie & Mary too" I said

My princess Mary... she was my dream at the end of a rainbow I drew... she was so pretty that day - she was wearing a blue flowy top with white pants and... oh.. her hair was so curly, just like mine - she looked like an angel... she sounds like one too.. when she sings, the angels cry and that's when I see her in my dreams... she sings me to sleep every night" said Haz

"Wow, she sounds amazing" I said "You're lucky to have an angel in your life... well we're here, are you ready?"

"Yeah, I want my princess" said Haz

"Okay keep your eyes closed till I tell you to open them bc its gonna get real bright in here, okay?" I said

"Okay Jess: said Haz

"On the count of 3 slowly open your eyes and hold my hand - here we go - 1.. 2.. 3.. go ahead Haz" I said

Haz slowly opened his eyes "Did we make it back?" asked Haz

"Yep, we made it" I said "How do you feel Haz?"

"A little shaky, but I'm okay" said Haz

"What do you remember?" I asked

"Everything... even what happened after Dad hurt my head" said Haz

"Welcome back Hazzabear" I said and kissed his forehead "I missed you"

"Thanks for finding me peanut" said Haz and kissed my forehead back

""Any time Hazzabear" I said "I'll always find you... now go see your girls - they missed you more"

"Okay peanut" said Haz and stood up from the floor "Mum, Gemmie we're safe again... I'm sorry for making you worry" and wrapped them both in a bear hug

"Oh my sweet baby boy" said Anne "You came back, that's all that matters right now"

"I'm sorry bug... so, so sorry" said Gem "I should've told you what really happened sooner... forgive me"

"Its alight Gemmie" said Haz "Shh.. don't cry Gemmie… I wasn't ready to know - look at me Gemmie" Gem looked at Haz "You took care of Mum when I couldn't and made sure she was safe, thanks Gemmie" and kissed her nose "Now... where's my princess?"

"I'm right here Haz" said Mary from the stairs

"Come here princess" said Haz as Mary ran into his arms "My beautiful princess with the voice of an angel... I missed you so much... I'm sorry I scared you princess"

"You're here now Hazzabear" said Mary "please don't leave me like that again"

"I wont princess, I promise" said Haz

"Welcome back mate... next time you wanna check out like that, warn us first" said Papa

"Yeah, that wont happen again mate" said Haz "Thanks Pamela, for keeping Mum & Gem safe for me and calling Rothsdale" and hugged Momma

"You're welcome Haz" said Momma "You're all family now and we always protect our family... no matter what"

"Okay Pamela" said Haz

"Are you okay munchkin?" asked Gem 

"Yeah, my head just hurts a little" I said "I did too much today... could you get me a pain killer, water & banana please?.. I feel a little dizzy"

"sure munchkin" said Gem and went to the kitchen

"Papa… what time is it?" I asked as Gem handed me my things "Thanks Gem"

"Its 4:57pm poppet" said Papa

"No problem" said Gem

"What time is Gran & Maura gonna be here?" I asked

"Not till 5:30 poppet" said Papa

"Okay good" I said as Gem sat down on the floor next to me.. I put my head on her shoulder as I ate my banana "Gem.. will you sing me a song"

"What song do you want to hear" said Gem

"You pick" I said

"Okay munchkin" said Gem "close your eyes and rest a bit" and closed my eyes as she sang

Baby mine, don't you cry,   
Baby mine, dry your eyes,   
Rest your head, close to my heart,   
Never to part.. Baby of mine.

Little one, when you play  
Don't you mind, what they say  
Let those eyes, sparkle and shine  
Never a tear.. Baby of mine.

If they knew, sweet little you,   
They'd end up loving you too...  
All those same people who scold you,   
What they'd give just for the right.. to hold.. you

From your head, down to your toes  
You're not much, goodness knows  
But you're so precious to me,   
Sweet as can be... Baby of mine.

From your head... Down to your toes  
You're not much... Goodness knows  
But your so... Precious to me  
Sweet as can be...  
Baby of mine.

"I like that song" I said

"Mum would sing that to me when I had a bad day" said Gem

"You're gonna be a great Mom" I said "You'll see"

"You think so?" chuckled Gem

"Yep, I know so" I said "The best Moms sing to their children"

"Well, I'll remember that" said Gem "How's your headache?"

"Almost gone" I said "are you okay?"

"I'm much better munchkin" said Gem "You were amazing with Haz… thank you for giving me back my bug"

"You're welcome" I said "Why do you call Haz 'bug'?"

"Because when he was little, he would sit out in the garden for hours watching the bugs that lived there" said Gem "One day, he was giggling really hard so I went to see what was so funny, and he had a caterpillar crawling up the bridge of his nose - it made his eyes cross from watching it" she giggled "I called him 'the bug king'... he giggled and said, 'I a bug too', so I started calling him bug.. it made him smile"

"Oh... I wish I could've seen him when he was little" I said "I'll bet he was a cutie pie with all the girls"

"He was a cutie pie, that's for sure" said Gem "but he never paid the girls any mind tho, he would watch bugs and read all the time"

"Ah.. the mysterious silent type" I said "The kind of guy you watch and think 'what's he thinking about?... oh God his eyes are so dreamy and that smile with those dimples'.... its enough to make a girl forget how to speak"

"Yeah, that's our Haz… the heartthrob" said Gem and chuckled "You'll find yours someday - when you're not even looking for him - there he'll be"

"Like you & Louis?" I said

"Yeah, like me & Louis" said Gem "He's the one I didn't know I was looking for"

"He's got a lot of hidden talents" I said "He's going to be an amazing cook... and Dad... so when he does finally propose - say yes"

"I will munchkin... I promise" whispered Gem

"How's your head poppet?" asked Papa

"All better Papa" I said

"Good bc Mom & Gran will be here any minute" said Papa

"Did you get the flowers?" I asked

"Yep, Zayn helped me bring them in when we got home" said Papa "White & pink roses, just like Gramps said"

"Did you get Grandma her new car?" I asked

"Yes, Mary got me a great deal on a brand new car" said Papa "Its sitting in the driveway at her house, waiting for Mom to see it, which, she should've already done by now"

"Did you tell Louis about the old car yet?" I said "You know he can fix it properly and he needs a car so he & Gem can live together"

"Not yet" said Papa "It'll be here in the morning... I'll tell him then"

"Okay, just checking" I said "See, I told ya Gem... I know everything... including where Louis put that hickie"

"Oh hush" said Gem "Don't say a word about that"

"My lips are sealed Gemmie" I said "Not one word will leave my mouth... promise"

"Okay munchkin" said Gem "See you two outside"

"Okay Gem" said Papa


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

There was a knock on the door so Mary answered it.

"Come in Maura... Gran" said Mary "How was your trip Maura?"

"It was good, thank you" said Maura "I'm just glad to be home and that my Mom was able to come back with me"

"Mom! Gran!" said Papa "I missed you... both of you so much" and hugged Maura and Gran "You're still beautiful Gran"

"Oh Niall, you romantic flirt" said Gran "You save those sweet words for your bride... Where is she?"

"She'a out on the patio" said Papa "Mom, Gran, this is Jessica... Pamela & I are going to adopt her... Jessie, these are your Grandma's"

"Hello... its nice to finally meet you" I said "Please call me Jessie" and shook their hands

"Its nice to meet you young lady" said Gran

"Oh Anne was right... she is a sweetheart" said Maura

"Why don't we go sit on the patio and meet everyone" said Papa

"Yes please... I want to meet my other Grand-daughter" said Gran

"Can I get you something to drink?" I said "Water, Lemonade, Sweet Tea?"

"Lemonade for both of us please" said Gran

"Alright, you head out with Papa and I'll get it for you" I said "You or Momma want anything Papa?"

"Just waters poppet" said Papa

"Okay" I said "I'll be right out"

I poured the glasses of Lemonade, grabbed 2 bottles of water and a juice and headed out to the patio.

"Mom, Gran, this is Pamela" said Papa "Her Dads - Liam & Zayn, and her Uncle Louis"

"Its nice to finally meet you" said Momma "Ni's been so excited that you're home and bringing Gran with you"

"Its nice to meet you too Pamela" said Maura "What do you do dear?"

"Hopefully I'll be the new Athletics Coach at Ni's school" said Momma "I'm also a pilot... I fly helicopters... mine is over there in the field right now"

"You fly?" asked Maura

"Yes ma'am" said Momma "I was also the co-pilot on our flight here 10 days ago"

"How old are you Pamela?" asked Gran

"I'm 19 ma'am" said Momma "I just graduated from the University of Michigan last month... I have a degree in Athletics with a minor degree in Law"

"I can see why my Grandson is in Love with you" said Gran "You're a very smart and beautiful young woman... Welcome to our family dear"

"Thank you ma'am" said Momma

"Oh don't 'ma'am' me dear.. call me Gran - everyone else does" said Gran

"Alright Gran" said Momma

"How did you like your surprise from Ni, Maura?" asked Haz

"Oh, its beautiful Harry" said Maura "Its so quiet.. I Love it.. Thank you Niall"

"You're welcome Mom" said Papa "You need to thank Haz too - we both saved our paychecks so that you could have a new car and not have to worry about it breaking down"

"Oh Haz.. Thank you so much" said Maura

"You're welcome Maura... I'm glad you like it" said Haz

"Harold Styles, get over here and give your Gran a hug" said Gran "I missed you"

"Sorry Gran" said Haz and gave Gran a hug "I missed you too beautiful"

"Oh pish-posh" said Gran "Where's your lady at?"

"Um... in the kitchen getting the pasta ready for dinner" said Haz

"You... and Mary?" said Maura "Anne?"

"Yep.. Mary & I" said Haz

"Yes Maura... I'll explain it later" said Anne

"Oh Haz… you're soulmates, aren't you?" said Gran

"Yeah Gran, we are" said Haz

"I told you you'd find her" said Gran "And to think she lived right next door! Oh, joyous day... I'm so happy for you"

"Thanks Gran" said Haz

"Hi Gran" said Gem

"Gemma?" said Gran, Gem nodded "Oh sweetie, I almost didn't recognize you... How are you dear"

"I'm good Gran" said Gem "I'm a Lawyer now"

"Oh how wonderful... I knew you could do it Gemma" said Gran "Do you have a special young man yet?"

"Yeah... Louis and I are together Gran" said Gem

"Oh for Heaven's sake" said Gran "What do you do Louis?"

"I'm a contractor & mechanic ma'am" said Louis "Back in the states, I built houses with my brother Liam & his husband Zayn and fixed cars in my spare time"

"Oh how wonderful" said Gran "hang onto him Gemma... he's a keeper"

"Yes Gran" said Gemma

"Mary... your front yard is beautiful" said Maura "Who did it?"

"Haz & Ni did the day after I left on my trip" said Mary

"Ni?.. You & Haz did that?" asked Maura

"Yeah.. the layout was Haz's idea" said Papa "We did that, these flower boxes, those peonie bushes and dressed up the shrubs with mulch"

"It took us about 6 hours" said Haz "and 2 trips to the hardware store, but we got it done"

"Well you two did an amazing job" said Maura

"Thanks" said Haz & Papa together

"It was a surprise for Mary from Haz" said Papa

"Maura's Father did the same thing for me after we were married" said Gran "He added a rose bush every year on our Anniversary, one when Maura was born, one on her wedding day and 2 when Niall & Greg were born.... He called it our Love Garden"

"How romantic" said Zayn "We should figure something like that when we build our house babe"

"Anything you want babe, it will be there" said Liam

"How long have you been married Liam?" asked Gran

"2 years, but we've been together since Pamela was 18 months old" said Liam

"Oh how beautiful" said Gran "and you never had any more children?"

"No... until now any way" said Liam "Zayn & I are going to have triplets sometime in March"

"3 babies?" said Gran

"Yes ma'am" said Zayn

"Congratulations" said Maura & Gran

"Thank you" said Liam & Zayn

"Louis & I are working on a nursery for the babies" said Gem "We just finished Jessie's room yesterday"

"Would you like to see the rooms?" said Louis

"I'll show them Louis" I said "You sit and relax"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis

"Lead the way Jessie" said Gran

We went in the house to the nursery "This was the formal dining room but Mary never used it so its going to be the nursery" I said

"Its the perfect size for a nursery" said Maura "and its close to the kitchen which is the perfect location for it"

"That's what Papa said" I said "My room is upstairs"

"Oh what a beautiful piano" said Gran "Do you play?"

"Yes... so does Haz" I said "Haz teaches piano & Papa teaches guitar at the music shop"

"I heard about that" said Gran "Did Haz teach you?"

"No... I've never had lessons" I said "I can hear a piece of music for the piano and play it back perfectly... I'll be playing the Canon in D at Momma & Papa's Wedding in September"

"They're getting married in September?" said Maura "When?"

"The 23rd of this year... Didn't Papa tell you?" I said

"No, he didn't.... He was probably waiting for me to get back" said Maura

"I know he was really excited about Gran coming with you.. I'll talk to him" I said "This is Momma & Papa's room, Haz & Mary's room, Liam & Zayn's room and this is my room"

"Oh its a beautiful room" said Gran "What color is this?"

"Raspberry pink... its my favorite color" I said

"Its beautiful Jessie" said Maura as she looked around "Is this your family?"

"Yes... Me, Momma, Grandma & Grandpa... they all died in a car accident 2 years ago" I said "My Daddy died in a car accident 4 days ago"

"When was this picture taken?" asked Maura "The one of you, Niall & Pamela?"

"The morning after the accident" I said "That was a rough night... Momma sang me to sleep and Papa made sure we didn't fall off the couch... Haz took the picture"

"You Love them... don't you?" asked Maura

"Yes, more than anything... this family is all I have left" I said "They kept me safe and got me thru some really bad moments these past few days... I want to tell you, but I don't want you to be sad and I don't want anyone else crying bc of me"

"We understand sweetie" said Gran "You can tell us when you're ready.. no rush, no pressure"

"Thank you Gran" I said "Can I give you both a hug?"

"Of course you can sweetie" said Maura "You're my first Grand-daughter"

"You're the best new Grandma ever" I said as Maura wrapped me in a hug

"Okay Maura, my turn" said Gran

"Oh wow" I giggled "This is funny.. you two bickering over who is taking up all of the hugs" and hugged Gran next

"Oh gosh... When is your birthday?" asked Maura

"January 1st, 2001" I said "I just turned 10 this year"

"A New Year's baby" said Gran "When is Pamela's?"

"February 1st, 1992" I said "Haz & Momma were born on the same day, 2 years apart"

"Ladies... its time for dinner" said Papa

"Okay Papa... by the way Papa... You're in trouble mister" I said

"Why?.. What did I do?" said Papa

"You didn't tell Grandma when the Wedding is" I said "You should've called her and told her... or better still told her when you talked to her 3 days ago - she's your Momma - big mistake Papa"

"Oh damn... I knew I was forgetting something" said Papa "I'm sorry Mom, I know its no excuse, but its been an emotional 4 days around here"

"Well, I knew it was coming, bc you asked for Mom's ring... but in 2 months, Niall?" said Maura

"Pamela picked the date Mom... and I think its a good idea, especially with us adopting Jessie & Pamela's new Job at the school" said Papa "And it will be easier to get 'Married housing' then trying to find a flat wherever I go for University"

"Okay Niall.. lets talk about this another time" said Maura "Its time for dinner, so lets go downstairs"

"Okay Mom" said Papa "Ladies.. after you" and we headed downstairs

We walked into the kitchen and sat down to say Grace.

"Go ahead Jessie" said Mary "Everyone join hands"

"Heavenly Father, bless this food that was prepared with Love.. Thank you for your strength and guidance and thank you for bringing my Grandma & Great Grandma home to us safe.... In Jesus name... Amen" I said

"Amen" said everyone

"That was beautiful Jessie" said Gran

"Thanks Gran" I said

"What's your favorite flower?" asked Gran

"Asian Lilies, also called Star-gazer Lilies" I said and took a bite of spaghetti "oh my God" and rolled my eyes "Mary, this spaghetti is to die for"

"I'm glad you like it sweetie" said Mary

"So poppet, What's for dessert?... no one will tell me" said Papa

"Pumpkin Cheesecake with homemade whipped topping" I said "It was my Grandma's recipe"

"Oh wow... you made it?" asked Gran

"Yes, but I made Louis do all of the mixing" I said "I'm teaching him how to cookthis week bc Momma cooks all the time, so its my turn to cook"

"So what are you making tomorrow?" asked Haz

"Homemade pizza" I said "I'm making 5 different kinds... 1. a BLT pizza, 2. a barbecue chicken pizza, 3. a chicken pesto with artichoke hearts pizza, 4. a Chicago style deep dish pizza, and 5. a sausage, onion & mushroom with triple extra cheese pizza" I said

"Wow... that's a lot of pizza" said Haz

"Yep... 60 slices" I said "Lots of pizza for lots of people... we currently have 13 people at this table and Zayn's eating for 4 so you do the math... its roughly 4 slices per person at this table - give or take a slice"

"She's good" said Liam "smart as a whip our princess is"

"Do you all have a nickname for Jessie?" asked Gran

"Yeah" said Papa "Pamela & I call her either poppet, baby, or lemur monkey"

"I call her peanut or small fry" said Haz

"Lou & I call her munchkin" said Gem

"Zayn & I call her princess" said Liam

"Anne & I call her sweetie" said Mary

"I just use her name" said Robin "till I get to know her better"

"I don't mind it" I said "I've been called worse... they know"

"Yeah" said Papa "Jessie's Dad wasn't a nice person... so lets leave it at that"

"When will you be going back to work Maura?" asked Anne

"Tomorrow" said Maura

"Gran?" said Mary "Would you like to spend time with us while Maura is at work? We'd love to have you and I know Jessie would like to get to know you better"

"Yes, thank you Mary" said Gran "We have a lot to talk about"

"Thanks Izzie" I said

"What grade are you in?" asked Gran

"I was home schooled" I said "I'll have to take an exam to determine what grade I'll be in this fall"

"Where are you from?" said Maura "There's an accent in your voice"

"I'm from Savannah Georgia.. near Florida" I said "Momma & her family are from Michigan - way north of Georgia... its neighbor's with Canada"

"I love her accent... it comes and goes" said Papa "She hates it when I copy her... that's when her accent is thick as syrup"

"Papa... stop it" I said "Don't make me hack up your accent cuz you know I'm bad at it... I got the slang down but the pronunciation hangs me up"

"Your impersonation of Ni was spot on peanut" said Haz "all the way down to the righteous indignation"

"Gee thanks Haz" I said "Not sure if that's a compliment or an insult"

"Oh its a compliment peanut" said Haz

"Oh shut up Haz.. ya idgit" said Papa

"Papa... be nice... Haz has had a rough day" I said

"Alright poppet... sorry Haz" said Papa

"Its cool Ni" said Haz

"Oh she's good" said Gran "and without making eye contact too"

"We've all learned to read Jessie's tone of voice" said Momma "She's gotten her feeling hurt a few times from Ni & Haz's insult bombs"

"Ah, I see" said Maura "You're handling them very well Sweetie"

"Thanks Grandma" I said "They get pretty bad sometimes tho"

"Throw it back at them" said Gran

"I have and Papa gives me 'the look' " I said "and says 'Jessie, watch yer mouth' "

"Oh does he now" said Gran "Niall James Horan... Do you want me to tell everyone how you were at her age?"

"I was a wee angel Gran" said Papa

"Oh bullocks!.. Ye were a hoodlum" said Gran

"Papa! you done got flat busted dude" I said "better watch it afore Gran makes ya eat the dish soap mister"

"Oh hush lemur monkey" said Papa

"Okay... suit yourself Papa" I said "But I ain't the one who forgot to tell Maura & Gran that y'all already had a date for the wedding picked and set"

"But feel free to get after me for acting … just... like... you" I said and stuck my tongue out at Papa

"Okay you two" said Momma "That's enough Jessie... you made your point baby"

"Yes Momma" I said "May I be excused?... I need to clear my head before I say something I can't apologize for saying"

"Go ahead baby" said Momma "We'll be out shortly"

"Okay Momma" I said and went out to the picnic table and did my headstand and closed my eyes.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

MARY'S POV

"Pamela, Ni, I'm not going to tell you hoe to raise Jessie" I said "But she's an only child... she went from her family to ours.. she's been around adults her whole life, she doesn't know how to be a kid so you may want to think about easing up a bit and explain things to her"

"Mary's right Niall" said Gran "You had Greg and then Harry to blow off steam with... Who does Jessie have?"

"Okay Gran, Mary" said Ni "I'll talk to Linda and see if she knows of any activities for kids that Jessie might like to do"

"That's a good start Niall" said Maura

"How long has ti been Ni?" asked Haz

"20 minutes" said Ni "go look out the window Haz"

Haz got up and went to the back door.

"Yep, eyes closed headstand" said Haz "Maura, Gran come see Jessie"

Maura & Gran walked over to the door next to Haz.

"Glory sake's alive" said Gran "Does she do that a lot?"

"Yeah all the time" said Haz "She can do that headstand for hours"

"Why is she on the table?" asked Maura

"Its a stable surface" said Haz "better balance"

"Ah okay" said Gran

"Her legs are moving" said Haz "Yep she's done, and she lines up for the dismount, and lands a perfect 10 and wins the gold medal for England"

"U,S,A," said Pamela "go big or go home Haz"

"Okay Pamela" said Haz

"Hey Haz why don't we clean up the kitchen tonight" said Ni

"Yeah why not" said Haz "lets do this... I want Jessie to pop my back... it been hurting all day"

"Bout time Haz" said Ni "Mine hasn't hurt once since popped it"

"Jessie popped your back?" asked Maura

"Popped it, massaged it and did a spinal alignment" said Ni "Her Grandpa was a chiropractor and showed her how to do it correctly and I've been pain free for almost a week"

"She's so tiny... how did she do an alignment?" said Maura

"You'll see Mom" said Ni "its hard to explain"

"Oh okay" said Maura

"Lets all get a glass of sweet tea and go out to the patio while the boys clean up" I said "Louis, Liam, help Ni & Haz please... Zayn, you come out with us"

"Okay Mom" said Liam, Zayn & Louis

"Babe, get a bottle of water instead of tea, please" said Liam

"Okay babe" said Zayn "see you outside"

"Okay babe... we'll be out in a bit" said Liam as we headed out to the patio

"I brought you out some tea Jessie" I said

"Thanks Izzie" said Jessie

"How's your head feeling sweetie?" I said

"A little better... I think I just need some down time" said Jessie and sat down in the grass

"Why don't you do your workout?" I said "You didn't get to do it this morning, maybe it'll help"

"Yeah okay" said Jessie and got up "I'll be back"

"Take your time sweetie" I said

"She has a workout?" said Maura

"Yeah.. she usually does it in the morning but we had a lot to do today so she didn't get a chance to do it" I said

Jessie came back out "Momma can you braid my hair please" said Jessie

"Sure baby... 1 braid or 2?" said Pamela "regular or French?"

"2 French please" said Jessie

"Okay baby" said Pamela

"Do you braid her hair often Pamela?" asked Maura

"Yeah, but I don't mind doing it" said Pamela "Mary used to braid my hair when I was younger and any time I had a sports game"

"What sports did you play?" asked Gran

"Baseball, soccer, basketball, volletball and American football" said Pamela "I was a very hyper child... Mary got me into activities that I could do to burn off my energy... okay baby, you're all set"

"Thanks Momma" said Jessie

"Have fun baby" said Pamela

"Okay Momma" said Jessie as she put in her earbuds and put her Ipod in her pocket "Charlie, come on boy, we're running" and started running as Charlie joined her around the yard

"Jessie & Haz had a race the other day" said Pamela "They ran from here to the school track, ran 7 laps around the track and back - 10 miles total... it ended in a tie"

"Good for them" said Gran "Does she talk about her family much?"

"Sometimes, but only in passing" said Pamela "it still hurts to talk about them too much"

"She said they died in a car accident" said Maura "What happened?"

"They were trying to get Jessie & her Mom away from her Dad when they lost control of the car" said Pamela "Jessie's Mom grabbed her and threw themselves out of the car but hit her heade and died... her Grandparents couldn't get out and died when the car hit a tree and exploded"

"What happened to her Dad?" saked Gran

"He was driving drunk with Jessie in the car" said Pamela "He hit another car and went thru the windshield... he did bad things to Jessie and used to call her 'Satan's spawn' "

"Oh my God..." said Naura "Is she alright... mentally?"

"She's getting there" said Pamela "That first night was rough... she couldn't relax and finally curled up in my arms after I sang her to sleep on the couch"

"We saw the picture in her room" said Gran "What song did you sing to her?"

"You are my sunshine" said Pamela "Her Mom used to sing it to her when she couldn't sleep"

"I Love that song" said Gran " I used to sing it to Maura when she was a baby and couldn't sleep... knocked her right out"

"It knocked us all out" said Zayn "We were all worried about Jessie, so we all slept in the living room that night... she was in a bad head space - bc of the accident and what happened to her Dad and all"

"Hey Charlie" I said "all done running?"

"woof!" barked Charlie

"Okay.. go relax now" I said as Charlie walked off

"Smart dog and very well behaved" said Gran 

"Thank you" I said "Charlie is a therapy dog... we go to the children's ward at the hospital and visit kids who need a little extra care... that's how we met Jessie"

"What's his breed?" asked Gran

"Irish Setter" I said "My husband & I used to breed them for dog shows... Charlie was our last pup when John died so I trained him as a therapy dog"

"He's beautiful Mary" said Maura

"Thank you Maura" I said

"How did John die?" asked Gran

"He was helping a woman change her tire on her car when another car hit him" I said "he died instantly"

"I'm so sorry dear" said Gran

"Thank you" I said "I moved here in 2005... this is where we were going to live after we retired"

"Is that when you met Harry?" asked Gran

"No... I met Anne first, I only saw Harry when he would head off to school" I said "I didn't meet him till this year just before the school year ended... I needed him to take care of Charlie while I was gone... then Anne got sick and Harry asked me to help her and that's when I met Maura"

"Poor Harry was so lost that day" said Maura "I'd never seen him so upset before... it broke my heart"

"Boys tend to be more emotional when it comes to their Mother's" said Gran "Their protective instincts are heightened when we get hurt or sick"

"Oh here she goes" said Pamela "she's getting into her flips now... this is the best part of her workout"

"Look at her go" said Gem "I could watcher do this for hours"

"You should've seen her when you were on the trampoline earlier" said Pamela "She was in awe of you and said that you were way better than her"

"She did not" said Gem

"Yeah she did" said Zayn "She never took her eyes off of you... she said you were in the zone and that, that was your calm place"

"I knew it" said Gran

"Knew what Mom?" said Maura

"She's an empath" said Gran "She can read thoughts"

"How did you know?" said Ni as they came out "We never told you"

"She never makes eye contact when she talks" said Gran "she's reading the room... when she isn't she looks you in the eye"

"Well, so much for keeping that a secret" said Louis

"Don't worry we wont tell her that we know" said Maura

"Good luck with that Mom" said Ni "Jessie knows everything that goes on in this family.... everything"

"Oh" said Maura

"Its fine Mom" said Ni "She already knows... she's back in her headstand again... it wont be long now Haz, have a seat mate"

"Yeah okay" said Haz as he tried to sit down "ow damn" he hissed and closed his eyes "its gotten worse"

"Okay haz.. I'll go get her" said Ni as he went to the picnic table and knocked on it

"Hey Papa... What's up?" said Jessie

"Haz needs you.. his back is hurting bad" said Ni

"Okay Papa" said Jessie and came out of her headstand and ran over to Haz "How bad is it Haz - 1, being okay to 10 being Hell"

"15" said Haz "It hurts to sit upright"

"Okay Haz, just breathe and lets stand you up" said Jessie "Take off your hoodie"

"Okay peanut" said Haz and took off his hoodie slowly "out in the grass?"

"Yep... Papa, I'm gonna need some help getting him to lie down on his tummy" said Jessie

"okay poppet" said Ni "don't forget his hoodie to put under his head"

"I got it Papa" said Jessie "Haz adjust yourself before you lie down so I don't hurt you when I sit on your butt"

"Okay peanut" said Haz and turned around to do as Jessie asked "okay, all set peanut" and laid down with Ni's help

"Put this under your head, then put your arms down at your sides" said Jessie "Now show where it hurts most on your back Haz"

"Right here" said Haz and put his hand in the middle of his back

"Okay Haz, I want you to inhale thru your nose on 1 - hold it on 2 - and exhale thru your mouth on 3... got it?" said Jessie "and don't move no matter how much it hurts"

"Got it... I wont move, promise" said Haz

"Okay Haz… here we go" said Jessie and put her hands on his back "1...2- POP!... 3 - exhale.... 1...2 - POP, POP, POP... 3 - exhale... 1... 2 - POP, POP, POP, POP... 3 - exhale, last one Haz.. … 2- POP, POP, POP, POP, POP, POP..... POP - Damn Haz your back has more knots than a rope"

"Oh God... its feeling better already - the pains about a 5 now" said Haz "keep going peanut"

"Okay Haz, that's good" said Jessie "Papa I need your hands.. stand over his butt.. just breathe normal Haz, I'm gonna work out those knots so don't move or I'll hurt us both"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz

"Here we go" said Jessie as she help Ni's hands and dug her heels into his muscles "If any of the pressure hurts Haz tell me and I'll ease up, 'Kay?"

" 'Kay" said Haz "damn... yeah, right there Jess" and swore into his hoodie "keep going, I'm fine... oh dear God - ow - ease up a bit - yeah, that's better Jess... go back to the middle of my back please"

"okay Haz" said Jessie and went back to the pain source

"Yeah, right there... oh God in Heaven" groaned Haz "Okay peanut, that's good, its loose now"

"Okay, roll over and hug your arms across your chest so I can align your spine" said Jessie "don't move - I'm gonna cradle your head as my feet push on your shoulders and I pull your head... just breathe normal Haz.. you ready?"

"Ready" said Haz

"Okay, here we go" said Jessie "1... 2... 3" and pulled as she pushed against his shoulders with her feet... we heard a sound that sounded like falling dominos.

"What was that?" asked Haz

"That was your spine shifting back into place" said Jessie "Papa take his shoes off, gently"

"Okay poppet" said Ni

"Haz, I want you to wiggle your toes" said Jessie as his toes moved "Whew!, okay good... I'm going to slowly ease your head into the grass, don't stop wiggling your toes Haz"

"Okay" said Haz as she eased his head into the grass then stood up over him

"Okay Haz, we're gonna do a body check... when I say a word, I want you to move that body part gently and keep wiggling your toes... okay?" said Jessie

"Okay" said Haz

JESSIE: Here we go... Head - shake & nod gently  
* Haz shook his head, then nodded*  
JESSIE: good... Arms - shrug & lift one at a time  
*He shrugged then lifted both arms*  
JESSIE: good... Hands & fingers - shake & wiggle  
*He shook his hand and wiggled his fingers*  
JESSIE: okay good... try and lift you butt off the ground - easy does it Haz  
*Haz lifted his butt of the ground*  
JESSIE: excellent... Legs - lift & bend one at a time  
*He lifted his legs, still wiggling his toes*

"Great job Haz" said Jessie "How do you feel?"

"Oh my God, so much better" said Haz

"Okay, go ahead and get up, slowly or you'll get dizzy" said Jessie

"Yes ma'am" said Haz as he sat up and then stood up "Peanut, you're amazing.. Thank you" and gave her a hug

"You're welcome" said Jessie "Next time don't let it get so bad ya dork"

"I wont, promise" said Haz and sat down "Why did my spine make that sound?"

"Because when you hurt your back on the ladder, it shifted your spine... when I re-aligned it, it went back into place, that's why we did a body check bc when it moved, it could have cut your spinal cord and I needed to make sure it was still connected together" said Jessie "It shouldn't hurt so much now, but if it gets that bad again, you need to go see a doctor... okay?"

"Okay peanut, I will, promise" said Haz

"You did a great job Jessie" said Maura

"Thanks" said Jessie "We've been trying to get Haz to let me work on his back, but his stubborn butt kept putting it off and look where it got you... ya dork"

"Yeah, yeah, I know peanut" said Haz "I wont let it happen again - I swear"

"How are you feeling baby?" said Pamela

"100% better Momma" said Jessie "I see Charlie is taking a nap... poor thing, he didn't sleep good last night - he was whimpering in his sleep and kept me up till 2am"

"I'll give him a check over when he wakes up" said Robin "Other than the whimpering, how has he been acting?... Is he eating normally?"

"He's been acting normal... his eating is off a little, but he eventually finishes his food" said Mart

"Has he been eating anything new?" asked Robin

"I fix Xharlie &I an egg and a half a piece of toast before our run in the morning, other than that, no" I said

"Its the bread" said Robin "Bread has yeast in it and that yeast cabn cause a tummy ache due to gas build up"

"Ah... so he needs to fart" said Jessie

"Yes he does" chuckled Robin "and no more giving him bread, okay?"

"Okay, no more bread for Charlie" said Jessie "Is the egg okay tho?"

"Yes the egg is fine Jessie" said Robin "You can even give him a 1/2 of a banana - once a day, okay?"

"Okay, cool beans" said Jessie "I need a juice... be right back"

"Okay baby" said Pamela

Jessie came back out with her juice, but it looked different.

"What kind of juice is that sweetie?" I asked

"Papaya juice with coconut milk" said Jessie "It was new at the store so I thought I'd try it"

"What is that floating on top?" asked Pamela

"My vitamin" said Jessie "They're disgusting to chew, so I crush it up and put it in my juice... at least I can drink it down"

"Ah okay" said Pamela "How's the new juice?"

"Its really good... you want to try it?" said Jessie

"Sure" said Pamela and took a sip "Wow, that is good... You'd like this Pops, it tastes like sherbert & ice cream"

"Ooo that sounds good" said Zayn "I'll maybe try it tomorrow... I'm waiting for the cheesecake"

"Okay Grandpa.. we'll have it in a bit, my tummy is still full of spaghetti" said Jessie with a giggle

"How's the acid reflux?" I asked

"None so far" said Jessie "Momma, Papa & I have a wedding appointment on Friday Gran, you want to come with us?"

"I would love to Jessie, thank you" said Gran

"Awesome... we're gonna have so much fun" said Jessie

"We're gonna have a girls night Friday night" said Gem "and a shopping trip on Saturday... How does that sound?... and you can invite Sarah too"

"Oh, I Love it" said Jessie "Can we go dress shopping for the wedding?"

"Absolutely munchkin" said Gem

"Yes!!…. oh so much fun" said Jessie

"Papa" said Jessie

"Yes poppet?" said Ni

"He says its time for the thing" said Jessie

"Ah, okay poppet" said Ni "I'll be right Back... Haz can you help me please"

"Sure Ni... be right back princess" said Haz

"Okay Haz" I said

"Who is 'he'?" asked Maura

"You'll see" said Jessie "Its a special surprise Grandma"

"Okay Jessie" said Maura


	42. Chapter 42

NOTE: If you've already read the previous chapter, you may want to re-read it bc I added to it this morning before you read this one.

Chapter 42

MARY'S POV (Continued)

Ni & Haz came back out carrying 2 boxes and handed them to Jessie.

"Who's is this one?" asked Jessie

"That's Mom's" said Ni

"Okay, now Grandma, there's a special message that comes with this box" said Jessie as she closed her eyes "The day you were born, I planted a pink rose bush, the day we brought you home... these are for my beautiful little girl, who I love so much." Jessie opened her eyes and gave the box to Maura

Maura opened the box to reveal the most beautiful pink roses.

"Gramps says they're your favorite" whispered Jessie

"Gran, this box also comes with a special message" said Jessie and closed her eyes "To my beautiful bride... Today, 65 years ago, we said 'I do' and I have loved you every minute of every day of those 65 years... you're chores aren't done yet - Love, Me" and handed the box to Gran

Gran opened the box to reveal white roses as a tear slid down her cheek.

"Oh Mom... Dad remembered" whispered Maura

"Yes he did" said Gran "Thank you Jessie... so much"

"You're welcome Gran" said Jessie "The flowers were Papa's idea, but Gramps insisted that they be roses, the color and the messages"

"How is he?" asked Gran

"He's happy you're here" said Jessie "And.. just a sec... there's no way I'm saying that - are you crazy? She'll slap me... Papa, may I say what he wants me to say without getting in trouble?"

"Go ahead poppet" said Ni

"Okay" said Jessie "He's happy you're here and he wants you to live a longer life so that when he sees you again, you can tell him all about it, but not yet... and quit crying, you're breaking his heart"

"Alright... no more wanting to die & no more tears - I promise" laughed Gran and wiped her eyes

"He says 'thank you, my beautiful Irish rose' " said Jessie "Oh come on Gramps, you're pushing your luck here... okay fine" and sighed "He also said to remind you of that important thing you brought for Papa - No Gramps, go sit down, you're making me dizzy"

"Are you alright Jessie?" asked Anne

"I'm fine Anne... Gramps just gets excited and bounces around a lot... kinda like Louis and his mental 20 questions" said Jessie

"Okay sweetie... just checking" said Anne

"Oh, its in my purse, and I left it in the car" said Gran "Haz, could you get my purse for me please"

"Sure Gran" said Haz

"Haz.. WAIT!" said Jessie loudly "Papa call Rothsdale… Momma, come with me... Haz, park your ass in that chair and don't move - Louis knock his ass out if he tries to move"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis "Sorry Haz, I have my orders man"

"I'm not moving" said Haz

JESSIE'S POV

We walked out to the front yard... there was Des banging on Anne's door.

You were told not to come back" said Momma "You must really want to go to jail Des"

"Where is he?" said Des

"We gave him your number and message" I said "Its his choice if he calls you or not... give him time"

"WHERE IS HE!' yelled Des "GET HIM OUT HERE NOW!"

"Mr. Styles, calm down, please" I said calmly "You're drunk and as long as you are, Harry is staying right where he is"

"You little bitch" said Des "Keep your nose out of family business that isn't yours"

"Momma go get Incle Lou please" I said "Tell Papa to protect Harry - no matter what"

"I'm not leaving" said Momma

"Momma...GO!.. NOW!" I yelled and stepped in front of Momma as Des hit me in the head

"LOUIS!!.. BASEBALL BAT!!.. NOW!!" I heard Momma yell

I saw Louis with his bat "LOU... KNEES,,, SMASH EM" I yelled as Louis swung at Des's knees repeatedly

Momma me to my feet and held me tight "LOU!..STOP!!!" I yelled "OW.. son of a fucking bitch!!" and grabbed the sides of my head.. it felt like it was gonna explode

"Louis, take Jessie to Robin" said Momma "I'll take the bat and stay here till Rothsdale arrives"

"Okay Pamela" said Louis as he picked me up and carried me to the patio "Robin make sure Jessie's okay please"

"What happened?" asked Mary

"Des... tried to hit... Momma" I said panting "But hit... me when... I got... between them"

"That...." said Haz

"HARRY EDWARD STYLES... OW" I yelled "sorry Papa... SIT YOUR FUCKING ASS DOWN... NOW!!!...OW, OW, OW"

"But... Jess" said Haz

"NO, HAZ, SHUT UP AND LISTEN" I yelled, then took a few deep breaths to calm down "He's drunk, his knees are broken & he's passed out... He's not going anywhere except to jail, by way of the hospital... now sit down before I throw up on you"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz and sat back down

"Okay Jessie... look at my finger and follow it with just your eyes... left... right... up... down - good job" said Robin and held up 3 fingers "How many fingers do you see?"

"5... 3 up and 2 down" I said

"Cute Jessie... cute" Robin chuckled "She's fine... anyone who can crack a joke while in pain, is just fine"

"Gem can you get me a pain killer and a bag of peas from the freezer please" I said

"You bet munchkin" said Gem and went inside

"Oh poppet... come here baby" said Papa as he picked me up and held me on his lap "My sweet girl" and kissed my head

"Here you go munchkin" said Gem "1 pain killer & peas"

"I need my juice" I said as I put the pill on my tongue and the peas on the side of my head "Thanks Gem" and took a drink to wash the pill down

"Louis as soon as that waste of human existence is gone, we'll make the topping and have dessert" I said

"Okay munchkin" said Louis

"Haz?.. what's wrong?' I said and slid off Papa's lap and slowly made my way to Haz "hey now... shh, its alright... I'm fine, you, Anne, & Gem are all fine and safe... why are you crying?"

"You got hurt... bc of me" cried Haz

"Haz, look at me" I said softly "I got hurt bc I was protecting my Momma - just like you did... you & me? we have an overwhelming urge to protect our Momma's... we protect those who protect us... now, what did I tell you earlier?... I know you remember"

"You & Ni were here to protect me bc Louis & Robin were protecting Mum & Gemma" said Haz as he slowly stopped crying

"Very good... that's right" I said "Its your turn to be protected and you need to let us do that... I know its hard to sit back and let other do that - How do you think I feel? You've all protected me and kept me safe when I couldn't, but did I cry about it?... did I?"

"No, you didn't" said Haz

"Then dry your eyes and come with me" I said "Rothsdale is here and we're pressing charges against Mr. Desmond Styles and be done with him... Now, you need to carry me bc it hurts to walk"

"Okay peanut" said Haz and carried me to the front yard

"Hey kiddo... What happened?" said Rothsdale

"That... thing.. hit me" I said "I want him arrested for assault & battery on a minor - me & Harry, trespassing, drunk disorderly, harassment, & domestic violence against a child - Harry"

"What happened to him?" asked Rothsdale

"Justifiable physical violence in defense of a child" I said "resulting in 2 broken knee caps from a baseball bat... he's drunk off his butt and passed out from the pain"

"Ah, I see" said Rothsdale "well I guess I better call an ambulance then... are you alright Jessie?"

"I'm fine... he punched me in the head so my eyes are a little fuzzy" I said "He gave Harry a concussion in Dec. 2006... punching children in the head is a proclivity of his apparently"

"I'll get him out of here soon" said Rothsdale I'll be back tomorrow to get your statements.. okay kiddo?"

"Okay sounds good" I said "Can we go back to the patio?... Papa's family is here"

"Sure kiddo" said Rothsdale "an ambulance will be here shortly"

"Okay thanks" I said "come on Haz lets go... our work for today is done"

"Okay peanut" said Haz "Thanks Constable"

"You're welcome Harry" said Rothsdale as we went inside

"Haz set me down at the kitchen table and send Louis in" I said "We'll have dessert in 10 minutes"

"Okay peanut" said Haz and set me down "Hey Lou.. Jessie wants you in the kitchen"

"On my way" said Louis and came into the kitchen "What's up munchkin?"

"Its time to make the topping" I said and told him what to get while and how to make it I rested my eyes "Okay, now get the cheesecake out of the fridge, grab a knife, a spoon, the pie swerver, 13 luncheon plates and 13 forks"

"Okay" said Louis and got everything

"Now put the beaters in the sink, unplug the mixer and set it on the counter and call everyone in" I said

"Okay" said Louis and took care of things "Time for dessert everyone"

"Momma could you cut the cheesecake please" I said "I can never get the slices right"

"Sure baby" said Momma

"The first slice always breaks, so I'll take that one" I said as I ran the knife around the edge and removed the outside of the pan

"Wow" said Louis "I was wondering how you were gonne get it out of there"

"This pan was designed for cheesecakes" I said "Momma, she's all yours"

"Okay baby" said Momma and sliced it up and put a slice on each plate with a dollop of whipped topping

"I hope y'all like it" I said and took a bite "Oh my god... Louis, this is so good... my Grandma would be so proud of you right now - you did it - you've successfully made your first cheesecake"

"I agree" said Zayn

"Thanks Jessie, Zayn" said Louis "I had a good teacher"

"Papa... you're quiet... are you okay?" I said

"I'm fine poppet" said Papa

"Don't fib Papa... you're not fine... tell me" I said

"Don't get me wrong poppet, I'm glad you protected your Momma, but why would you take the chance of getting hurt after everything you've been thru?.. He could've killed you" said Papa

"Because Papa, if I had let him hit Momma, you would've killed him and that wasn't an option I was willing to live with" I said "so I went with the only other option available - stall him long enough for Lou to get there and with his bat and break his knees"

"I read him Papa... he never had any intention of talking to Haz.. he was Hell bent on revenge bc a kid pulled a knife on him... He was going to hurt Haz and anyone who got in his way" I said "I'm sorry Papa, but if ANYONE HURTS THIS FAMILY, I'LL KILL THEM... and NO ONE will EVER find the body.... its bc of what I've gone thru that I make this promise... for life"

"Okay poppet.. I'm sorry for upsetting you" said Papa

"I'm not upset with you Papa... HE's awake and I'm bout ready to go punch him in his damned mouth if he says.... OH, THATS IT!!" I said and ran out of the front door "SAY THAT TO MY FACE YOU DRUNK FUCKWAD... YOU SORRY ASS MOTHER FUCKER... YEAH? KEEP IT UP AND I'LL CUT YOUR PECKER OFF!!"

"THAT BITCH IS THE DEVIL" yelled Des

"THATS WHAT YOUR MOMMA SAID THE DAY YOU CRAWLED OUT OF THE FUCKING SWAMP" I yelled "YOU SPINELESS JACKASS... I HOPE YOU BURN IN HELL WITH MY DADDY... YOU CAN GO FUCK YOURSELF WITH YOUR OWN DICK AFTER I CUT IT OFF - FUCK OFF AND DIE!!!!" and went back in the house and slammed the door

"NOW I'M UPSET!!' I yelled and punched the wall as I went outside


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

PAMELA'S POV

"I've never seen her punch anything or anyone before, but I do believe she is beyond upset" said Louis "Are anyone else's ears ringing from the verbal assault she just unleashed... or is it just me?"

"I'd bet $10 bucks Rothsdale is laughing his butt off all the way to the hospital after what peanut just said" said Haz

"Gee ya think" said Gem

"She definitely doesn't have any head trauma" said Robin "If the worst she ever does is throw a few choice swear words and punches a wall, I'd let her, otherwise she could do something that could land her in jail"

"Or a drunken bar brawl" said Gem

"Niall, is she alright?" said Gran

"She's fine Gran... she's just been thru a lot" said Ni

"What has she been thru Niall?" asked Gran "Tell us, please"

"Her Dad abused her - sexually" said Ni "and.." and looked at me

"And we think she had a miscarriage" I said "she's never cried or anything"

"Yes she did" said Haz "She sat right here in the kitchen and cried in my arms - swearing & cursing him to rot in Hell"

"When?" I said

"Sunday night" said Haz "after Zayn was sick and took care of him... she looked so lost, so I sat down and we talked and cried... You remember?.. Liam had that problem she helped him with"

"I remember now" I said "That night was a mess"

"I'm gonna go check On Jessie" said Haz "I don't like the fact that she punched the wall"

"Okay Haz" I said

HARRY'S POV

I went out to the backyard.. Jessie was sitting at the picnic table with her head on her arms crying.

"Hey peanut" I said softly and sat down "come here baby" and scooped her up into my arms "Shh its alright peanut.. hey now, calm down sweetie or you'll give yourself a headache"

"I already have one" cried Jessie "My head feels like its gonna explode it hurts so bad... and I think I broke my hand - or at least a couple of fingers"

"Oh peanut" I said and kissed her head "lets get you inside and have Robin take a look at your hand and get you 2 pain killers this time"

"Okay" said Jessie and carried her into the kitchen and set down at the table

"Robin, can you look at Jessie's hand" I said "It looks pretty bad"

"Sure Haz" said Robin "Let me see you hand Jess" and gave Robin her hand "okay.. well your hand is fine, but you've broke 3 fingers Jess"

"Dad, can you get your bag for Robin please" said Pamela

"Sure baby girl" said Liam ans ran upstairs and came back with his medical bag "I have splints and tape Robin"

"Okay good" said Robin "now Jess, this is going to hurt, but I have to straighten your fingers so they heal correctly... okay?"

"Okay" said Jessie "so much for playing the piano tonight... sorry Gran, Grandma"

"That's alright sweetie" said Gran "You can play for us when your fingers have healed"

"Ow, ow, ow, son of a bumble bee" said Jessie, panting heavy "damn that hurts"

"I know Jess... just breathe" said Robin "I'm almost done"

"Okay" said Jessie and gripped the table - making her knuckles turn white "I'll try.. sorry Papa.. fucking Hell" and closed her eyes while doing relaxation breathing

"Last one Jess" said Robin, Jessie nodded, not saying a word, just breathing slow and easy with her eyes closed "Olay Jess its all done... Are you alright sweetie?"

"Yeah, I'm okay" said Jessie quietly as she slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath and cracked her neck "damn.. I didn't think I was gonna get thru that without passing out"

"How did you get past the pain baby?" said Pamela

"I regulated my breathing and went thru my checklists" said Jessie "bc my brain was concentrating on something other than the pain, I was able to not pass out... I've only been able to do that a few times when I had hurt myself - Mr. Burke showed me how to do it so that I can sleep bc the voices keep me awake if I don't... how long do I have to wear the splints?"

"3 - 4 weeks" said Robin

"damn there goes pizza tomorrow" I said

"Oh we're still doing pizza tomorrow" said Jessie "Louis needs to learn sometime how to do it, so he's on KP duty for the rest of the week"

"KP?" said Gem

"Kitchen Prep" said Pamela

"Oh okay" said Gem

"Besides I can use a non-latex glove on my hand and show Louis how to toss pizza dough, no problem" said Jessie

"You sure peanut?" I said

"Yepperdo" said Jessie "Thanks Robin.. sorry for swearing"

"You're welcome Jess" said Robin "That's okay sweetie... considering the fact that you didn't pass out, I'll let the swearing slide this time... but please do try not to swear - save it for when you're in your room with the door closed.. okay?"

"Okay Robin, I'll try... promise" said Jessie "So how was the cheesecake y'all?"

"Its wonderful dear" said Gran "I'd love the recipe... if you're willing to share it"

"Of course... I'll write it down for you" said Jessie "Grandma would scold me otherwise" and finished her dessert

"I would've liked to meet her" said Gran "I suspect you're a lot like her"

Jessie's head snapped up "You already met her" said Jessie "The couple you met in Dublin... they were on a vacation.. she was pregnant with my Momma"

"William & Maggie Foster" said Gran "Oh.. my.. God - you're Maggie's grand-daughter?"

"Yes ma'am" said Jessie "she told me about you... how you met and about the beautiful rose garden you had... Grandpa made her a rose garden when they came back to Georgia - I'll show you" and went to the living room and came back with her photo album & shoebox "I know I have it... yes!! there it is.. see?" and handed the photo to Gran

"Oh Maggie... you finally got your rose garden" whispered Gran "Who took this picture?"

"I took it - 2 days before my Dad & I moved here" said Jessie "I took it from the attic window in their house"

"Its beautiful Jessie" said Gran "Thank you"

"I have another picture" said Jessie and picked up a photo and turned it over "To Beth... the sister I never had... Love, Maggie" and handed the photo to Gran

"Oh... Maura... look" said Gran "Its You, Me & Maggie"

"Oh Mom.. you & Maggie look just like sisters" said Maura

"Can I see it Gran?" said Ni and took the picture "Oh yeah... there's Irish in your DNA poppet and you look just like Maggie too"

"That's what Grandpa always said" said Jessie "but I didn't believe him... till I saw that picture"

"William took this before they went back home" said Gran

"Its your Gran" said Jessie "I have a copy for Maura too" and handed the same photo to Maura

"Oh thank you Jessie" said Maura & Gran

"Haz can you get my purse from the car before I forget again please" said Gran

"Sire Gran" I said and ran out to the car, grabbed her purse and went back inside "Here Gran"

"Thank you dear" said Gran

"You're welcome Gran" I said

"Gran put the photo in her purse and took out a small box.

"This is for your Wedding Niall, Pamela" said Gran "Father Gregory blessed them for you" and gave the box to Pamela

Pamela gasped "Oh Gran... Thank you.. they're perfect" said Pamela "Ni we have our rings"

"Gran.. these are your rings" said Ni

"Yes they were... and just as they were my parents rings, now they're yours" said Gran "One day, you'll pass them to your son or daughter and then , one day, so will they"

"Thank you Gran" said Ni "lets try them on and make sure they fit poppet"

"Okay sunshine" said Pamela and took out Ni's ring and put it on his finger, as he did the same "a perfect fit"

"Yeah.. not too tight, but not too loose" said Ni then took their rings off and put them back in the box

Pamela got up and hugged Gran "Thank you so much Gran" said Pamela 

"You're welcome dear" said Gran "Welcome to the family Pamela"

"Thank you Gran" said Pamela and kissed her cheek

"Now when do we get to take a ride in your helicopter?" said Gran

"How about tomorrow?"... You, Me & Jessie" said Pamela "We'll fly to London, get refueled, and fly back"

:Oh how fun.. a quick trip sounds perfect" said Gran "How long will it take?"

"An hour.. maybe two - You're not afraid to fly are you?" said Pamela

"No way" said Gran "Why?"

"Cuz Papa's a scaredie cat" said Jessie "and wont let Momma take him for a fly around"

"I am not" said Ni

"Are too" said Jessie "prove it Papa... let Momma fly you around town... you in? or are you chicken?"

"Oh shit here she goes again" said Mum and slapped her hand over her mouth

"Mum!" said Gem & I

"Anne, I'm shocked" said Pamela, laughing "such language"

"Oh hush Pamela" said Mum smiling "sorry, it just slipped out"

"That's okay Anne... I was about to say the same thing" said Louis "come on Ni, bite the bullet before Jessie adds to it"

"Fine" said Ni "I'll go... but under extreme protest"

"Wow... wonders never cease" said Pamela

"Go with them Ni" I said "we'll have time and you wont miss any time at work"

"Yeah okay" said Ni as he ran a shaky hand thru his hair

"Oh Papa... I'm sorry" said Jessie "Momma, Papa can't go up... not yet - no way"

"What's wrong baby?" said Pamela "Ni, sunshine, what's wrong?"

"He's having a panic attack" said Liam

"Papa.. breathe" said Jessie "shit.. Papa, look at me - hey, there you are... just breathe Papa, slow & easy, in your nose and out your mouth... there you go, just breathe"

"Jessie's right Ni, you're not ready... we'll go up when you are, no rush, no pressure" said Pamela and hugged Ni "I Love You sunshine"

"Okay poppet" said Ni "I Love You too poppet"

"Niall was like that when we moved here" said Maura "He had to be sedated just to get on the plane, bc he was so stressed out"

"I've gotten better on airplanes Mom" said Ni "I've flown twice since then and didn't need to be sedated... I'm just not good in confined spaces, that's all"

"Why didn't you tell me?" said Pamela

"Because I was working thru it" said Ni "I can last 20 minutes so far, before I start to feel the panic"

"Oh Ni... don't push it" said Pamela "We'll fly together one day, just not right now sunshine, just relax Ni, I'm not mad"

"Okay Papa, come with me - you're next" said Jessie "You're more of a mental mess than I am - come on.. backyard - lets go mister"

"Go... before she drags you out by your ears" chuckled Pamela "we'll be out shortly"

"Okay poppet" said Ni "Lead the way lemur monkey"

JESSIE'S POV

We walked out to the middle of the yard.

"Sit down and cross your legs Papa" I said

"Okay poppet" said Papa and sat down

I sat down across from him and crossed my legs "Hold up your hands, palms facing me and close your eyes" I said and pressed our palms together "tune out everything except the sound of my voice, lower you heart rate and breathe slow & easy... that's it Papa... now I want you to remember that feeling when Momma said yes she'd marry you - that's your calm place, okay?" Papa nodded "now go to your calm place... let the feeling wrap around you like a blanket... let it soothe your mind - that's it, now let your hands fall to your lap.. you're completely relaxed... stay like this for at least 5 minutes, then slowly open your eyes"

I got up and went to the patio and sat down, closed my eyes and listened as everyone came outside and sat down.

"How is he?" asked Momma

"He's relaxed now" I said "It was hard to find his calm place at first, but I found it... he'll be fine in a bit Momma"

"What's his calm place?" asked Grandma Maura

"The feeling he felt when Momma said yes" I said "It was the closest memory that was rated PG... my brain needs a bleach bath to erase the other things I saw"

"Oh God" said Momma

"That's what he said" I giggled

"Oh no... not again" said Zayn and chuckled

"Please don't start that again... I'm begging you" said Grandpa Li

"Sorry Grandpa" I giggled "But she walked into that one... I couldn't help it"

"That's okay princess" said Grandpa Li

"Anne... would you like a relaxation session?" I asked "It'll help your nerves"

"You'll feel 10 times better Anne" said Liam

"Sure sweetie" said Anne

"Okay, come sit out in the grass and cross your legs" I said as we walk out in the yard and sat down

"Hold your hand out in front of you, palms facing me and close your eyes" and pressed our palms together "breathe slow & easy... let all your fears & stress just fade away - tune out everything but the sound of my voice" and closed my eyes "lower your heart rate, breathe slow & easy.... that's it... now remember the times that you held Gem & Harry for the very first time - that's your calm place, okay?" Anne nodded "now go to your calm place.... let it wash over you like rain drops on a lazy summer day.... feel the wind in your hair as it takes all of your stress & fears and carries them far, far away - there they go... let your hands fall to your lap... now you're completely relaxed, stay like this for 5 minutes and then slowly open your eyes and come back to the patio" I stood up and went back to my chair

"Man, she so needed that" I said "Her nerves are so shot right now and Uncle Luce is about 30 seconds from punching Des's ticket without authorization... He never did like Des"

"Is she okay?" said Haz & Robin

"She's fine but she's going to need a lot of relaxation sessions to get thru this" I said

"What can I do to help her?" asked Robin

"Listen when she needs to talk about it" I said "don't push her when she doesn't, comfort her if she cries... right now that's all you can do - just be there.... Des messed her up so be patient with her"

"I can do that" said Robin

"Haz give Anne's phone to Robin" I said "and put your home, cell & work numbers in it... and you & Haz should go have that talk while Anne is regrouping"

"Okay" said Robin and put his numbers in Anne's phone, then set it on the table

"Come on Robin" said Haz "Jessie will come get us if Mum needs us"

"Yeah, okay.. thanks Jess" said Robin

"You're welcome Robin" I said as they went inside

"Is Robin okay?" asked Gem

"He's fine, he's just nervous" I said "He wants to have the 'man to man' conversation with Haz"

"Oh okay... I guess: said Gem

"You remember what you asked Robin earlier?" I said

"Oh, yeah... what about it?" said Gem

"Robin wants Haz's permission" I said "Its a guy thing... he likes Haz and doesn't want to mess things up with Anne"

"Ah okay" said Gem

Papa stood up and came to the patio and sat down.

"How do you feel Papa?" I asked

"Much better poppet, thank you" said Papa "Ah, I see you got Anne to relax too"

"Yeah.. she needed it" I said "last thing she needs is to get sick again bc of all of this mess with Des"

"I remember that" said Maura "Poor Anne... she could barely walk she was so sick.... Mary & I had to help her and Harry ended up carrying up & down the stairs bc she was too weak to walk... she missed 2 days of work bc of it"

"When did that happen?" asked Gem

"2 days before school ended" said Papa "Haz was an emotional wreck that day"

"poor Mum" said Gem "I've told her, over & over 'if you need help with Haz's schooling to call me', but she never does... he's my baby boy too ya know"

"Calm down Gem or I'll send you to time out on the trampoline" I said

"Fine" said Gem and crossed her arms and didn't say another word

I looked over at Li & Zayn "Momma look" I said and pointed at them

"Aw they're sleeping... good for them" said Momma

"Now Papa you can do that relaxation on your own.. any time you feel like that again" I said

"Okay poppet" said Papa

Haz & Robin cane back out and sat down "All good?" I asked

"All good peanut" said Haz "Mum's still relaxing?"

"Yeah... she doesn't want to leave her calm place" I said

"What's her calm place?" asked Gran

"The moment she held Haz & Gem for the first time" I said "The calmest & happiest memeories of her life"

"I know that feeling... there's nothing like it in the whole wide world" said Gran "Absolutely nothing"

"Haz… look at her face" said Gem "If I didn't know better, I would swear she's getting younger"

"I see it too" said Haz "Jessie... do you see what we see?"

"Yeah, I see it" I said "Robin... How old are you?"

"30... Why?" said Robin

"Oh.. my.. God - no way" I said and walked over to Anne, placing my hand on her heart "Robin come here please" he came over, sat down, as I put my hand on his heart "Do you feel that?" he nodded "You're hearts are beating in sync... Anne's biological age is reversing to sync up with yours"

"Oh gosh" said Haz "Gemma... you look just like Mum"

"Yeah, I see that bug" said Gem

Anne slowly opened her eyes "I feel like there's butterflies in my stomach, but I feel energized too" said Anne

"How does your brain feel Anne?" I said

"Its so calm & bright" said Anne "Like someone turned the lights on and the room is a bright white - no colors"

"Okay... this is odd" I said "All of her memories of Des are gone... he's been wiped out - poof!"

"Does she still remember us?" asked Haz

"Yeah, all of her memories are there, but Des is nowhere in them" I said

"I removed him Jess" said a familiar voice

I jumped "Damn it Lucifer!!" I said "Quit sneaking up on me like that... you're gonna give me a stroke"

"Sorry Jess" said Lucifer "As I said before, I removed Desmond from her memories... to her, he a nameless, faceless stranger - no one of importance"

"Why would.... you can't do that Lucifer!" I said

"But her hurt her & her children" said Lucifer "And he hurt you"

I sighed "Luce… the memories of humans are special & sacred - they are the story of Anne's life.. her history of evolution - the good, the bad... and Desmond Styles" I said "That's what you told me... or were you lying to me?"

"No Jess, I didn't lie to you" said Lucifer

"Then put her memories back, the way they were" I said "Don't test me Lucifer or do I have to rat you out to God?... I have had the worst 110 years, 6 months, 2 weeks and 5 days of my life all bc you told me I HAD TO REMEMBER - DONT FUCK WITH ME LUCIFER OR SO HELP ME GOD, I'LL SHOVE A HELLHOUND SO FAR UP YOUR ASS YOU'LL NEED HELP TO BREATHE"

"DON'T use that tone with me Jess" said Lucifer "I'll put her memories back as they were" and snapped his fingers "There, all back to normal"

"Luce, I Love You, I do, you know that... but next time try asking the person whose memories you want to take - FIRST" I said and kissed his cheek "Now, go home Uncle Luce, I'm fine... we're all fine"

"Alright Jess... I Love You too jellybean" said Lucifer and disappeared

"Are you okay Anne?" I said

"Ah, much better... the colors are back" said Anne

"Good" I said and fell to my knees

"Jessie!" said Anne "Are you alright sweetie?"

"Yeah... I just got really dizzy" I said and shook my head "whoa, damn... holy cow - the pain in my head & fingers is gone"


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Let me check your fingers Jess" said Robin as I sat in the grass and gave him my hand. He unwrapped one of my fingers "Its completely healed... as if it was never broken" and unqraped the other fingers - all healed

"Thanks Uncle Luce" I said "You're the best... I'm sorry"

"You're welcome jellybean... now go play your song for Beth & Maura" said Lucifer "Apology accepted"

"Thank you for taking care of me Robin" I said

"Anytime Jess.. Anytime" said Robin and helped me up

"Jessie, why was he here? and why did you call him Uncle?" said Gran "Spill it young lady... we're waiting"

"Okay Gran" I said as I sat down "Everyone already knows... I'll explain why Lucifer was here in a bit... I called him Uncle bc he is, in that when a soul is created, it has no gender and is given 2 choices 1) to stay in Heaven or 2) to become human.... When a soul becomes human, Lucifer is our care taker, so we call him Uncle and he makes sure we are where we should be - right place, right time so that we can follow the paths that are written for us... with me so far?"

"Yes, go on" said Gran

"My path kept getting interrupted bc I wasn't in the correct time & place so Lucifer kept sending me back till I was where I should be... each time I remembered everything from before and my birth & death became a sort of routine" I said

"How many times?" asked Gran

"18 births... 17 deaths - as I said, it became a routine" I said "Lucifer uses a souls aura to keep track of us, kind of like a GPS, but after the accident that killed my Momma, my aura was damaged and Lucifer couldn't track me, so he used an alternate method to find me - my Daddy - any way, he found me and said that I was finally where I was where I'm supposed to be... and here we are"

"Is he always that nice & polite?" asked Gran

"Yeah.. he loves children the most" I said "but if someone hurts a child... Oh God help them bc that pushes Lucifer off the deep end... which is why he was here - to keep an eye on Haz, Gem, Anne & me... but mostly Haz"

"Why me?" asked Haz

"Because he's the reason you didn't remember" I said "When Des hurt your head and you blacked out, Lucifer took that memory and locked it behind a door in your mind till you needed to know"

"Why did I need to know now?" asked Haz

"Because you have Mary and you're not a child any more" I said "God creates our souls and writes our life's story for us to follow, and Lucifer makes sure we are in the right story... When we fall in Love, we're not children any more but Lucifer is always checking up on us... does that help explain things a little better Haz?"

"Yeah, it does" said Haz "What happens now?"

"Now we write our story and how it ends" I said "When God writes our story, he stops writing when we fall in Love... We write the rest - the story of our life is ours to write & live as we choose and becomes part of Heaven's library to be read by God on a lazy summer day or a chilly winter night"

"There's a song in there Haz" said Papa "You hear it?"

"Yeah, I hear it" said Haz "Lets get our books and write it down"

"Yeah.. on it" said Papa "Be back in a bit poppet"

"Okay sunshine... take your time" said Momma

Louis chuckled...

"What's funny Louis?" asked Mary

"Lucifer calling Jessie 'jellybean' " said Louis "Its cute"

"I don't mind.... he used to call you 'beansprout' " I giggled "Its cute"

"Aw, how cute" said Momma

"Oh hush, both of you" chuckled Louis

"Lucifer has a bit of a sweet tooth" I said "He likes gummy bears, jellybeans & taffy"

"Well, I'm not a fan of his black hair, but Lucifer is a very nice looking man" said Gran

"Mom!" said Maura

"What?" said Gran "I may be old, but I can still admire a good looking man, Maura... I'm not dead yet"

"Tell her Gran" I giggled "Sorry Grandma, but she has a point there... he is good looking ain't he?"

"Yes, I guess he is" said Maura and smiled

"Hey Momma... they finished the song already" I said

"Wow that was fast" said Momma as Papa & Haz came out with Papa's guitar "Done already?"

"Yeah.. it flowed like water" said Papa "Liam, Zayn... wake up mates, we got a song to sing and we need you two & Louis to help sing it"

"Oh wow" said Liam "Okay, we're up... come on babe"

"Lets go out to the picnic table and do a run thru" said Haz "Come on guys"

"Oh this is gonna be fun" said Zayn "Come on Louis"

"Coming..." said Louis "see ya in a bit... jellybean"

"Okay beansprout" I said "Have fun"

"I love it when Niall & Harry sing" said Gran

"I get goosebumps when they sing" I said "Haz wrote Mary a beautiful song and knocked her speechless"

They finished their run thru and carried the picnic table closer to the patio. Haz & Papa sat on the table while Liam, Zayn & Louis sat on the bench.

"This song is called 'Story of my Life' " said Haz

"This is Jessie's song" said Papa and started playing

Written in these walls are the stories that I can't explain  
I leave my heart open but it stays right here empty for days  
She told me in the morning  
She don't feel the same about us in her bones  
It seems to me that when I die  
These words will be written on my stone  
And I'll be gone, gone tonight  
The ground beneath my feet is open wide  
The way that I been holdin' on too tight  
With nothing in between  
The story of my life, I take her home  
I drive all night to keep her warm and time  
Is frozen (the story of, the story of, the story of)  
The story of my life, I give her hope  
I spend her love until she's broke inside  
The story of my life (the story of, the story of)  
Written on these walls are  
The colors that I can't change  
Leave my heart open  
But it stays right here in its cage  
I know that in the morning now  
I see us in the light upon a hill  
Although I am broken, my heart is untamed, still  
And I'll be gone, gone tonight  
The fire beneath my feet is burning bright  
The way that I've been holdin' on so tight  
With nothing in between  
The story of my life, I'll take her home  
I drive all night to keep her warm and time  
Is frozen (the story of, the story of)  
The story of my life, I give her hope  
I spend her love until she's broke inside  
The story of my life (the story of, the story of)  
And I've been waiting for this time to come around  
But, baby, running after you is like chasing the clouds  
The story of my life  
I take her home  
I drive all night  
To keep her warm and time  
Is frozen  
The story of my life, I give her hope (give her hope)  
I spend her love until she's broken inside  
The story of my life (the story of, the story of)  
The story of my life  
The story of my life (the story of, the story of)  
The story of my life

"Oh gosh" I said as tears ran down my face "Its beautiful... thank you"

"And... we'll be playing it at the music festival next week... all of us" said Papa

"Oh Papa, no don't please" I said

"Why not baby?" said Papa

"Bc I don't want to cry in public" I said as I wiped my eyes on my t-shirt

"Alright poppet" said Papa "But if you change your mind, let me or Haz know by Tuesday, okay?"

"Okay Papa" I said "I'll think about it, I promise I will"

"Okay poppet" said Papa

"You boys sing really well together" said Gran

"Thanks Gran" said Haz

"Jessie... now that your fingers are healed, would you play the song you'll play at the wedding for us?" said Gran "please"

"Sure Gran" I said "Come on y'all… You too Uncle Luce… I know you're there ya silly goose"

"I was just waiting for an invitation jellybean" said Lucifer "You know I don't like to intrude on human dwellings unless invited... its rude"

"Well anytime you want to visit Jessie, Lucifer, just knock on the door.. as long as she's awake, of course" said Momma "No late night visits"

"Thank you Pamela" said Lucifer "No ma'am... I usually do paperwork when my charges are sleeping... its never ending"

"You're welcome" said Momma

"So who did the smash job on Desmond's knees?" asked Lucifer

"I did" said Louis "per Jessie's orders"

"Excellent job beansprout" said Lucifer "Next time, if there is one, just 2 hits to the knees - 1 hit each... its effective and less messy"

"Um.. Thanks, I'll remember that" said Louis "Have a seat"

I sat at the piano and cracked my neck & knuckles.

"Gee whiz Jess... do you have to do that?" said Lucifer "Its like scratching nails on a chalk board - give it a rest jellybean" and rubbed the back of his neck

"Sorry Luce… I forgot you don't like it" I said "its been a while since I played for you... How long has it been, exactly?"

"20 years jellybean" said Lucifer "Germany 1991"

"oh yeah, I remember now... just before the goon squad showed up" I said "dumb idgits"

"Yes, well.." said Lucifer "Go ahead jellybean"

"Okay... I've gotten better" I said "prepare to have your mind blown"

I closed my eyes and started playing. It felt good to feel the keys under my fingers as the room went quiet.. I could hear it clearer in my head as I played. I could hear the babies heartbeats as the song played and then finished.

"That was beautiful Jess... you have improved, I'm impressed - nicely done jellybean" said Lucifer

"Thanks" I said "I have one more to play and then I need to get ready for bed"

"Alright jellybean" said Lucifer

"This one... I wrote in my head" I said "so forgive me if its a little long"

"That's alright baby" said Momma "just play it till its done... no rush"

"Okay Momma" I said "Its called Time, Love & Memories"... I talked as I played

Memories of times gone by  
drift and weave like sand  
and linger in my hand

Time is fleeting, that keeps my heart beating  
for the Love that has eluded me

Where did you go?  
Why did you leave?  
Was it something I said?  
Or didn't?

We lived & loved but drifted apart  
Your Love stole my heart  
Time stole its beat  
But your memory I'll always keep

Our time was short  
Our memories like photos  
But our Love has windows....

Do you see me?  
Because I see you...

In my dreams you sleep  
Those memories I'll keep  
Till time slows and our Love grows

Come find me  
To the moon and back  
and around again....

Come find me...  
I'm waiting for the Love that stole my heart

Come find me...

I continued to play till it was over. I wiped my eyes and looked at Lucifer.. he was crying and so was everyone else.

"Now you have blown my mind Jess" said Lucifer "Thank you for letting me hear yo play... I have to go now, but I'll come visit as often as I can"

"Okay" I said "Thank you for today... I Love You so much"

"You're welcome jellybean" said Lucifer "I Love You too so much" and kissed my hair "Now go get ready for bed as you said"

"Okay" I said "Momma can you braid my hair tonight?"

"Sure baby... brush your teeth please & grab your hair ties and brush" said Momma

"Okay" I said and ran upstairs.. I brushed my teeth and put my pajamas on, grabbed my hair ties & brush and ran back down to the living room

"1 braid or 2?" said Momma "Regular or French?"

"2 French please" I said as Momma brushed and braided my hair "Luce left?"

"Yes baby" said Momma "He said he had paperwork to do"

"Oh okay" I said "Can we invite Linda to our girls night?"

"Sure we can" said Gem "Your song is beautiful munchkin"

"Thanks" I said

"You're all set baby" said Momma

"Thanks Momma" I said "I'm gonna go to bed... Good night everyone... see you tomorrow Gran"

"Goodnight Jessie" said everyone as I went up to my room

GRAN'S POV

"She's in Love" I said

"What?" said Louis "With who?"

"Lucifer" I said "I suspect he's in Love with her too.. but she's a child, so he stays away... When he messed with Anne's memories, she said she loved him and before he left, she said it again"

"Jessie said it last night too" said Pamela "and he said it back every time... I suspect Lucifer popped that song in your head... her song, from him and the song she wrote, is his from her"

"I also suspect he altered her memory of them, but try as he might, she remembered anyway" said Pamela

"So what do we do?" said Louis "She's miserable without him"

"I'm going to go talk to him" said Pamela "I have an idea, but I need the full story from him... first" and went out to the back yard

PAMELA'S POV

"Lucifer, I know you can hear me" I said "I need to talk to you please"

"Pamela?" said Lucifer "Is Jess alright?"

"Jessie's fine.. she's sleeping" I said

"Oh, okay.... What do you want to talk about?" said Lucifer

"You & Jessie" I said "Are you in Love with her?"

"Yes, I have been for a long time" said Lucifer "But her path doesn't include me"

"What if it did?" I said "What if her path included you?"

"What do you mean?" asked Lucifer

"Earlier Jessie said that God writes the story our path takes but stops when we fall in Love, right?" I said

"Correct" said Lucifer

"At which time we writed and live our life's story... right?" I said "and we're no longer children, right?"

"Correct on both" said Lucifer

"There's your loophole Luc" I said "her story ended the minute she fell in Love... with you"

"Oh no" said Lucifer "She's going to hate me"

"bc you altered her memory?" I said

"How did you know?" said Lucifer

"The way she looked at you when you altered Anne's" I said "I suspects she already knows you did it... just confess to it and ask for forgiveness"

"That song was her way of telling you she remembers" I said "she was crushed when you left... my advice?"

"Yes, please" said Lucifer

"Ask Niall for permission to court Jessie" I said "No sex till she's 18 and when the time comes to marry, you will ask Niall for her hand and his blessing"

"I can do that" said Lucifer "may I come back tomorrow to talk to Jessie?"

"Yes please.. around noon" I said

"Okay, thank you Pamela" said Lucifer "I'll be here at noon"

"You're welcome" I said "Goodnight Lucifer... get some rest"

"Goodnight Pamela... you too" said Lucifer and disappeared

I went back in the house and into the living room. 

"Well the plan is in play as we speak" I said "Lucifer will be back tomorrow at noon to talk to Jessie and Ni, prepare to have a conversation with Luce about him courting Jessie"

"Courting?" said Louis "don't you mean dating?"

"No, Lou I mean courting - you and Gem are 'dating' " I said "Courting requires a chaperone at all times and no sex till they're married"

"Oh" said Louis

"Okay poppet" said Ni

"I already laid the foundation for them and Lucifer is willing to do it to be with her... but that also means she has to tell him everything and that's going to be hard for both of them" I said

"He's going to go ballistic" said Jessie "absolutely ape-shit crazy"

"Yes he will baby, but he'll deal with it" I said "with your help"

"Why is he willing to do this?" asked Jessie

"bc baby, he's in Love with you" I said "and you're in Love with him"

"Is that why it hurt when he ledt?" said Jessie "and why my stomach feels like its full of butterflies?"

"Yes baby, it is" I said "Come sit on my lap" Jessie came downthe stairs and curled up in my arms

"Why did I fall in Love with him Momma" asked Jessie

"I don't know specifically baby, but I do know that he has watched you grow up for 110 years and with each death, your pain & heartbreak changed him" I said "He fell in Love with you and it scared him when he couldn't find you.. now he's afraid you wont love him any more"

"Why would he think that?" asked Jessie

"Because of how you reacted when he altered Anne's memories" I said "Your song made him realize he messed up taking the memory of loving him away from you... bc letting go of you, and you leaving him was too painful - for both of you"

"Oh Momma.. I was so mean to him" said Jessie and started crying

"I know baby, I know.. shh.. its alright baby - your first love is always the hardest to get thru" I said "it'll get easier baby, I promise.. you need to learn how to trust each other again and not keep secrets"

"I want my memories back Momma" cried Jessie "I want to remember what it was that made me love him"

"I know baby, I know" I said and rubbed circles on her back as she slowly stopped crying and just sat there on my lap.. no one said a word.

there was a knock at the door, and Jessie & I looked ar each other.

"I'll get it" said Ni and went to the door "Can I help you?"

"Yes sir... I'm here to see Ms. Jessica Foster-Aimsworth… I was told by Constable Rothsdale that she lives here" said the man

"And you are?" asked Ni

"Forgive me sir.... I'm Mr. Burke... I know I was supposed to be here on Sunday, but I was able to get an earlier flight and just arrived a few hours ago" said Mr. Burke

"Please, com in" said Ni "I'm Niall.. Jessie's in the living room with our family" and shook his hand

"Nice to meet you Niall" said Mr. Burke

"Jimbo?" said jessie

"Doodlebug!!" said Mr. Burke as Jessie ran and jumped into his arms "Oh thank God, you're alright darlin , I've been in a panic since I got that phone call"

"Oh, I missed you Jimbo" said Jessie "I'm okay Jimbo… come meet everyone... You already met my Papa.. this is my Momma - Pamela... Liam & Zayn - Momma's Dads... Uncle Louis & Aunt Gemma... Aunt Anne & Uncle Robin.... Aunt Mary & UNcle Harry... and Grandma Maura & Grandma Beth - Grandma Maggie's friend from Ireland..... everyone, this is Mr. Burke, my Momma's best kept secret and family lawyer"

"Its nice to meet everyone.... I apologize for the late hour" said Mr. Burke

"Oh Mr. Burke, Its so nice to finally meet you" I said and shook his hand "Jessie was so excited that Mr. Rothsdale found you... please have a seat... would you like some coffee or sweet tea?"

"Sweet tea, please" said Mr. Burke "I have something for Jessie that couldn't wait till morning... do you mind if I get it from the car?"

"No, go ahead.. do you need any help?" asked Ni

"No, thank you, I'll be right back Jessie - close your eyes and no peeking Doodlebug" said Mr. Burke

"Okay Jimbo" said Jessie and covered her eyes "Come on Jimmy.. gee whiz slower than molasses in January"

Mr. Burke came in with a bag and... Dutchess

"Okay Doodlebug on the count of 3, uncover your eyes.... 1... 2... 3" said Mr. Burke

Jessie uncovered her eyes "DUTCHESS!!" shrieked Jessie "Oh my baby.. you had Mommy worried.. Where did you find her?.. When?"

"An animal rescue group from Louisiana found her in Mississippi three months after you left" said Mr. Burke "They found the microchip and called me... they took her to a vet, fed her and gave her a bath, and a place to sleep till I could get there 2 days later"

"You gave them a donation, right?" asked Jessie

"Yes ma'am" said Mr. Burke "Every year since she was found... I also brought you cameras and the papers you need to sign"

"This is truly the happiest day of my life I GOT MY BABY BACK!!!" yelled Jessie "Ooo whose the most beautiful baby ever... who's my Dutchiepoo" and smothered her with kisses "Dutchess - down" and snapped her fingers as Dutchess laid down, Jessie climbed on her back "Dutchess, go to the back door" and snapped her fingers as Dutchess got up and walked to the door and opened it with her mouth, then pushed it open with her head and went outside as we followed

"Dutchess, sit pretty" said Jessie and snapped her finger as Dutchess sat with her legs to the side "Good girl... go run around - No jumping Dutchess"

Dutchess ran around the yard, stopping every so often to sniff the grass and rolled around like she had an itchy back, then she saw Charlieand barked twice as she walked up to him and laid down whimpering softly.

"Charlie, this is Dutchess, Jessie's dog... be nice and say hello" said Haz

"woof!" barked Charlie and laid down next to her

"Good boy Charlie" said Haz "Hello Dutchess.. are you a pretty girl?"

"Woof!" barked Dutchess and wagged her tail


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

"Can you stand up Dutchess?" said Haz "Come on...up" and patted his chest, Dutchess sat up then hopped up and put her front paws on Haz's shoulders "oh good girl Dutchess" and gave her a treat and rubbed her ears "Okay Dutchess… run to Mommy and back... go" Dutchess ran to Jessie and then back to Haz and sat down "Good girl" and gave her another treat.

"Don't give her too many of those Harry, she'll get gassy" said Mr. Burke

"Alright mr. Burke" said Haz

"Jimmy, please" said Jimmy

"Niall, we're going to head home" said Maura "I'll bring Gran over on my way to work"

"Okay Mom... I'll walk you & Gran out" said Ni"Goodnight Pamela" said Maura "It was so nice to finally meet you sweetie"

"Goodnight Maura" I said "It was nice to finally meet you too.... Goodnight Gran, I'll see you in the morning for our flight to London"

"Goodnight Pamela... I can't wait" said Gran

"Ni, don't forget their flowers and Gran's purse" I said

"I wont poppet... be right back" said Ni

"Okay" I said

"Anne & I have to go too Pamela" said Robin "We'll see you tomorrow Haz"

"Goodnight Robin, Mum... get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow" said Haz "I Love You Mum" and kissed her cheek

"Goodnight my sweet baby boy... I Love You too Harry" said Anne "Gem, are you & Louis coming too sweetie?"

"No, we'll be home in a while Mum... leave the back door unlocked, please" said Gem

"Okay sweetie" said Anne "Goodnight Gem, Louis"

"Goodnight" said Gem & Louis together

"Jessie.. come sit down baby" I said "and visit with Jimmy"

"Okay Momma" said Jessie as Ni came back out

"Mary, Mom loves the car... thank you" said Ni

"You're welcome Ni" said Mom "I'm glad I could help"

"We found the Emancipation papers Jimmy" said Jessie

"Oh good" said Jimmy "After I got the call, I was hopeing you'd find them soon... Catherine made me get them after David put William in the hospital"

Jimmy & Jessie talked about what to do back home, Dutchess, and got the papers signed, then it was time to visit and catch up for a bit before bed.

"How long will you be here?" asked Jessie

"A few weeks then I'll head back to get the balls rolling on the estate and then we'll be here for the holidays... and your birthday" said Jimmy

"Jimmy.. don't even think about it" said Jessie "NO BIRTHDAT PARTY... I MEAN IT - NO!"

"Aw c'mon Doodlebug, I missed the last 2" said Jimmy "please, pretty please... 1 teeny tiny little party?"

"Nope, not happening bubba" said Jessie "No parties till I'm 16 THEN we can celebrate.. got it? Don't make me break my foot shoving it up your butt crack"

"Fine" said Jimmy and crossed his arms "I'm gonna tell Simon you were being mean"

"Tell Simon... I don't care... I already told him" said Jessie "At Momma's funeral - no parties till I'm 16 and he said 'no problem NeeNee - I'll make sure Jimmy knows'... so don't pull that crap on me mister"

"Damn" said Jimmy "fine.. no parties till you're old & gray and need a wheelchair"

"Yeah so I can run your dumbass over" said Jessie

"You know you love me" said Jimmy

"Yeah... like a boil I need removed" said Jessie "but you are my favorite"

"YES!!! I won the bet" said Jimmy "and I have audio proof"

"What bet... Jimmy - what did you do?" said Jessie

"Simon, Mack, Jeff & I were talking and Simon said he was your favorite... well that turned into a 2 hour debate resulting in, if he was your favorite, I had to buy him a new car... If I was your favorite, he had to repaint my entire condo" said Jimmy "I won"

"You two are damned fools" said Jessie "You know paint fumes make Simon sick" said Jessie

"Hey he didn't have to take the bet... he could've backed off... but noo he just had to go there" said Jimmy

"Oh, I'm gonna kill him - if the paint fumes don't" said Jessie "What's his number?.. Oh he's gonna shit his pants" and dialed his number on speaker "sorry Papa"

SIMON: Hello?

JESSIE: What the fucking Hell were you thinking Simon?

SIMON: NeeNee?

JESSIE: No, its Jiminie fucking Cricket you dumbass... yes its me... what you didn't think I'd ever find out about your little bet?

SIMON: Aw come on NeeNee can't this wait till I've had my coffee?... I just woke up

JESSIE: Sucks to be you... suck it up buttercup... explain - NOW!

SIMON: *sigh* Fine... God you're such a drama queen -

JESSIE: Don't roll your eyes at me Simon... talk

SIMON: I hate it when you do that

JESSIE: Then don't make me - old man

SIMON: I'M NOT OLD!!

JESSIE: Simon, so help me God.. don't make me come there and give you a body cavity search with my foot

SIMON: Okay, okay... God you're as bad as Catherine

JESSIE: Thank you, I'll take that as a compliment... go on

SIMON: I take it I lost the bet

JESSIE: Correct

SIMON: Damn it... I wont paint the condo, I'll pay professionals to paint it... promise

JESSIE: That's better... now, no more bets you two - got it?

SIMON: Got it  
"Got it" said Jimmy

JESSIE: Good... go have your coffee and I'll call you later Si

SIMON: Okay NeeNee… I miss you beautiful

JESSIE: I miss you too Old Man..... Later

SIMON: *chuckles* Later Gator

and hung up.

"You know he's right Doodlebug... you do act just like Catherine when it comes to Simon" said Jimmy "I like it"

"He's not that bad, he just doesn't like being wrong" said Jessie "You just deal with it better than he does"

"That's bc Catherine proved me wrong... a lot" said Jimmy "after a while you just have to say 'oh hell' and move on"

"Tell Louis & Harry that... they're a little slow on the up swing" said Jessie

"If y'all wanna survive 'the mouth of the south'... don't argue with her - you'll loose... and DON'T let her talk you into anything... like she did Simon & I " said Jimmy "She's ruthless"

"Yeah, we know" said Haz & Louis

"Been there, done that, got the t-shirt mate" said Haz

"Yeah, but I let you off the hook, didn't I?" said Jessie

"Yeah, you did" said Louis

"Whoa, you're going soft in your old age there Doodlebug" said Jimmy "About damn time"

"Bite your tongue... I ain't the one going gray, unlike you & Simon" said Jessie " and at the rate you two are going, y'all ain't never havin kids cuz neither of ya can get your foot off the dang brake long enough to get married... and Pooh Bear ain't gonna wait on you forever Jimbo… Si is just a lost cause, I reckon"

"Doodlebug... how are you really?" asked Jimmy "Did David hurt you?"

"I'm getting better Jimmy, really" said Jessie "Yeah, he hurt me... really bad... don't tell Simon, please, it'll kill him" 

"I wont tell him... Attorney client privilege" said Jimmy "anything you tell me is confidential - its the Law"

"Its okay Jessie... you can tell him baby" I said and squeezed her hand

"David got me pregnant and I had a miscarriage" said Jessie "Momma and everyone got me thru it"

"Sweet fucking Jesus, Mary & Joseph" said Jimmy "God better make him suffer for this" 

"Its over now Jimmy... lets move on" said Jessie "I'm getting better Jimmy... I swear"

"Okay Doodlebug" said Jimmy "You've gotten taller since I last saw you... oyu haven't gotten drunk again, have you?"

"Nope, not a drop... Hand to God" said Jessie

"Good" said Jimmy "and the voices?"

"Quieter, but still there" said Jessie

"Okay good... you listen to them... don't block them like your Grandpa does" said Jimmy

"I only block them to sleep Jimmy" said Jessie "Just like you showed me to... Liam isn't blocking them on purpose, he's still learning"

"Ah okay... that explains a lot" said Jimmy "sorry Liam... I didn't know, forgive me for being rude"

"That's okay Jimmy" said Liam

"I ordered you 3 cases of film... 2 color and 1 black & white" said Jimmy "Simon said to send him the rolls and he'll send you back the photos & negatives back"

"Oh goodie" said Jessie "Phase 2 starts when they get here Zayn"

"What's Phase 2?" asked Zayn

"A family photo shoot and photos for the baby books" said Jessie "we're gonna have fun"

"Oh wow... okay princess" said Zayn "that does sound like fun"

"I better head back to the Hotel before the jetlag hits me like a tidal wave" said Jimmy "You get some sleep and I'll be over sometime tomorrow"

"Okay Jimmy" said Jessie and gave him a hug "you get some sleep too... see ya tomorrow ya old fart" and kissed his cheek

"I'll walk you out" said Ni

"Drive safe Jimmy" said Mom

"Yes ma'am" said Jimmy "y'all have a good night" and followed Ni to his car

Ni came back out and sat down "Looks like we need another dog bed, more dog food and chew toys" said Ni

"Yeah and Charlie has another girlfriend" said Haz "that's 3 now... some guys have all the luck" and chuckled

"its the eyes" said Ni

"No its not Papa" said Jessie " its the girls... male dogs are naturally drawn to women and as long as men are nice to them, they'll be your best friend and protector - same with female dogs"

"Is that why Dutchess has her head on my lap?" said Zayn

"Yeah... she likes you" said Jessie "She used to do the same thing with Grandpa when he worked in his study"

"She's so calm... must be jetlag" said Zayn as he gently rubbed her ears "poor baby's so tired, she's snoring"

"That's bc Jessie's here" said Haz "Charlie did the same thing when Mary came home"

"Dutchess has a boyfriend" said Louis "Should we tell her you're married?"

"Leave her alone Louis" said Zayn "if she wants to be my girlfriend, let her, its fine... she's a dog for God's sake"

"Okay Zayn... I'll leave her be" said Louis "but only bc she could kill me if she wanted to"

"I'd be more scared of her knocking you on your ass tho Louis" said Ni "If she was going to kill anyone it would've been David... you're harmless in comparison... just overly annoying at times" and chuckled

"Good point" said Louis

"Well we better head home" said Gem " we have a nursery to start tomorrow"

"Okay honey... see ya tomorrow guys" said Louis

"Goodnight you ywo" said Mom

"Jessie why don't you take Dutchess upstairs and go to bed" I said "You both need some snuggle time"

"okay Momma" said Jessie "Dutchess… Dutchiepoo… come on baby, its night-night time" Dutchess stood up and followed Jessie into the house

"I'm really happy Jessie got her back" said Liam "but that dog is huge"

"When we go to London tomorrow, we'll go to a pet store and get a bed and stuff before we head back" I said

"Will it all fit Pamela?" asked Mom

"Yeah it'll fit" I said "There's a luggage compartment under the back seats"

"Oh okay" said Mom "then have fun and fly safe"

"All the time, every time" I said "But I do need to get some sleep or I'm going to need a caffeine IV just to get us off the ground"

"Okay sweetie... Goodnight you two" said Mom

"Goodnight" we said together and went upstairs and looked in on Jessie. Dutchess was wrapped around Jessie and they were sharing the same pillow.

"Look at them... two peas in a pod" said Ni "we just might have to wake them up in the morning"

"That would be a first" I said "look Ni, Jessie's smiling in her sleep"

"Hopefully things will get better for her after today" said Ni "Come on poppet, lets get some sleep"

"Okay" I said and headed to our room

we put our pajamas on and got in bed, thinking of everything Jimmy had said.

"We have a private plane" I said "We can go to Ireland on our own plane Ni"

"I was thinking the same thing poppet" said Ni "I was also thinking about Jessie & Lucifer... you know Gos wont approve of them being together... right?"

"I know he wont but I suspect Lucifer has a plan" I said "and if I'm right about it, God will approve"

"Whatever his plan is, I hope you're right... for Jessie & Lucifer's sake, I hope you're right" said Ni

"Me too Ni... me too" I said as we drifted off to sleep.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

IN THE MORNING....

I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door so I got up to answer it.. It was Gran... damn what time is it?... I looked at the clock - 9:30am - shit.

"Morning Pamela... I'm sorry, Did I wake you?" said Gran

"Its alright Gran.. I should've been up an hour ago" I said "I must've slept thru my alarm.... Come in, please"

"Alright dear" said Gran

"Have a seat while I start the coffee and wake up the troops" I said, turning on the coffee pot and grabbed the air horn and headed for the stairs "Cover your ears Gran, its going to get loud in here" she covered her ears as I pulled the trigger "RISE AND SHINE SLEEPYHEADS... BREAKFAST IN 30 MINUTES!!" I yelled

There was a thud upstairs.

"OW! SHIT.. DAMN MOMMA... DOGGONEIT DUTCHESS QUIT PUSHING ME OUTTA BED!!" yelled Jessie as she, Dutchess & Charlie came downstairs followed by Ni, Haz & Mom

"Pamela Jane Williams, if you blow that damned horn again, you wont live to see your wedding day" said Mom

"Sorry Mom, we over slept... Gran's here, Jessie & I Need to shower, the dogs need to be fed, Pops needs to take his vitamin, I need coffee, make breakfast - " I said an was cut off

"Pamela, slow down sweetie" said Mom "Breathe.. sit down and have some coffee, Jessie got take your shower... Haz, you feed the dogs... I'll make breakfast... Ni, visit with Gran" as Dad & Pops came down the stairs

"Let me guess" said Dad "Pamela over slept and had a verbal meltdown.. right?"

"Yeah" said Jessie "Momma & Dugtchess tried to kill me this morning" and rubbed the back of her head "OW.. dang it Momma, I keep my door open... you could have just yelled '9:30, time to get up'.. but nooo you just HAD to blow that dang horn... its a coronary in a can"

"Sorry baby" I said

"Its okay... next time, just yell" said Jessie "I'm gonna go take my shower now... Morning Gran" and slowly went upstairs

"Poor thing" chuckled Gran

"Here's your coffee poppet - 4 sugars & milk" said Ni "Gran would you lik some tea or coffee?"

"Tea please... 1 sugar" said Gran

"Yes ma'am" said Ni and made a cup of tea

"So how was your visit with Mr. Burke?" asked Gran

"It was good... he got the papers he needed signed and He & Jessie had a nice visit" said Ni "He's a nice guy, I like him"

"He's going to be back later to visit with Jessie again" I said "They're a lot a like"

"Ah.. he reads thoughts too huh?" said Gran

"Yeah" I said

"MOMMA... SHOWER'S ALL YOURS" yelled Jessie "GET YOUR BUTT IN GEAR MOMMA SEEING AS YOU WOKE US ALL UP FOR THIS"

"You better go poppet" chuckled Ni "before she drags you up by your hair"

"Yeah, I'm going" I chuckled "be back in a bit Gran"

"Take your time sweetie" said Gran "no rush"

"Okay" I said and went upstairs, took my shower and got dressed.

I put on a pair of navy blue dress pants and a white blouse with a pair of black heels, then finger combed my hair, did my make-up and put on a pair of earrings. I tied a navy blue ribbon in my hair so that it laid over my left shoulder, grabbed my purse, keys & phone and went to Jessie's room.

"Hey baby.. I'm heading downstairs.. don't forget your purse and money for the pet store" I said

"Okay Momma" said Jessie and looked at me in the mirror "Whoa, Momma... looking good"

"Thank you baby" I said "I'll see you downstairs... don't take too long or you'll miss breakfast"

"Yes ma'am" said Jessie

I went down to the kitchen to a chorus of low whistles.

"Wow Peaches... looking good" said Pops "Is that your flight suit?"

"Yeah it is... Thanks Pops" I said

"I like it... very professional" said Dad

"Thanks Dad, Pops" I said "If I was just gonna fly around town, I'd wear jeans but seeing as we're landing at the airport, I went with casual, but professional"

"Good choice sweetie" said Mom "finish your coffee and get some breakfast"

"Sounds good" I said and got some eggs & toast and sat down as Jessie came in and did the same & took her vitamin

"Dis you take your vitamin Grandpa?" asked Jessie

"Yes princess" said Pops "and I'm having tea instead of coffee, just as the Dr. said to"

"Good to hear" said Jessie as she let Charlie & Dutchess outside "Dutchess, be good... and no jumping"

"Woof!!" barked Dutchess

"How did she sleep last night?" asked Haz "I thought I heard a couple of thumps"

"Oh she slept great" said Jessie "Those thumps were me... getting pushed out of bed - twice... bed hog"

"Aw poor peanut" said Haz "she'll sleep better tonight after she has her own bed... so will you"

"I hope so bc my tailbone hurts" said Jessie "Momma can we go clothes shopping? My jeans are either shrinking or I'm getting taller.. I can't tell"

"Sure Baby... Do they still fit otherwise?" I said

"They're starting to feel a bit snug, but yeah, they still fit" said Jessie

"Okay sweetie" I said "eat up.. take off is in 10... crap, I forgot my jacket.. be right back" and ran upstairs, grabbed it and went back down "Okay Ladies are we ready?" and put my jacket & sunglasses on

"Momma.. wow.. nice shades" said Jessie "I'm ready"

"So ready" said Gran

"Thanks baby... then lets go" I said 

"I gotta see this" said Haz "Come on Ni, lets go watch them take off"

"Okay Haz" said Ni as we all headed out to the field

"Watch from here" I said and gave Ni a kiss "I Love You sunshine"

"I Love You too poppet" said Ni "Fly safe"

"All the time, every time" I said as we walked over to the helicopter and put our purses in the seat pockets "Hop in Ladies and buckle up while I do my pre-flight check"

"Aye, aye Captain" said Jessie "You sit up front with Momma Gran, I'll sit next to her on our way back"

"Okay dear" said Gran

I checked Jessie & Gran's buckles, closed the doors, then got in and buckled my seat harness. I put on my headset, handed Gran & Jessie theirs and started the engine.

PAMELA: Manchester Tower this is Captain Williams... Whiskey Tango Papa Zulu (WTPZ) 7050... requesting flight authorization from Holmes Chapel to London...over

MANCHESTER TOWER (M.T.): WTPZ 7050, this is Manchester Tower... What is your craft designation... over

PAMELA: Helicopter... over

M.T.: Affirmative WTPZ 7050... you are cleared for take off... head North East... Have a great flight... over

PAMELA: Copy that Manchester Tower, thank you... over  
"Here we go ladies" I said and pulled back on the stick as we lifted off "Okay Betsy lets have some fun"

M.T.: WTPZ 7050 climb to 12 hundred feet... over

PAMELA: Copy Manchester Tower... climbing to 1200 feet... over..... Manchester Tower what is the weather in London... over

M.T.: WTPZ 7050... clear skies, slight breeze... over

PAMELA: Copy that... Thanks Manchester Tower... over  
"How are you doing Ladies?" I asked

"Just wonderful dear" said Gran

"This is so cool" said Jessie

We flew for almost an hour, just taking in the sights.

M.T.: WTPZ 7050, this is Manchester Tower... We are handing you off to Heathrow International... over

PAMELA: Copy that Manchester Tower, have a geat day... we'll see you on our return... over.... Heathrow International this is Whiskey Tango Papa Zulu 7050 on route from Holmes Chapel.... Captain Williams... requesting authorization to land and refuel... over

HEATHROW INTERNATIONAL (H.I.): This is Heathrow International... we've got you WTPZ 7050... what's your height and speed... over

PAMELA: 1200 feet at 30 miles an hour... ETA 1 hour... over

H.I.: Copy WTPZ 7050... you are cleared to land... left of the tower for refuel... over

PAMELA: Copy that Heathrow International... over

As we approached, I slowed down to land.

PAMELA: Heathrow International, this is WTPZ 7050 on final approach... over

H.I.: Copy WTPZ 7050.. you are clear to land... over

PAMELA: Copy that Heathrow International.. Thanks... WTPZ 7050... clear  
as we slowly touched down "Ladies... Welcome to London" I said

"That was amazing Pamela" said Gran "You're a very good pilot"

"Thanks Gran" I said "Jessie? You okay back there?"

"Yeah... I'm fine.. that was... WOW!!!" said Jessie "Papa is so missing out"

"Well now you can tell Papa how cool it was" I said as we got out and grabbed our purses

"Nice flying ma'am" said the airport attendant

"Thanks... is it okay to leave her here for a bit? We have some supplies to pick up" I said

"Sure... How long do you think you'll be gone?" asked the attendant

"About an hour" I said

Sure, that's not a problem ma'am" said the attendant "Do you need a taxi?"

"Yes please" I said

The taxi arrived and we headed to the pet store. We bought a huge dog bed, 2 bags of dog food, dog treats, chew toys, dog sweaters for Dutchess, and shampoo. Then we went clothes shopping for Jessie, sweaters for the guys, some thigh-high stockings, and blouses for the ladies, then we headed back to the airport and loaded our things into the chopper.  
I settled up the bill at the service window and called Mom as Jessie & Gran got in and buckled up.

MARY: Hello?

PAMELA: Hey Mom

MARY: Everything alright sweetie?

PAMELA: Yeah all good Mom... we're just about to take off... Can you let Dad & Lou know we're going to need some help unloading when we get there please

MARY: Okay sweetie

PAMELA: Okay Mom... see you soon, I Love You

MARY: See you soon sweetie... I Love You too sweetie

and hung up "Dad & Uncle Lou are on stand-by to help us unload... are you all set?" I said as I buckled up

"All set Captain" said Gran

PAMELA: Heathrow International, this is Captain Williams... WTPZ 7050... requesting authorization for take off to Holmes Chapel... over

H.I.: WTPZ 7050... you are cleared for take off... clearance is 1200 feet... Head South West... clear skies all the way back... over

PAMELA: Copy Heathrow International... Thanks for the refuel and have a great day... over

H.I.: WTPZ 7050... You too, come back any time... Have a safe flight... over

PAMELA: Copy that

And we lifted off. We were almost home when the chopper started shaking.

PAMELA: Manchester Tower, this is WTPZ 7050... requesting emergency landing... having some engine problems... over

M.T.: WTPZ 7050 this is Manchester Tower... make your way West and land... we've got you WTPZ 7050 you are on approach... over

PAMELA: Copy that Manchester Tower... I see you... Coming in hot - she's really shaking... over

"Ladies, hang on this landing is gonna be bumpy" I said 

M.T.: WTPZ 7050... Do you need assistance... over

PAMELA: Affirmative... over

M.T.: WTPZ 7050.... Emergency personnel enroute… over

PAMELA: Copy that Manchester Tower

"We're almost there Ladies... we're gonna make it" I said

"I know Momma" said Jessie

"Call Papa Jess and put it on speaker" I said as she called Ni

NIALL: Hey poppet... How's the flight?

PAMELA: Ni, we're having some engine trouble... have Mom & Dad come to the Manchester Airport

NIALL: Okay poppet, they're on their way... Are you okay?

PAMELA: I'm fine, stand-by Ni... Manchester Tower this is WTPZ 7050 on final approach... I can get near a hanger... over

M.T.: WTPZ 7050... you are clear to land... emergency crews are on stand-by... good luck... over

PAMELA: Copy that Manchester Tower... thanks … over.... Stay with me Ni - talk to me sunshine

NIALL: You're doing great poppet

PAMELA: Okay Ladies... touchdown in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... We're down - everyone okay?

"I'm fine dear" said Gran

"I'm good Momma" said Jessie

NIALL: Oh Thank God

PAMELA: Manchester Tower... WTPZ 7050 is down safe... Thanks for the assist... out

M.T.: WTPZ 7050... You are quite welcome Captain... out

PAMELA: son of a bitch that was close

NIALL: You okay poppet?

PAMELA: Yeah... I'm good sunshine

NIALL: I'll be here when you get home... I need to see all of my girls.... then I'll go to work, okay?

PAMELA: Okay.. see you soon... I Love You sunshine

NIALL: I Love You too poppet

and hung up "Well we're grounded till she's fixed" I said

"I'm gonna have Jimmy send for our mechanic Momma... he's the best" said Jessie

"Okay baby" I said as we got out

"Everyone alright?" asked the Chief

"Yes sir, we're fine... thank god" I said "We were getting supplies in London and were on our way back home and had some engine problems"

"Would you like a lift to the VIP Lounge Captain?" asked the Chief

"That would be great... thanks Chief" I said

" Lets get you loaded up" said the Chief

"We have a mechanic coming to fix the bird in a few days.... Is there a hangar he can use to make the repairs?" I said

"Yeah we'll get it into one soon and it will be ready & waiting when your mechanic gets here na'am" said the Chief

"Thanks Chief" I said "That's everything"

We arrived at the VIP Lounge and unloaded our stuff as Dad & Haz arrived and carried the bags of dog food as we carried our bags & purses and headed for the car.

"Thanks for coming to get us Dad, Haz" I said "Dad... we're fine... Oh Dad, shh, its alright.. just breathe"

"He's been like that since you called... Ni told him you were all fine, but he was still upset" said Haz

"Liam, your daughter is an excellent pilot" said Gran "She kept us calm and landed the helicopter with any damage or injuries"

"Thank you Gran" said Dad "I just got so scared and my brain went into overdrive"

"That's alright Liam... being a parent is a lifetime job" said Gran "and it gets scary as Hell at times"

"Lets go home before Ni sends out the RAF on a search & rescue to look for us" I said and got in the car

We pulled into the driveway 20 minutes later, unloaded the car and went inside.

"Oh Thank God you're home" said Ni and hugged each of us "What happened?"

"I'll tell you soon sunshine, I want to change first and I need a whole pot of coffee" I said

"Okay poppet" said Ni "Go change and I'll make the coffee"

"Okay" I said and went upstairs


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

JESSIE'S POV

"Oh she's pissed" said Louis

"MOTHER FUCKING SON OF A BUTCH!!" yelled Momma

"Yep.. she's pissed off alright" said Zayn

"Let her get it out of her system... she'll be fine when she comes back down" said Mary

There was a knock at the door so I answered it.

"Jimmy... perfect timing" I said "Come in"

"Hey Doodlebug... what's wrong?" asked Jimmy

"Momma's helicopter had engine trouble on our way back from London and had to make an emergency landing at Manchester Airport" I said "You need to call Travis & the boys and get them here to fix it.. please"

"You got it Doodlebug" said Jimmy and went out on the front porch

Momma came down and went into the kitchen

"Hey Momma... Jimmy's here... He's on the phone with the mechanic" I said "Are you okay?"

"I'll be okay baby as soon as I have some coffee" said Momma

"Okay Momma" I said "But you don't look so good... you look like you're either gonna be sick or pass out"

"I'll lie down after Papa & Haz leave for work baby" said Momma

"Okay Momma" I said

Jimmy came in from the porch and put his phone away.

"Our mechanic and his crew will be here in a few days Pamela" said Jimmy "They'll give it a complete overhaul and make sure its in tip-top shape for you and find out what went wrong"

"Thank you Jimmy, I appreciate it" said Momma

"You're welcome Pamela" said Jimmy

"Here's your coffee poppet" said Papa "now sit down and tell me what happened"

"I don't know... we made it to London without a problem and on our way back, the stick just started shaking and it got worse by the second" said Momma "There was no warning alarm, no smoke... nothing.. just violent shaking... Thank God we were near the airport - I set it down hard and cut the engine off.... It wouldn't have been so bad if it was just me up there, but I had Jessie & Gran with me, and it was hard to stay focused so I had Jessie call you... Thank you for keeping me focused long enough to land"

"You're welcome poppet" said Papa "Any time, every time" that made Momma smile

"You better get to work now... I'll be here when you get home" said Momma

"Okay poppet" said Papa "Get some rest and I'll be back in a few hours... I Love You"

"I Love You too sunshine" said Momma and Papa & Haz left for work

"How was Dutchess while we were gone?" I asked

"She wandered around looking for you but then Lou & Gem came over and she pretty much stayed with them in the nursery" said Mary

"That's good... she likes being around busy people" I said "it makes her feel better... like she's keeping them safe from monsters or something"

"She does her job well" said Louis "I never felt so safe"

"Yeah... more like scared shitless" I said "Its okay Louis... it takes time to get used to Dutchess - especially when she wants to play hide & seek... you remember when she scared the shit out of Simon?"

"Oh God... that was funny - he screamed like a girl" said Jimmy "Simon was taking pictures of Maggie's rose garden and she jumped out of the bushes... it was priceless"

"So be careful Louis... if she does that, don't scream" I said "just say 'there you are... tag, you're it' and she'll go find someone else"

"Ah, okay... I can do that" said Louis "Did you get her some yard toys?"

"Yeah... we got her a chew rope, a couple of balls and several frizzbees" I said "She loves frizzbees so be careful, she will hop the fence to bring it back for you"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis "I'll be careful... no jumping"

"Izzie would you mind taking me to get a couple more pizza pans?" I asked "With Jimmy and our other 'pop up' guest, I need a couple more"

"Sure Jess" said Mary "Let me get my purse"

"Thanks Izzie" I said and got out the bread balls to thaw "Cooking class starts at 4 o'clock Louis, so you better get back to work"

"Yes ma'am boss lady" said Louis "see you at 4"

"Boss lady?" said Jimmy "Ooo I like that one... you've kinda outgrown 'Doodlebug' "

"Aw, I like 'Doodlebug' " I said, pouting "please" and gave him my best puppy face "pweeze Dimmy… me be you Doodabug… pwetty pweeze"

"Aw c'mon NeeNee, don't do that to me" said Jimmy "ugh.. okay, alright, just stop with the puppy dog-baby talk please... you know I have no willpower when you do that"

"Yes, I know... how do you think I got Dutchess" I said "I had you wrapped around my little finger"

"Yeah, don't remind me" said Jimmy "Catherine boxed my ears for that and damned near killed me when Dutchess reached full height"

"Why don't you hang out with Dutchess while I'm gone... I wont be long" I said

"Okay Doodlebug" said Jimmy "hurry back"

"I will" I said "Momma why don't you go lie down... you really don't look so good"

"Okay baby... see you in a while" said Momma "I Love You lemur monkey" and kissed my hair

"I Love You too Captain Momma" I said and kissed her cheek "now... off to bed"

"Yes ma'am" said Momma and went upstairs to her room

"I'll be back soon Gran... If Luce shows up, tell him I said to wait here for me please"

"Of course dear" said Gran "I'll tie him to a chair if I have to"

"Yeah.. good luck with that Gran" I giggled

"Ready Jess?" said Mary

"Yeah... be back in 45 minutes y'all" I said and we left

We got the pizza pans and more pepperoni, onions, cheese, mushrooms, sauce & ranch seasoning and headed home. Luce was there when we walked thru the door.

"Hey jellybean" said Luce "Beth told me what happened... How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine Luce… no injuries, no trauma" I said "Let me put this stuff away and then we can talk upstairs"

"Alright jellybean" said Lucifer "What's all of that for?"

"Dinner... I'm making pizzas tonight" I said "You want to stay? I'm making a sausage, mushrooms & onion white pie"

"Sure.. thanks" said Lucifer

"Is Dutchess outside with Jimmy?" I asked

"Yeah they're playing tug-of-war with the chew rope" said Gran "She's winning"

"Okay good" I said "You can meet her after we talk"

"Okay" said Lucifer

"Keep your door open Jess" said Mary "I know you have a lot to talk about, but that door stays open.. okay?"

"Yes ma'am" I said "Come on Luce" and grabbed my shopping bag as we went 

"Lead the way Jellybean" said Lucifer as we walked into my room and sat down

"Was the song Papa & the boys sang... was it my song from you?" I asked

"Yes, it is.... was your song about me?" said Lucifer

"Yeah... Luce, did you take my memories of us?" I asked "I'm not mad... I just need to know, please"

"Yes, I did... and I am so sorry Jess" said Lucifer "I didn't want to but..."

"But?" I said

"You asked me to" said Lucifer "Do you want them back?"

"Oh... yes please... I want to remember what it was that made me fall in Love with you" I said

"Okay" said Lucifer and snapped his fingers

And there is was... the memory of us in a cabin, sitting in front of the fireplace, eating marshmallows and laughing like children... Luce was wearing sweats & a t-shirt and I was wearing boxers & a t-shirt..... and we were happy.

"We were so happy Luce" I said as tears ran down my face "I want us to be happy like that again... please Luce… don't leave me again"

"Okay jellybean... but there's rules we need to follow if we want to be together this time... per Pamela's request" said Lucifer

"Okay, what are the rules?" I said

1) I can come visit as much as I want... but no late night visits  
2) no sex till you're 18  
3) I have to ask Niall for permission for us to date  
4) We need to have a chaperone if we go out anywhere... and  
5) When the time comes for us to get married, I need to ask Niall for your hand

"Okay, I can abide by the rules" I said "There's something I need to tell you tho, and you're not going to lik it LUce"

"Okay... tell me" said Lucifer

"David raped me , repeatedly and I got pregnant... and I had a miscarriage" I said and waited as Lucifer processed what I just said

"Oh God Jess... are... are you okay?" said Lucifer and pulled me into a hug

"Yeah... Momma got me thru it" I said "It happened 4 days ago... 2 days before you found me"

"Jess... I have a plan but I don't know how you'll feel about it" said Lucifer

"Tell me" I said and looked at him

"I'm going to talk to God... about being human again... permanently this time" said Lucifer

"But you're an angel... what about the others?" I said

"God will pick another Lucifer to run Hell and be in charge of the souls" said Lucifer "I'm not the original Lucifer.. he retired a long time ago - I volunteered any way, so now its my turn to retire... with you"

"Really?... You would do that... for me?" I said in shock

"I would do anything for you Jess" said Lucifer

"How long will it take?" I asked

"A few human days, but I have to aske first" said Lucifer "I didn't want to do anything till we talked"

"What did you do when you were human?" I asked

"Believe it or not, I was a builder" said Lucifer "I built cabin and was killed when several of them crushed me between them"

"The cabin... was that yours?" I asked

"It was ours... and if my plan works, I'll build us a new one - here in England... I promise" said Lucifer "I Love You Jess"

"I Love You too Lu - wait... what's you real name?" I said

"Marcus... Marcus Xavier Smith" said Lucifer

"I Love You, Marcus Xavier Smith" I said "You need to go change... no more black suits... from now on, its jeans & a t-shirt with a pair of work boots"

"Yes ma'am… anything for you jellybean" said Marcus

"We'll go shopping if your plan works and get you some clothes and things" I said

"I have some clothes at the cabin... along with some of your things" said Marcus

"Okay... go change and bring everythin here - including your suit, before you talk to him so that its here and safe" I said

"Okay jellybean... I'll be back in time for dinner... promise" said Marcus

"Okay" I said "Hurry back, my love"

"I will" said Marcus and disappeared

I ran downstairs to the kitchen.. Momma was there.

Momma!!… I got my memories back" I said "He gave them back to me"

"Oh baby.. I'm so happy for you" said Momma "So what was it that made you fall in Love with him?"

"He built us a cabin... just for us" I said "Oh Momma, it was so beautiful.... It had a stone fireplace, a garden, hand-made furniture with cushions, a huge kitchen, 3 bedrooms... and he built all of it for us"

"Oh baby... He's a keeper" said Momma

"His name is Marcus... Marcus Xavier Smith" I said "Isn't it the beautiful name ever?"

"It is baby" said Momma

"He left to go change his clothes, but he'll be back" I said "Is it alright if he keeps a few things from the cabin here... for a while?"

"Of course" said Mary

"Like what?" said Momma

"His clothes and some things of ours from the cabin" I said "He wants them here before he talk to God... about being human again... apparently Lucifer retired a long time ago and now the name comes with the job - he volunteered for the job when he died"

"oh... okay" said Momma "How did Marcus die?"

"A logging accident... he was crushed by some logs" I said

"Oh God" said Liam & Zayn

"I can see why he took the job... He never had a family so the souls became his children" said Zayn "And then he met you and gave him a reason to reconsider being human again"

There was a knock on the door "That's him" I said and ran to the door "That was fast... come in"

"Thanks jellybean" said Marcus "I just have 3 bags... mine, yours, and a bag with some books and things from the cabin... um... does anyone know how to cut hair?... I need a hair cut before my meeting with the boss"

"Absolutely" said Gran "I'll need a comb, scissors, a towel and a sheet... How do you want it cut Marcus?"

"Short, like Liam's please" said Marcus "Its naturally curly, so it doesn't take too much to get it to lay right"

"I'll get them gran" I said "Lets put those in my room for now"

"Okay jellybean" said Marcus as we headed upstairs... He put them in my closet as I grabbed the things Gran asked for

"Izzie, I can't find any scissors" I said

"Look in my desk, in the study Jess" said Mary

"Oh, okay... the one place I didn't look" I said and went in the study "FOUND THEM!" and ran back out and gave the items to Gran

"Thank you Jess" said Gran and spread the sheet out on the floor and set a chair in the middle of it "Have a seat Marcus" and put the towel across his shoulders "Jess can I use your hair tie?"

"Sure Gran" I said and pulled it out of my hair and gave it to her

"Thanks sweetie... it'll be easier to cut if the hair is bunched together for the first cut " said Gran and put his hair in a loose ponytail "now close your eyes and relax Marcus"

"Yes ma'am" said Marcus and closed his eyes

"Here we go" said Gran and cut the ponytail off and handed it to me then proceeded to cut the rest of his hair... 20 minutes later, it was done "Okay Marcus, you're all done.. go rinse your hair in the sink" and removed the towel, shook the loose hairs from it and gave it to him

"Yes ma'am.. Thank you Beth" said Marcus and went to the sink

"You're welcome Marcus" said Gran as she cleaned off the chair and gathered up the sheet and got rid of the rest of the hair outside"

"What do you think jellybean?" asked Marcus

"Wow... I like it" I said "It make you look younger"

"How old were you when you died Marcus?" asked Momma

" I was 23... I died in 1859" said Marcus

"Where did you live?" asked Jimmy from the back door

"Maine... why?" said Marcus

"bc you look familiar... like I've seen your picture somewhere before" said Jimmy "but I can't remember where... wait, now I remember... you're Marcus Xavier Smith - your picture is at Harvard.. you were the youngest student to get a Law degree at Harvard - you were 21"

"Um... yeah, that's me" said Marcus "Being a lawyer was my Father's choice - not mine - he died after I graduated... I moved to Maine and became a builder - that was what I wanted to do"

"So you never practiced Law?" said Jimmy

"No, sorry" said Marcus

"Marcus, this is Jimmy Burke... he's Mom, Grandma & Grandpa's Lawyer... he's here to deal with my family's estate for me" I said

"Nice to meet you Jimmy" said Marcus and shook his hand "Whoa.. What's that?"

"That's my dog Dutchess… she's a Great Dane" I said

"No, that's a horse jellybean" said Marcus

I giggled "Come here Dutchiepoo" I said as she walked over to us "sit pretty baby and say hello to Marcus"

Dutchess sat down in front of us "woof" barked Dutchess

"Good girl Dutchess… its alright Marcus, she doesn't bite... let her sniff your hand" I said as Marcus put his hand under her nose. She sniffed it and then rubbed her head against his hand "See? She likes you" and Marcus relaxed

"Hello there pretty girl" said Marcus "How old is she?"

"She's 3 years old" I said "Jimmy gave her to me for Christmas when I was 6... he's been taking care of her since I moved here bc she had gone missing... she just got here yesterday"

"She's beautiful jellybean and her name fits" said Marcus "I better go to my meeting - the boss doesn't like to be kept waiting"

"Good luck Marcus" said Momma

"Thank you Pamela" said Marcus "Will you walk out with me jellybean?"

"Sure" I said "Be right back Momma"

"Okay baby... take your time" said Momma as we walked out to the front porch

"Can I have a kiss for luck?" asked Marcus

"I was hoping you'd ask" I said and looped my arms around his neck.. The kiss was slow and gentle and was everything I remembered "I Love You"

"I Love You too" said Marcus "I'll see you soon... I'll miss you"

"Me too" I said and he was gone.. I went in the house and up to my room to get my rosary and prayer veil and ran out to the backyard to pray.

'Heavenly Father.. please send Marcus back to me human... I Love him so much it hurts... please don't take my sunshine away.... Amen'

I repeated that prayer over and over as I counted each bead on my rosary till they were all counted then went in the house to start the pizza prep. I fried the bacon, cooked the chicken & sausage - drained and rinsed it... sliced the tomatoes, lettuce, onions & chopped the chicken, some bacon and the green peppers.  
I decided not to make the Chicago deep dish pizza and went with a bacon wrapped deep dish pizza instead and a sausage, mushroom & onion white pie (That's a pizza without pizza sauce) as Louis came into the kitchen.

"You started without me?" said Louis

"No... I just cooked & cut up our ingredients so we can focus on making the pizzas" I said "I'm in a bit of a funk and needed something to do"

"What's wrong munchkin?" asked Louis

"Marcus is trying to talk God into allowing him to be human again and I'm scared it wont happen" I said "and all of this waiting is killing me bc I miss him"

"Oh munchkin, I'm sorry" said Louis "Did he say how long it would take?"

"He said God's decision could take a couple of days, but he didn't say how long talking to him would take" I said "I hate waiting for something that could be decided in a few hours"

"Where's your Mom?" asked Louis


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"I don't know... Marcus left and I went out back to pray, then I came in and started the pizza prep so I haven't seen her" I said "She told Papa she'd be here when he got home, so wherever she is, she'll be back"

"Okay munchkin... well I don't know how to make you feel better, but I would think Marcus would find a way to tell you what's going on either way... Have you heard anything up there?" said Louis

"There's a buzz up there, but no one's saying anything" I said "Its like God turned off my PA system... its just dead air"

"Well no news is good news... If it was bad news, you'd know already" said Louis "so try and relax a bit"

"I'll try... lets get started" I said

"Okay boss lady" said Louis

"We'll be using this oven and the back up oven, so go ahead and check them and set the oven temp to 400 degrees" I said "make sure they're empty before you turn them on"

"Okay" said Louis "check the ovens and turn them on to 400 degrees.... all set - next?'

"We wash our hands" I said "we're working with dough so we wash our hands a lot to avoid making too much of a mess and to avoid any cross contamination"

"Okay" said Louis and washed his hands "next"

"We were going to make a Chicago style deep dish, nut I changed my mind" I said "Instead, we're going to make a bacon wrapped deep dish... so take these strips of uncooked bacon and we're going to like the sides of the pan with them... just like this" and showed him

"Oh okay... all the way around?" asked Louis

"Yep all around the sides of the pan" I said "then we'll press the dough in the pan and dress it up with sauce, pepperoni, cheese and bacon bits"

"Ooo sounds good" said Louis "Okay... now the dough?"

"Yep.. spread it out so that it covers the bottom & push it right up to the bacon.. You're going great... smooth out those bumps but not too much or it'll rip... there you go, no wash your hands and then we start dressing it up" I said

"Okay" said Louis

"Now when working with pizza sauce, you don't wan to use too much bc then that's all you'll taste" I said "Take a spoon and put 3 puddles on the dough - one on each end and one in the middle... now spread it around, make sure it goes right up to all of the bacon and all 4 corners, once its all of the sauce puddles are gone, dip your spoon and wipe the sauce on any bare spots.... okay, looks good... cheese is next, sprinkle it all over the pizza so it covers every bit of sauce... then add your pepperoni and bacon bits and its done"

"Wow, okay, now we put it in the oven?" asked Louis

"Not yet, yet it on the counter... we're gonna bake 2 pizzas at a time so that we can eat before midnight" I said

"Oh okay" said Louis "So which one are we doing next?"

"The BLT pizza... its easy - dough, cheese & bacon bits - the lettuce & tomatoes go on it after its done baking" I said

"Oh okay... this is fun" said Louis

"Yeah it is.... now you get to learn how to toss bread dough so that this medium ball of dough fits on a large pizza pan" I said

"Oh cool" said Louis

"Take a couple piches of corn meal and sprinkle it on your pizza pan... this is so that the pizza doesn't stick to the pan and rip apart" I said

"Okay.. like this?" said Louis

"Yep.. get just a little bit more... that's perfect... now put a tiny bit of oil in your hand and rub your hands together, make sure the back of your fingers are greasy so the dough doesn't stick to your hands... you'll work your dough and I'll work the dough for the white pie & watch what I do... if you have a problem, just wait and I'll do it, okay?" I said

"Okay... what's a white pie?" said Louis

"A white pie is a pizza without sauce and only has cheese on it" I said

"Oh okay... wouldn't this be a white pie too?" asked Louis

"Yes, but it has toppings, so technically, its nit" I said "There's talking upstairs... keep going, you're doing great, I'm listening"

"Oh okay" said Louis

"The meetings over, it sounds like it went well... now we wait" I said

"Oh good" said Louis "Is this looking okay?"

"Its great, now lay it on your pan... its gonna shrink a bit and that's fine... wash the grease off your hands and put the cheese on first and then sprinkle the bacon bits on it then these 2 can go in the oven for 30-45 minutes" I said

"Okay now we put them in for 30-45 minutes" said Louis

"Set the timer for 30 minutes and we'll check them when it goes off" I said "Now I'm gonna work the dough for the rest of the pizzas and you're gonna dress them up so we can eat by 6, okay?"

"okay boss lady" said Louis

"This pizza is the Chicken pesto with artichoke hearts... do the pesto the same way as the pizza sauce, but only use 2 puddles of pesto and spread it around... add the cheese first, then the chicken & onions - not too much onion, its an accent, not the show stopper - and break up the pieces of artichoke up with your finger into smaller pieces and sprinkle them all over then its done" I said "Now is the white pie but I want you to add some sausage, mushrooms and onions, not too much... that's it and now these 2 caqn go in the back up oven and set the timer for 30 minutes"

"Okay" said Louis "4 down... 2 to go"

"Next up is the barbecue chicken pizza" I said as I washed my hands "No sauce Lou... cheese, chicken, bacon bits & onions bc this one gets barbecue sauce on top when its done"

"Okay" said Louis

"Set it on the counter" I said "The last one is called 'everything but the kitchen sink'... you ready? bc this one is the bomb"

"Ready" said Louis

"1 puddle of sauce dead center and spread it around... cheese, chicken, bacon, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, more cheese, more chicken... we'll add barbecue sauce and tomato slices when it comes out" I said

"Wow that's a monster pizza" said Louis

I know right?... everything but the kitchen sink... get it?" I said

"Ah.. got it" said Louis

"Now we clean up and put everything away except the lettuce, tomatoes and barbecue sauce... easy-peasy" I said "Now I'm gonna go find Momma... I'll be right back and keep track of our timers"

"Okay boss lady" said Louis

I was about to go upstairs when I heard voices in the front yard, so I went out on the porch.... everyone was out there - even Marcus.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" I yelled

"Jellybean!!" said Marcus "Best news in the whole world.... I'M HUMAN!!"

"YAY!!! OH GOD... Thank you" I said and jumped into his arms and cried "I.. thought.. we.. had.. to.. wait?"

"I had your family in my corner... and your Mom, Grandma & Grandpa... Gramps & John... Mary & Jackson... they all made the request on your behalf and God gave his blessing" said Marcus

"This is way better than Christmas and my birthday" I said "Oh Hell.... Jimmy call Simon and tell him to get his ass to England for New Years... we're having a party for my birthday"

"Holy shit, its a miracle" said Jimmy and pulled out his phone

SIMON: Hey Jimbo… What's up?

JIMMY: NeeNee says get your ass to England for New Years... we're having a birthday party

SIMON: Holy shit... Bout damn time NeeNee… I'll be there twinkle toes... PROMISE

JESSIE: You better be or I'll drag you here by your ears Simon

SIMON: I Love You too NeeNee… bye

JESSIE: bye

"Come on we need to tell Gem & Louis" I said as Marcus carried me in the house, not wanting to put me down "LOUIS, GEM... MARCUS IS HUMAN... GOD SAID YES"

"YAY... WOOHOO" shouted Gem & Louis

"Congratulations Marcus" said Louis "I told you munchkin... no news is good news"

"Wait... where are you going to live?" said Gem

"Marcus is going to live at Anne's... in Haz's room" said Papa "Louis has a car and is moving in with you"

"Oh okay... problem solved then" said Gem

"I have a car?... since when?" said Louis

"Since I told Jimmy to get you one... ya idgit" I said "Its in Anne's driveway... the red one" and tossed him the keys

"Holy shits & giggles munchkin... why?" said Louis

"Cuz I'm the boss lady, so be quiet... after you say thank you" I said

"Wow... what is that amazing smell?" said Haz

"Thank you munchkin" said Louis "That Haz, is 4 pizzas baking... with 2 waiting to go in"

"Wow, they smell amazing" said Haz

"This girl can cook and you should see her spin pizza dough... you'd think she was born in Italy" said Louis

"I was - at one time" I said "I made your favorite - a white pie with sausage, mushrooms and onions"

"God I Love You" said Marcus

"I Love You too" I said as I looked into his eyes "Your eyes... they're blue... the same shade as Papa's"

"They are?" said Marcus and looked in the mirror "Wow they are... what color were they before?"

"They were black" I said "I like the new color... it suits you"

"Okay after dinner, Louis, Marcus & I are going to go over to Mum's... I'll pack up the rest of my clothes, Louis can put his clothes in Gemma's room and Marcus can unpack his" said Haz

"Sounds good to me" said Louis

"Lets go get your bags Marcus... I want to keep your suit in my closet with my dress for Momma & Papa's wedding" I said "Louis, don't forget to keep track of our timer... I'll be right back"

""Got it boss lady" said Louis

We hung up his suit and went back down stairs

I want you to make a list of things you need tonight and we'll go get it tomorrow" I said "set your bags here by the stairs"

"Okay" said Marcus just as the timer went off and we went into the kitchen

"Perfect timing munchkin" said Louis "Time to check the first set of pizzas"

"Okay, grab a couple of oven mitts and lets check these bad boys" I said and opened the oven "they're done... I'll pull these out and you pop the last 2 in and set the timer for 30 minutes... after you get them in, go check how much time is remaining on 3 & 4"

"Okay" said Louis "10 Minutes left"

"Okay Louis get the mayo and a butter knife.. its time to dress the BLT" I said

"Mayo? on a pizza?" said Haz "That's just wrong peanut"

"Shut up Haz… watch and learn" I said "there's more to pizza than just sauce, cheese, and pepperoni ya dork... trust me, you'll love it"

"Yeah okay peanut... we'll see about that" said Haz

"Now spread the mayo all over the pizza, add the lettuce, tomatoes, then we slice it up and 3 & 4 should be almost done" I said as I sliced up the deep dish pizza

"Okay" said Louis as the timer buzzed "Damn.. you're good"

"Okay, lets go get 3 & 4 and turn the oven off" I said "The pizza you have get the barbecue sauce.. take a spoon and drizzle it all over the pizza... try not to let it puddle Lou"

"Okay boss lady" said Louis "Now we slice and wait.. right?"

"Yepper-do" I said " lets put everything away and set the table... just plates and glasses - 15 of each Lou... Haz get your hinie over here and help - you too Papa"

"Okay lemur monkey" said Papa

"Mom we need 5 more plates" said Louis "Where do you keep the extras?"

"In the food pantry, bottom shelf Louis" said Mary

"Ah.. found them" said Louis "I Love this kitchen Mom... very fluid"

"Thanks Louis... I'm glad you finally learned how to use it correctly" chuckled Mary

"Yeah... Jessie makes it look easy" said Louis "I'm excited as Hell to try these pizzas"

"Which one are you gonna try first?" said Mary

"The pepperoni & bacon deep dish cuz I made that one" said Louis "Then the barbecue chicken and the BLT... 3 is my limit"

"I;m having 2 slices of the everything pizza cuz that's my favorite and a slice of the BLT" I said

"You made the chicken pesto with artichoke hearts?" said Marcus

"Yeah... I thought you liked it?" I said

"Um.. its okay, but you know the white pie with sausage, mushrooms & onions is my favorite" said Marcus

"Oh okay" I said "well there's also the BLT & the barbecue chicken pizza that doesn't have any sauce sweetie"

"Okay jellybean" said Marcus

"You don't care for pizza sauce, Marcus?" said Anne

"I'm allergic to tomatoes" said Marcus "I break out in hives"

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry" said Anne

"Its alright Anne" said Marcus "I've learned to live with it... its not so bad"

"Oh okay" said Anne as the timer buzzed

"Okay Louis lets get 5 & 6 and have dinner... I'm starving" I said "Everyone grab a plate... 3 slice minimum please"

"Yes ma'am" said everyone

"Louis lets condense these down to 3 pans and keep the 'non sauce' pizzas on their own pan" I said "Then we can set them at the table"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis

I fed Charlie & Dutchess while everyone made their plates and then helped Louis take the pans to the table, made my plate and sat down.

"Everyone join hands for Grace" I said and held Marcus & Papa's hands

"Heavenly Father, bless this food with your love and thank you for bringing Marcus back to me... guide us with your Love & strength.... In Jesus name, Amen"

"Amen" said everyone

"Dig in y'all and all compliment go to Louis tonight so be nice" I said and added barbecue sauce to my slices of everything and pepper to my slice of BLT

"Yes ma'am" said Jimmy

"Whoa peanut... you put pepper on your pizza?" said Haz

"Haz.. you eat your pizza your way and I'll eat mine my way" I said "don't knock it till you try it"

"Good point" said Haz and put a little pepper on his slice of BLT and took a bite "Wow.. okay.. I'll shut up now"

"Thank you" I said and took a bite and moaned "OMG.. this is pure Heaven... You've done it again Louis... 4 stars"

Papa moaned "I agree poppet... You're getting good at this Louis, really" said Papa

"Um.. thanks" said Louis and blushed

"What do you think Pops?" asked Momma

"I think I need Jessie to teach me how to make pizza... I could live on this for the rest of my pregnancy" said Zayn

"Which one?" I said

"The deep dish and the everything pizzas" said Zayn "I'm in comfort food nirvana over here"

"Okay Grandpa" I said "I've still got enough dough and toppings... I'll make a couple and put them in the freezer for you to bake later this week"

"Oh my God... Thank you princess" said Zayn "You spoil me"

"You're eating for 4 Grandpa, you need to be spoiled once in a while... its the #1 rule when having a pregnant person in residence 'spoil as much as possible - within reason'... I'm just following the rules" I said "Don't worry, I'll keep the freezer stocked till you say 'no more pizza'... okay?"

"Okay princess" said Zayn "Okay Louis... I'll call Perrie and tell her to take my car to the junk yard"

"Wow... its about damned time Zayn" said Louis "it only took you 6 years to finally let that poor thing have a peaceful and merciful death"

"I said I would when you learned to cook" said Zayn "I'm keeping a promise"

"Ah okay.. well thank you" said Louis

"You're welcome" said Zayn "Now you can show me how to use the washer so I can do our laundry without ruining anything"

"You got it... tomorrow morning" said Louis Meet me in the laundry room"

"Yes sir" said Zayn

Dutchess nudged my arm "Are you done eating baby?" I said

"woof" barked Dutchess

"Okay... go outside and take Charlie with you... no jumping Dutchess… we'll be out soon" I said

"woof... woof" barked Dutchess and headed for the door.. she looked at Charlie "brroof" and Charlie went to the door as Dutchess opened the door and held it open for Charlie as they went outside

"Good girl Dutchiepoo" I said "Have fun baby" and they were gone "God its nice to have her back home"

"I'm glad too" said Jimmy "Mack & I finally get our bed back... I love Dutchess, but I'll love her more when she isn't sleeping between Mack & I"

"Aw poor Mack" I said and giggled "You should've put her in your guest room"

"We did but she opened the door and got in our bed and never left" said Jimmy "And if you locked the door she'd howl all night so we gave up trying"

"That was your first mistake Jimmy" I said "You flick her nose and tell her 'no Dutchess, this is your room' and walk away... after the second time of doing that, she would've stayed in the guest room"

"Now you tell me" said Jimmy "well Mack will be as happy as a kid on Christmas morning now"

"Well I'm looking forward to not getting pushed out of bed tonight" I said "I have bruises all over my lower back from her pushing me out of bed twice last night"

"Ouch... sucks to be you Doodlebug" said Jimmy

"What time is your workout in the morning" said Momma

"7am... why?" I said

"Cuz I'm gonna join you... I haven't worked out in almost 2 weeks so I need to get back at it" said Momma

"Sure but I'm not gonna go easy on you Momma" I said "be prepared to sweat your butt off"

"Okay baby" said Momma "I don't do flips and tumbles tho so I'll some yoga while you do that... okay?"

"Sure Momma that's fine... you know your limitations... its all good" I said "I run from here to the school, once around the building and back to warm up... are you okay with that?"

"Sure... why don't you run longer?" asked Momma

"Cuz I usually have Charlie with me and he's not a long-distance runner" I said "Dutchess is tho if you ever want to run with her"

"Ah okay" said Momma "Thanks baby"

"And if you pull a muscle, she'll carry you home... so you're covered" I said giggling

"Are you calling me old, young lady?" said Momma 

"Absolutely not Momma.... but you did just say you haven't worked out in almost 2 week tho" I said "sometimes the muscles can cramp & pull after that much time of inactivity"

"That's true... I'll go easy for a few days and work back up to my 10 miles" said Momma

"Okay Momma" I said


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"So peanut what's your plan for your girls night?" said Haz

"Movies, junk food, pillow fights... letting the adults get drunk and either a midnight game of hide & seek or Twister" I said 

"Wow... what about us guys?" said Louis

"Hell Louis... use your imagination and make your own fun" I said "Think outside the box... just don't get physically hurt or kill anyone cuz then I'll have to hurt you and Papa will need another groomsman"

"Yes ma'am... message received loud & clear" said Louis

"And go easy on the alcohol bc Haz, Zayn, Papa & Marcus don't drink... go it?" I said "OR... ELSE"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis

"Then have fun on your boys night" I said "Marcus can sleep in my room that night"

"Where will you sleep?" said Marcus

"Us girls are sleeping at Anne's house" I said "we have a shopping trip on Saturday to get dresses for the wedding" 

"Ah okay jellybean... what color?" asked Marcus

"Silver-blue" I said "Which reminds me, I need to look thru my things for those blue topaz stones... you want to help me?"

"Sure" said Marcus

"Then we'll do that tomorrow" I said "ugh.. I'n done.. I can't eat anymore" and pushed my plate away "You want my extra slice Papa?"

"Sure poppet" said Papa "I don't think I'll ever go back to plain pepperoni pizza after tonight... these are way too good to go back"

"I agree" said Haz "I really like the barbecue chicken pizza"

"The chicken pesto pizza is to die for" said Anne

"You're a hit Louis" I said "Good job"

"You keep cooking like this Louis and we're all gonna need to work out with Jessie" said Gem

"That's not a bad idea" said Zayn "we could all use some exercise... I've been reading the baby books Jessie got me and they say doing light exercises are a good way to relax and blow off stress"

"Well unless I have plans, I'm usually up to workout between 6:30 & 8am every morning... anyone who wants to join me is welcome to" I said "No pressure... only if you want to - either all the time or every once in a while is fine with me... I don't want anyone getting hurt trying to do too much"

"Okay princess" said Liam & Zayn

"Now I'm going to go out back with Charlie & Dutchess and clear my head for a bit while y'all clean up" I giggled "Louis you come out with me and relax - we cooked"

"Yes ma'am" chuckled Louis "but I don't mind helping clean up... what do you want the pizza pans put agter they're clean?"

"Set them inside the back up oven" I said "we'll be able to find them easier there"

"Alright" said Louis "Have fun munchkin... we'll be out shortly"

"Okay.. see ya in a bit" I said and went out to the picnic table. Dutchess and Charlie were sleeping in the grass as I got into my headstand and closed my eyes as I regulated my breathing to clear my mind.

I heard the back door and knew everyone was out on the patio but I stayed still to let my brain finish settling. Once my brain was settled, I started to feel rired so I slowly moved my legs and then flipped off the table and walked to the patio and sat next to Marcus.

"Feel better baby?" said Momma

"Yeah a lot better... I almost fell asleep" I said "How long was I out there?"

"An hour and a half" said Haz "Longest time so far"

"I guess I fell asleep after all" I said "sorry"

"That's alright jellybean, you needed it" said Marcus

"I feel like dancing" I said "Momma can I borrow your CD player?"

"Sure baby, go ahead" said Momma "Its in Papa & I's room"

"Thanks Momma... be right back" I said and ran in the house. I grabbed the radio, my CD's and an extension cord and went back outside. I plugged it in and put in my Sam Cooke CD, put it on repeat and hit play "Dance with me?"

"You remembered" said Marcus as he took my hand and walked to the middle of the yard... I stood on his feet as we danced and held each other - just like we did so many times before "I missed this the most"

"I did too" I whispered and laid my head on his shoulder & closed my eyes "I missed you more"

PAMELA'S POV

"Its going to be hard keeping them separated for too long Ni" I said

"What other choice do we have poppet" said Ni "technically she's only 10"

"You could trust them" said Gran "He's stayed away from her bc of her age... trust that he wont hurt her"

"Gran's right Ni" said Mary "He's patient and knows she's not ready to be intimate yet... He'll wait till she is and then he'll come to you first"

"Anne, you raised a daughter... what do you think?" asked Ni

"Jessie is a smart girl and Marcus is the love of her life" said Anne "I agree with Mary & Gran in that Marcus will wait for Jessie and when she feels she is ready, she'll come to Pamela, or me, Gem or Mary in which case, we will all talk to her and hear what she wants to say.... In the end, its up to you, but you both should talk to them - together"

"Ni.. I would rather have them under one roof than worry about Jessie sneaking out of the house" I said "or her sneaking him in"

"I agree" said Ni "lets go talk to them... we might as well do it now" and stood up

"Okay" I said as we walked over to Jessie & Marcus "Can we talk to you both for a minute.. at the picnic table?"

"Sure Momma" said Jessie as they followed us and sat down "something's up... what is it?"

"Papa & I were talking and... well" I said "we think you & Marcus... Ni? A little help here?"

"Marcus can live here... with you" said Ni "and he can sleep in your room... but we still have rules Jessie"

"Um... okay" said Jessie "What rules Papa?"

"We still don't thing you're ready to have sex yet - just to be clear, so no sex till you're 18" said Ni "but we don't think you should be kept apart... so as long as you both agree to wait and be respecrful enough to come and talk to us when you both feel ready, then Marcus can live here"

"That's really our only rule" I said "so is that a rule you can both live with... for now?"

"I can live with that rule.... jellybean?" said Marcus

"Really?... that's your only rule?" said Jessie in disbelief

"That's the most important rule baby" I said "We want you to be happy but we also know you need time to work thru what happened out and heal from it.... if that means having Marcus here with you will help, then so be it"

"Oh Papa.. Momma... Thank you" said Jessie "I 100% promise no sex till we've talked to both of you first.... oh my god.. I Love You both so much" and hugged us both in a bear hug

"We Love you too baby" I said "now.. go finish your dance"

"Thank you Pamela, Niall, so much for your trust" said Marcus and shook our hands

"You're welcome Marcus" I said "Just be there for her"

"Yes Ma'am... Always" said Marcus

We went back to the patio. "I'll be right back" I said and went in the house to get my bag from earlier today and went back out to the patio. " I bought something for everyone when we were in London today" and handed them out.

I handed out the blouses first "Mom... Gem... Anne... Maura... Gran" I said "I also have sweaters for the guys... Ni.... Haz…. Lou... Robin... Dad & Pops"

"Thank you Pamela" said Maura & Gran

"You're welcome Maura, Gran" I said "Pops I got those sweaters large enough for both of you to wear"

"Thank you Peaches" said Pops "Li? May I have this dance?"

"Oh babe, I'd love to" said Dad as they headed out to the yard and joined Jessie & Marcus

"Beth?.. May I have this dance?" said Jimmy

"I'd love to Jimmy" said Gran and took his hand as they joined the others in the yard

"Come on Mom... Dance with me" said Ni

"Oh no sweetie... go dance with your bride" said Maura "go on... shoo"

"Okay Mom.. poppet, care to dance with me?" said Ni

"I'd love to sunshine" I said and went out to the yard... everyone else joined us

When the songs repeated Jessie changed the CD.

"Put in Louis Armstrong jellybean" said Marcus

"Okay blue eyes" said Jessie and put in a new CD and hit play as the song started

"What's this song Marcus?" asked Ni

"Wonderful World" said Marcus "It was his biggest hit"

"I like it" said Ni as we danced "Its timeless"

"This should be our song" I said "it fits us"

"Yeah, it does" said Ni "Hey Jessie... you found our song"

"This one?" said Jessie

"Yepperdo" I said "Thank you baby"

"Awesome sauce!" said Jessie "Nice choice Papa"

"Thanks poppet... I knew you'd find it for us" said Ni

"You're welcome Papa" said Jessie

The song ended and we went to sit down.

"That was fun" I said "we should do that more often"

"I agree" said Ni "Liam & Zayn finally look relaxed & in Love.. look at how they hold each other"

"Yeah they do" I said "Dad is so excited about the babies but he's worried about Pops... He doesn't handle pain very well"

"Jessie will help them thru it" said Ni "She'll keep Zayn focused... He needs her more than he realizes"

"We all do" said Gran "That young lady is a treasured gift... when she finally figures things out she's going to surprise all of us and herself"

"How did your talk go?" asked Maura

"It went okay... it wasn't easy but they agreed" said Ni "Marcus is going to live here with Jessie"

"Not easy?.. It was painful" I said "but we got thru it and they're happy and that's all that matters"

"Hey!.. no jellybean.. don't you dare" said Marcus as Jessie started tickling him "no.. jellybean... don't make me... get you back" he laughed

"You can try... but you gotta catch me first" said Jessie as she ran for the picnic table

"You think you can out run me?" said Marcus and grabbed her around the waist "Ha!.. got you.... now you're at my mercy" and started tickling her armpits

"No, no not there" shrieked Jessie and was laughing "Oh, I'll get you for that mister" and reached between them and tickled his stomach, which made Marcus loose his grip "Ha, Ha! I got away" and spun around and tackled him to the ground, straddled his waist, held both of his hands in one hand and tickled him with the other "I got you now babykins" and went for his armpits

"Stop" laughed Marcus "No jellybean... don't do that"

"Come on babykins… show me whatcha got" said Jessie "give it your best shot... babykins" Marcus rolled causing Jessie's grip to loosen "Oomph... nicely done babykins… but.. um... we're still out in the yard, remember?"

"Oh shit" said Marcus and got up, helping Jessie up out of the grass "um.. maybe we should go sit down for a while"

"Um.. yeah, good idea" said Jessie "I'm gonna get a juice, you want anything?"

"Some sweet tea please" said Marcus and sat down

"Okay... be right back" said Jessie and went inside

"Sorry about that" said Marcus

"That's alright... that happens sometimes" I said as Jessie came back out and sat down

"Um.. yeah, sorry Momma" said Jessie, blushing hot pink

"That's okay baby" I said "just try not to get so carried away next time"

"Okay Momma" said Jessie and looked at Marcus "Sorry babykins"

"That's alright jellybean" said Marcus "but we do need to be more careful from now on"

"I know... I just... I don't know what came over me" said Jessie "We were dancing and all of a sudden I was tickling you... I don't even know why I did it"

"Ni... you want to explain this one?" I said giving him a look

"Um... well poppet... sometimes there is no reason for why we do things... they just happen" said Ni

"Gee Ni... I could've said that" I teased "why don't you explain WHY you felt the need to tickle me to the point of me almost peeing my pants... ya dork"

"Because you deserved it poppet" said Ni "Next time when I'm exhausted, don't threaten to have Haz drag me out of bed in my boxers or I'll do it again... and next time YOU WILL pee your pants.... PROMISE"

"Papa! not nice... apologize" said Jessie

"Nope" said Ni "Momma knows why she did that and why I did it... and we're not going into details either young lady so quit trying to read"

"Yes Papa" said Jessie "besides... I already know... and I sooo wish I didn't"

"Oh dear God" I groaned

"Yep... that's what he said" said Jessie & giggled

"Stop that Jessie" said Dad as Pops started laughing and holding his stomach

"Oops.. sorry" said Jessie

"That's what he said" said Pops as tears ran down his face

"Oh here we go again" said Dad

"That's what... he said" said Pops, laughing hysterically "oh.. dear.. god - no more please"

"That's what he said" I shrieked "okay, okay, I'll stop Dad...sit down Pops before you fall over"

Pops sat down snickering and wiping his eyes "Wow... talk about a stress reliever... thank you princess... I needed a good laugh" said Pops

You're welcome Grandpa" said Jessie "sorry Grandpa Li... I didn't mean to get him started again"

"That's alright princess" said Dad "its just that, that sentence sends him over the edge in laughter and he wont tell me why"

"Ah.. okay, now I get it" said Jessie "Have you tried asking him?"

"Yes repeatedly and he still wont tell me" said Dad

Jessie closed her eyes and gasped "Grandpa!!.. that wasn't very nice, stop it" said Jessie and closed her eyes again "Oh my God... no wonder he wont tell you... lets just say... you don't want to know Grandpa cuz your face would turn red... permanently.... you bad boy"

"wait... WHAT!!" shrieked Dad "oh shit... never mind"

"Exactly" said Jessie "Now I need to scrub my brain with bleach... you men... I swear.. can't y'all have more PG rated thoughts?.. good gawd"

I started laughing... I could only imagine what she saw.

"Momma... you don't want to know... trust me" said Jessie "Papa's worse than all of them"

"Niall James Horan" said Gran "stop corrupting that child"

"Its not my fault Gran" said Ni "Jessie was trying to find my calm place... I can't help what she saw... Its not like I walked up to her and said 'Het, guess what?'... sheesh... thanks lemur monkey" and crossed his arms

"Sorry Papa" said Jessie "Papa's right Gran, its not his fault... I've been trying not to read Papa too much bc of that"

"Really Ni?.. You can't go one day without thinking about it?" I teased

"You make it difficult to forget poppet" said Ni

"Well for Jessie's sanity, you might want to try harder sunshine" I said

"Yes darlin" said Ni "promise"

"Oh, thank God" said Jessie "He came out of retirement Marcus" and laid her head on his shoulder & sighed

"No way..." said Marcus "Your Dad's in deep shit now...He gets really mean with child molesters... like psychopath mean"

"Good... unleash the beast Lucifer...have fun and make him suffer" said Jessie "Marcus, he's here"

"Hello Jessie... Marcus" said Lucifer "Marcus thank you for running the business for me... you did a wonderful job"

"You're welcome sir and thank you" said Marcus "I'm sorry you had to come out of retirement"

"Its alright... I've been wanting to come back for a while" said Lucifer "Jessie I need to know what David has done in order to process your request... may I read?"

"Go ahead... its all there sir" said Jessie as Lucifer closed his eyes and read her thoughts and memories


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

"Thank you Jessie" said Lucifer "Your request will be carried out... I am so sorry... would you like me to take those memories for you? You'll still know who he is, but the painful memories will be gone... if you would like"

"Yes please" said Jessie "Will this fix my aura?"

"Marcus... you didn't tell her?" said Lucifer

"Did I forget something sir? bc I told her only the soul can repair an aura with time & loving care" said Marcus

"Ah yes, well.. you did miss one thing" said Lucifer "An aura can also be repaired when you kiss the love of your life... your aura was repaired hours ago... when Marcus kissed you good-bye"

"Is that why it feels like electricity is buzzing in my head?" said Jessie

"Yes Jessie, it is" said Lucifer "Now, are you sure you want those memories gone?"

"Yes please" said Jessie "Take them"

"Alright then" said Lucifer and snapped his fingers "You're all set... How do you feel?"

"I feel lighter and my head's clearer" said Jessie "Thank you so much" and kissed his cheek

"You're welcome Jessie" said Lucifer and kissed her head "I have to go now... make us proud Jessie... I can see why you fell in Love with her Marcus… Have a great life - both of you" and disappeared

"He's noty one for good-byes... Is he?" said Gran

"No, he isn't" said Marcus "I forgot about the kiss... How is it I forgot about that?"

"Marcus, you were trying to keep your distance from Jessie" said Gran "When you couldn't find her, your fear blocked it out"

"Ah... that makes sense" said Marcus

"It was you final gift before you came back to me" said Jessie "Thank you" and kissed Marcus's cheek

"You're welcome jellybean" said Marcus and kissed her head

"I feel so much better... I could sleep for days" said Jessie

"You look more relaxed princess" said Pops

Jessie pulled out her phone "What time is it baby?" I asked

"8:45" said Jessie "Why don't we go unpack your bags and make that list"

"Okay jellybean" said Marcus

"What list baby?" I asked

"A list of things Marcus needs" said Jessie "I thought we could go shopping and get them tomorrow"

"Sounds good baby" I said "let me know in the morning"

"Okay Momma" said Jessie

JESSIE'S POV

We grabbed Marcus's bags and went up to our room "I can't believe Momma & Papa are letting us live together" I said "I feel like I'm dreaming"

"Then we're having the same dream jellybean" said Marcus as he unpacked his clothes and I made room in my dresser

"How many drawers do you need sweetie?" I asked

"Just two" said Marcus "Most of these can go on hangers"

"Okay" I said "Hand me the dresser stuff please"

"Here you go jellybean" said Marcus and set his clothes on the desk next to me

"Thanks babykins" I said "Okay socks & boxers are in the top drawer and your sweats, pajama pants & -tshirts are in the bottom drawer"

"Okay" said Marcus as he hung up his sweaters & jeans

"Okay you need some long-sleeve t-shirts, a couple of dress shirts, a few more pairs of jeans, socks, boxers, a couple pairs of shoes, slippers, a robe, more pajama pants, 2&1 shampoo, a new toothbrush & toothpaste, brush & comb, razor & shave cream, a couple of hoodies, a jacket, sunglasses, wallet, phone, deodorant" I said "anything else sweetie?"

"Do I really need all of that?" asked Marcus

"Um yeah... Winter's here are frigid" I said "Oh and a few more sweaters... Spring & Fall get cold when it rains... Summer is about the only season that's descent"

"Okay jellybean" said Marcus "Where do you want my boots and dress shoes kept?"

"In the closet for now" I said and grabbed the hat boxes and pillow case with the gemstones

"What's in the boxes?" asked Marcus "They're beautiful"

"My Christening gown... my communion dress.... my Mom's Wedding dress" I said "I need my communion dress for Sarah to wear at the Wedding bc she's the flower girl" and opened the boxes "Ah... found it"

"Its beautiful Jess" said Marcus

"Its Spanish lace... hand made" I said "Grandma had it made for me" and held it up "You'll meet Sarah on Friday when she comes over... I think Haz said she's 6 or 8 - I don't remember... Haz is giving her piano lessons"

"Haz teaches piano?" asked Marcus

"Yeah and Papa teaches guitar at the music shop that Sarah's parents own" I said

"What does Pamela do?" asked Marcus

"Momma flies helicopters and will maybe soon, be the sports coach at Haz & Papa's high school" I said "Mary's retired and Liam, Zayn & Louis are builders like you"

"Wow... What did Mary do before she retired?" asked Marcus

"Mary & her husband John used to breed dogs.... Charlie was their last pup they had bred when John died, so Mary trained him to be a therapy dog" I said "they came to see me at the hospital the night Davis died and brought me home"

"Ah okay... that explains how you got here" said Marcus "But why this family?"

"The night before my Mom died, she had a dream" I said "She said 'The purple eyed phoenix would be my new Momma' "

"The purple eyed phoenix?" said Marcus

"Yeah... The day after I got here, I found out that Momma has a phoenix tattoo just like my Mom had and it scared me bc Momma got it the same day my Mom died" I said "I climbed a tree and got stuck... Momma climbed up and fot me down... after that Mr. Rothsdale brought my things from our apartment and when I opened my hat boxes & told the family about all of Mom's secrets, I found Mom's letters to me - she had sent them to Jimmy... and here we are"

"Ah, okay" said Marcus "So what's in the pillow cases?"

"The one in the closet has my emergency fund in it and this one has several satin purses full of diamonds & gemstones" I said "I need to find the purse or purses with the blue topaz stones for the accessories for the Wedding... I need to pick the right size stone for earrings & a pendant necklace, so that I can drop them off at the jewelers on Saturday during our shopping trip... we'll look thru them in the kitchen bc the light is better there"

"Okay, but I thought we were going to do this tomorrow?" said Marcus

"We were but bc we're going shopping tomorrow, I thought we should do them now so that we can relax after we get home tomorrow" I said "I have a feeling we're going to be pretty busy around here for a few weeks - I don't like feeling rushed... it makes me irritable and quick to blow up"

"Okay jellybean" said Marcus "lets get this done.. shall we?"

We went down to the kitchen and I went to the back door.

"Hey Jimmy... Come here a minute" I said

"Coming Doodlebug" said Jimmy and came into the kitchen "What's up Doodlebug?"

"Well, it just occurred to me, that we have a slight hiccup with Marcus being human again" I said

"What hiccup?" said Marcus

"You don't have a birth certificate, passport, social security number or ID card" I said "That's the hiccup babykins"

"Oh" said Marcus

"I was just thinking the same thing Doodlebug" said Jimmy "let me make some phone calls and see what I can come up with... I should have some answers by Monday"

"Okay Jimmy... thanks" I said "that's all I wanted to talk about... sorry for pulling you away"

'Hey.. that's okay Doodlebug... this is the fun part of my job" said Jimmy "I handle the problems so you don't have to... you get to relax and I get to have fun... its a win, win"

"Yeah, okay Jimmy... get outta here ya dork" I giggled

"Yes ma'am" said Jimmy and went back out to the patio

"So what shade of blue is a blue topaz?" asked Marcus

"Its a clear light blue" I said and dumped the purses out on the kitchen table "We'll put the checked bags back in the pillow case so we don't get them mixed up with the ones we haven't checked" and got to work

"Okay... where did these all come from?" said Marcus

"My Grandpa's family" I said "The Foster family has been acquiring diamonds & gemstones for generations and passed them down... with each generation adding to it... when they died, they passed it on to me"

"Holy cow" said Marcus "These purses have some weight to them"

"Yeah, they do" I said "and bc they're part of a private collection, they're value increases over time"

"Ah I see" said Marcus "So how much is each purse worth... at the moment?"

"Current value on the gemstones depends on the region they came from" I said "the diamonds, individually, are worth anywhere from $25,000 - $90,000 dollars... each bag is worth $1.5 Million"

"Sweet Jesus" said Marcus

"I found one" I said and set it between my legs "keep going... I know there's at least one more"

"Okay... I found one" said Marcus

"I found another one too" I said "That's 3 so far.. put the found ones between your legs babykins"

"Okay jellybean" said Marcus "shit - I found another one... that's 4 bags now"

"When is your birthday?" I said "T found another one... that's 5"

"January 1st" said Marcus

My head snapped up "No fucking way" I said "You're joking... right?"

"No... Why?" said Marcus looking confused

"My birthday is January 1st, 2001" I said

"Whoa... that's..." said Marcus

"Creepy" I said

"Exactly" said Marcus

"Okay, that's all of them" I said "Now I need to find the right size stones"

And we got to work. We paired up the stones for 12 sets of accessories - 11 with a ring and 1 with a bracelet - that one is for Sarah. we condensed the stones from 5 bags down to 2 and used the 3 other bags to put the sets in - 1 bag for earrings, 12 for the pendants and 1 for the rings & bracelet.  
I know, I know... why so many?... Hell, I don't know, don't ask me, ask Marcus.. It was his idea.

"Marcus… I have to ask this... are you okay with me having all of this money?" I asked

"To be honest, its a little uncomfortable, having said that" said Marcus "Its your money jellybean, you can do what you want with it"

"No Marcus... its OUR money" I said "You have as much of a say in what we do with it as I do... we're partners in this relationship... please don't treat me differently bc of the money"

"Okay jellybean" said Marcus "give me some time to get used to it.. alright?... And I would NEVER treat you different bc of the money... you didn't ask for it... yes, you knew about it, but you also expected to get it further down the road"

"Yeah, I did and you're right, I didn't expect to get it so soon... but seeing as how we have it, we may as well use it for now... till we get things all settled and don't need it as much" I said

"Alright jellybean... fair point" said Marcus "Are the men wearing top hats & tails at the Wedding?"

"No.. regular suits with white dress shirts and silver-blue ties, except for Papa - he's wearing a white tie" I said "I think Papa should wear a silver-blue ties, but Momma wants a white tie for him"

"Ah, okay... Is this a church Wedding?" asked Marcus

"Yeah at Our Lady of Peace just down the road" I said "A friend of Momma's is going to officiate the ceremony with Father Donnelly on September 23rd, which is Papa's birthday"

"How old is Niall & Pamela?" asked Marcus

"Papa will be 18 and Mpmma is 19" I said "momma & Haz's birthdays are on the same day too - 2 years apart"

"So how old are Haz & Mary?" asked Marcus

"Haz is 17 and Mary is 47" I said "But they're soulmates so age is irrelevant... their hearts have already synced up so Mary's age has reversed to match Haz's"

"Wow... you know a lot about this family" said Marcus

"I've had 5 days of listening & reading them" I said "I know more about them than I do about you... but we have plenty of time for that"

"Yes we do" said Marcus "Speaking of time... when the time comes... um... Do you want to have children?"

"Yes... at ;east 3" I said "You?"

"Yes... 3 is a good start... I was thinking more like... 5" said Marcus

"5... why so many?" I said

"Because I had 2 brother and 3 sisters who all died at birth" said Marcus "I used to wonder what it would've been like to have them around and I gueaa bc of that, 5 seemed like a descent number to have"

"Okay... I can see that" I said "lets agree to shoot for 3 and work on 4 & 5" and winked

"Yes ma'am" said Marcus

"Why don't you go on out to the patio while I put these in our dresser and the rest in our closet" I said "I'll be out in a minute"

"okay jellybean" said Marcus and kissed me gently then went outside

I ran upstairs and put everything away and grabbed my world atlas for Haz and went out to the patio.

I got my atlas for you Haz" I said and handed it to him

"Thanks peanut" said Haz "Now I can start my search for your 'paradise lost' "

"You've read Paradise Lost?" said Momma

"Yeah like 3 years ago... just before Ni moved here" said Haz "Have you read it?"

"Yeah when I was 8 - school book report - extra credit for Summer reading assignment" said Momma "It took mr a week to read it"

"Oh wow... why so long?" said Haz

"I had baseball during the day" said Momma"Oh okay" said Haz

"How long did it take you?" asked Momma 

"# days... I'm a fast reader" said Haz "I read all of my class books in a week"

"How many books?" I said

"5" said Haz "The classes are boring, sdo I read the books rather then listen to the teachers ramble on & repeat themselves"

"Yeah, it used to tick me off that he never had homework" said Papa "so I'd do my homework while he read and then would quiz him from my notes... he aced those too"

"So 'Peter Pan' what're you gonna do when you grow up?" I teased

"Either a Lawyer like Gen or a Doctor as your Momma suggested" said Haz and chuckled "Other than that, I'm not sure... What are you gonna do peanut?"

" I don't know... Gemma says I should be a Wedding planner" I said "but I'm still trying to figure that out... I guess I could do just about whatever I want... Who knows, may be I'll teach high school students how to cook so they do starve or overdose on coffee, ramen noodles or mac & cheese - like Simon that one time"

"Yeah that was a bad one... but if you remember Doodlebug, he didn't over dose, he got the flu and ramen and mac & cheese was all he could keep down" said Jimmy

"That's not what Si said" I said "Si said 'I don't know what tried to kill me.. the coffee, the ramen noodles or the mac & cheese, but one of them tried to kill me'... either way, excessive amounts of caffeine, pasta or both, is NOT healthy every minute of every day"


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"You could go into landscaping Haz" said Zayn "You did an amazing job on the front yard... imagine what you could do on a larger scale?... People would pay big money for you to design a beautiful flower garden or park for them"

"Hey there ya go Haz… and you can run your business from home... I'll take the professional photos of your work for your website, Gemma can be your business lawyer, and Liam, Zayn, Louis & Marcus can go into business together building houses and you can dress up the yards" I said "and I'll bank roll it to get you started... if you want to"

"Whoa peanut... I have to graduate from high school first" said Haz "Don't get me wrong, it sounds like a great idea, but lets put that on hold till next June, alright?"

"Okay Haz" I said " sorry... the idea snowballed on me"

"That's alright peanut... now I have 3 options to choose from - its a good start tho" said Haz

"Jess... I'm not a business lawyer" said Gem "I work criminal law & domestic issues... I'd have to go back to school for corporate law"

"Oh Okay Gem... Then we'll retain Jimmy as the business lawyer till we find a lawyer Jimmy trusts" I said "No problem"

"Man your brain works fast" said Louis "I'm getting dizzy just trying to keep up munchkin"

"Its called multi-tasking Louis" I said "I'm already looking at the financial aspect of the business... and its looking good"

"Jessie put that checklist away for now poppet... Let Haz think about it for a while.. besides you'll know what he decides before he does anyway" chuckled Papa

"Yes Papa" I said "Just FYI Haz… we could go International... just sayin"

"Damn peanut... stop with the pressure" chuckled Haz "I'll think about it... subject change... How was the search for the blue topaz?"

"Okay Haz" I said "Oh, it was great... Marcus & I found them and we've already got them separated and ready to be dropped off Saturday at the jewelers for settings"

"Damn you're good" said Gem "How many sets are you having done?"

"I initially was going to have 9 sets done, but then I figured we'll probably be needing more sets ordered so I'm having 12 sets done" I said "Momma will be wearing Grandma's pearl necklace & earrings for the Wedding and we decided Sarah's set will have a bracelet instead of a ring bc of her age"

"Wow, okay then" said Gem "Then all we need are the dresses, shoes, ties for the men and a new suit for Zayn... right?"

"Yepperdo" I said "A white tie for Papa & silver-blue ties for everyone else"

"Friday morning we meet Mr. Thompson to finalize the reception details, Wedding flowers, cake & menu... Oh bugger - we need an extra boutineer & tie for Marcus" I said and pulled out my phone "Its a good thing I reserved 50 rooms - okay update - Gem & Louis with be in the same room and Marcus & I will have our own room with Dutchess & Charlie... that sound okay?"

"Sounds good munchkin" said Gem

"Yes Haz… Robin & Anne will be sharing a room, per your request" I said

"Thank you peanut" said Haz

"Momma, Papa are you okay with Marcus & I sharing a room after the Wedding?" I said

"Yes and the rule still applies Jessie" said Momma

"Yes Momma... thank you" I said

"You're welcome baby" said Momma

"Come on Louis, we're gonna make a special treat for breakfast tomorrow" I said "You can come with us, Marcus, if you wanr ro"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis

"Okay jellybean" said Marcus

"What are you making?" asked Haz

"you'll see in the morning Haz, so stay out of my kitchen" I said

"You better listen to her bug" said Gem "She'll shoot you if you go in there"

"Fine... I'll stay out here" said Haz and we went inside

"Wash your hands Louis" I said as I got out 2 9x13 cake pans, brown sugar, corn syrup, pecans, butter, sugar, cinnamon, a plastic freezer bag and 2 balls of bread dough

"Oh wow.. what's all of that for?" said Louis

"Sticky pecan cinnamon rolls" said Marcus

"Yep, that's what we're making" I said "The reason I call them 'a special treat' is bc they're really sweet & rich so I don't make them very often... usually at Christmas & Easter.. but bc you're learningto cook & bake, I thought it would be fun to learn how to make them - go out there and ask if anyone is allergic to nuts"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis and went to the door "Hey are any of you allergic to nuts?"

Nope" was the collective answer

"Okay... we're good to go boss lady... no allergies" said Louis

"Excellent" I said "Now we're going to bake these in the morning si I'll write the recipe down for you so you know the temp & bake time and can make your own, okay?"

"Okay munchkin, thanks" said Louis

"No problem" I said "Now grab the freezer bag, flour, rolling pin, and that meat tenderizer - the one that looks like a messed up hammer"

"Okay" said Louis as he gathered up the items "What's the meat tenderizer for?"

"To crush the pecans into pieces" I said

"Ah okay... good idea" said Louis "I used to watch Mom try and chop walnuts for cookies - that was dangerous... they'd fly all over the place"

"That's why we need a plastic freezer bag... We're putting the pecans in the bag and crush them with the tenderizer" I said "Remember what I said yesterday?"

"Yeah, I remember" said Louis "When baking or cooking always make things easier to clean up and minimize the mess"

"Very good.... now this is labor intensive, so always make them the night before so you can relax and enjoy them in the morning" I said

"Okay" said Louis

"Put all of the pecans in the bag and close it - but not all the way - we don't want the bag to pop when we pound the nuts" I said

"That just sounded so wrong" Louis chuckled

"Sorry Louis" I said, giggling "You do that while I prep the pans... hit them like you're hammering nails"

"Okay" said Louis and went to work on the nuts.... Yeah, I know, that didn't sound right either haha

I buttered the pans and poured some corn syrup into the pans to coat the bottom, then put brown sugar all over the syrup & sprinkled a little cinnamon then set them aside and washed my hands.

"That's god Louis - we want nice smaller pieces, not pecan dust... Next we're gonna mix the cinnamon & sugar together" I said "There is no exact measure for this, so we're going to use 1/2 a cup of sugar and add the cinnamon till it tastes right"

"Okay" said Louis

"The best thing about cinnamon sugar is that you can make a ton of it to keep on hand and it never goes bad,,, you can sprinkle it on buttered toast & you can add it to your coffee for a spicy kick" I said

"Oh wow, okay, so it has a lot of other uses then" said Louis

"Yeah, it does" I said "Now always make sure your work surface is clean and dry - you don't your dough to stick and rip... I'll work this dough ball so you can see how to do the next one.. okay?"

"Okay boss lady" said Louis

"Sprinkle a good amount of flour on your work surface and on top of the ball of dough and knead the dough, working in the flour an causing air to get trapped inside to help the dough rise & the rolls to puff up while they bake" I said "And also to soak up some of the moisture in the dough - keep putting flour on your work surface as you knead the dough..... When the dough feels more solid and not so sticky, coat your rolling pin with flour so it doesn't stick, and roll out your dough to about 1/2 an inch thick and you want the dough to look as close to a rectangle as you can get it without ripping"

"Okay" said Louis

"Take your butter and using your hand like a butter knife, spread the butter all over the dough, then wash your hands" I said and washed my hands "make sure your hands are good and dry, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar all over the butter, add the pieces of pecans, a little more cinnamon sugar, then roll your dough into a log - you want it tight, but not too tight bc then it will rip as you roll it... grab your pan - "

"What's in the pan?" asked Louis

"Corn syrup, brown sugar & a little cinnamon - that's the sticky part of this" I said "Take your pan and sprinkle some of the pecans - not a lot - on top of the brown sugar before you cut the rolls... use your bread knife to cut the dough... use your left hand to gently hold the dough - don't smash it - and your right hand to cut... the knife is going to pinch the dough, but that's okay, we can fix them as we put them in the pan"

"Okay" said Louis

"You should get 12 or 13 rolls per log... cut them all BEFORE you put them in the pan" I said "the end pieces are always going to be uneven, so put them upside down so the cut side faces up - about a 1/2 inch apart & make 4 rows of 3... when you get them all in the pan, take your butter and put a small dollop of butter and put it between where 4 rolls meet, going down each row - and this pan is done"

"I could watch her do that all day" said Marcus

" I know what you mean" said Louis "When she talked about what she was going to make, I knew I had to learn... so far we've made the pizzas and a pumpkin cheesecake and its been a blast"

"I missed the cheesecake?... Damn" said Marcus

"Yeah... sorry" said Louis

"We'll make it again, but I need to get another cheesecake pan" I said "Louis is going to cook his first solo meal next week so he can make them for dessert.... Okay Louis, are you ready to make the next pan of rolls?"

"Yep... you make it look pretty easy so I think I can do it" said Louis

"Okay then, get at it" I said "I'll watch so if you have any questions, I'm right here"

"Okay" said Louis and started talking himself thru each step as he worked "Damn you weren't kidding when you said this was labor intensive"

"You get used to it eventually" I said "Anything you make that requires a lot of prep, do it the night before or early in the morning so you don't get stressed out... When you get stressed, you run the risk of burning your recipe"

"Got it.. so be safe and prep ahead of time" said Louis

"Correct" I said as Louis continued working the dough "How does your dough feel?"

"Pretty solid" said Louis

"The go ahead and roll it out to a 1/2 inch thick rectangle" I said

"Okay" said Louis "Flour the rolling pin..."

I checked the time - it was almost 10pm. and kept watching Louis as he went thru the steps, talking them thru to commit them to memory. It was amazing how he did this.. I've never seen someone repeat the steps to themselves word for word, but if this is how he works, I don't mind.

"How wide do I cut them?" asked Louis

"About 3 fingers wide" I said "Put your pinkie finger at the end of the log, like a wall and cut along your finger & thumb... yep, just like that.. good job"

"Okay, thanks" said Louis as he cut the rolls

"No problem... that's why I'm here" I said

"Oaky, this pans done" said Louis

"Okay, we'll let them set out to rise and then cover them with foil and put them in the fridge before we go to bed" I said

"Okay" said Louis and washed his hands "This was fun... thanks munchkin"

"You're welcome" I said "Lets go sit outside for a bit while they rise"

"Okay... Damn they look good" said Louis

"They're to die for" said Marcus

"You can come up with different kinds too... that's where the real fun is" I said "Cranberry & Raisin, Peanut butter & Chocolate chip, Banana Walnut... the possibilities are endless"

"Oh wow" said Louis "I guess so" as we walked out to the patio

"Stick with me Lou and you'll be a great baker/cookin no time" I said and sat down

"How was the cooking lesson Louis?" asked Gran

"Amazing... and boy, are y'all in for a treat" said Louis

"I can't wait" said Haz "What was all of the banging going on in there?"

"Breaking nut with a hammer" said Louis... Haz flinched

"Damn Haz" laughed Papa "Not those nuts, ya wanker" as everyone broke out in a fit of laughter

"So Marcus.. Jessie said you were a builder?" said Louis

"Yes I was" said Marcus "I built a cabin for Jess & I when I was in charge of tracking auras... why?"

"Well Gem & I are working on a nursery for Liam & Zayn's babies... Would you like to help?" said Louis "We just finished painting the French doors & trim so we'll be painting the room and hanging the doors tomorrow"

" Jess & I have to go pick up a few things in the morning, but I'd love to help when we get back" said Marcus

"Awesome... Then we'll see you in the nursery when you two get back" said Louis

"Is there anything special you want in the room?" asked Marcus

"Like what?" asked Louis

"Like a mural.. with trees, a river, birds, deers, rabbits, wild flowers" said Marcus "That kind of thing bc I can pain one if you would like"

"You can paint that?" asked Zayn

"Sure I can... I have pictures if you'd like to see them" said Marcus

"I'd love to" said Zayn

"Okay, I'll be rightg back... I have them upstairs" said Marcus and went inside

"Did you know?" asked Louis

"No, I had no idea" I said "I guess he had a lot of free time after I left... bc he never painted when we were together"

Marcus came back out with a photo portfolio and opened it.

"These are the pictures were taken back in 2000 just after Jess left... I went thru a bit of a melancholy phase and started painting our cabin with murals - of Jess in woodland scenes and then took the pictures to show her when we met again" said Marcus

"You... painted... me?" I said in shock "How long did it take you?"

"Yes... I couldn't sleep after you left" said Marcus " a few weeks... I painted 16 walls & 4 ceilings in 3 weeks and then I slept for a week"

"Oh Marcus... they're beautiful" I said as I turned the page "Zayn you gotta see these"

Each page held a different picture, all of me wearing a flowy white dress, long blond hair with a flower crown on my head in different woodland scenes with animals & without, sitting in a field of wild flowers or by a pond looking at my reflection... and while sleeping on a quilt under a tree. Zayn came over to see the pictures.

"These are amazing Marcus" said Zayn "Li, you should see these" as Liam came over

"Oh wow... Jessie's face looks so life-like.. they're stunning, truly stunning Marcus" said Liam

"Holy shit you were a mess" I said "And here I thought a sleep deprived 5 day drunken bender was bad"

"Who had a drunken bender?" asked Marcus

"I did... When Momma died, I didn't eat or sleep for 5 days" I said "I was sleep deprived, delusional and popped the lock on the liquor cabinet and got so drunk I passed out and slept for 3 days straight... then David & I moved here"

"Jessie was so wasted, not even a cold shower would wake her up" said Jimmy "We had to call Doc Matthews to come make sure she was alright... Simon, Mack & I didn't leave her room till she woke up"

"How old were you?" asked Marcus

"I was 8... that's when my aura was damaged the first time... that was a bad time" I said "And then 2 days ago, you told me you couldn't find me"

"Oh Jellybean... I'm so sorry" said Marcus "Had I been able to track you, I would've been there"

"I know you would have... but there was a reason I had to be on my own" I said "Because of my Mom's dream and the lady with the purple eyes, I had to come here without your help"

"Jessie, you remember earlier, when we were making dinner, that there was buzzing up there but no one was talking... that it was nothing but dead air?" said Louis "You thought God was blocking you - why would today make you feel a bit on edge, unless he had done it before.... like the day you got drunk and didn't hear the voices"

"Oh son of a bitch" I said "Now it all makes sense... I need to have a conversation with your former boss... I'll be back soon" and went out to the picnic table and laid down


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

LOUIS'S POV

"Oh shit... she is livid - her eyes went from light blue to black in 10 seconds flat" I said ""Its a good thing God isn't here right now or he'd be a dead man"

"Holy crap, you ain't kidding Louis... she's madder than an angry hornets nest" said jimmy "I'm getting dizzy with all of the back & forth of their conversation.... JESSICA RENEE FOSTER-AIMSWORTH, YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH OR I'M GETTING A BAR OF SOAP & A SWITCH YOUNG LADY"

"Sorry Jimmy, but he started it" yelled Jessie calmly

"Well quit cutting him off and let him explain" said Jimmy "And if I hear that word again, you ain't getting a warning"

"GRRR Yes sir" said Jessie

"Don't growl at me... you don't know who you're messing with little missy" said Jimmy "AND QUIT ROLLING YOUR EYES AT ME!!"

"OH SHUT UP JAMES MORRIS BURKE" yelled Jessie "OR I'M TELLING MACK ABOUT THAT RING HIDDEN UNDER YOUR MATTRESS BACK HOME!!!"

"DONT YOU DARE THREATEN ME JESSICA" yelled Jimmy as Jessie held up a phone

"One more word Jimmy and I hit 'CALL MACK' " said Jessie "Not one more word or so help me Jimmy... now sit down and be quiet"

"That little thief.... I hate it when she does that" said Jimmy "Yeah, she's Catherine's daughter alright... right down to picking pockets and a vocabulary that would make Lucifer blush, if he could... Oh crap, he's gone and done it now, she's swearing in.... German?.. Damn go girl"

"Uh-oh she's pointing, that's not good" said Haz "I know I've been on the other end of that finger"

"Well whatever she said must've gotten thru bc she's calmed down.. a lot" said Jimmy as Jessie got up and cvame back to the patio

"Well he wont be blocking either of us any more" said Jessie "You should be able to hear them now"

"Yeah, I hear them... Do they have to be so loud?" said Marcus

"They'll calm down in a few minutes" said Jessie "Its not everyday that a human rips God a new ass for interfering in business that's not his to begin with"

"So what reason did he give?" I asked

"He said he blocked us bc he thought we needed some space and that we weren't really in Love, it was just a phase" said Jessie " so I called him a bastard and said that if he ever did that to us again, that when I finally got back up there, I'd shove a hellhound up his ass and sew his ass shut"

"Jessica!!" said Pamela "That was so wrong to say that"

"I apologized - under extreme protest mind you, but I apologized Momma" said Jessie "And you - don't you EVER threaten to use a switch on me James Morris Burke or I'll box your ears and break you damned nose... you never would've survived what I've been thru without ending up in the crazy house, sitting in the corner talking to Alice in Wonderland... I had every right to say & show him all that's happened since Momma died and now he knows it was wrong to do that to us and apologized"

"Here's your phone back" said Jessie and slid it across the table "And I'll growl at you whenever I feel like it... quit butting in Jimmy... that conversation was between me & God"

"Thank you" said Jimmy "Yes ma'am"

"Subject change" said Jessie "So when are gonna get off your butt and ask Mack to marry you?.... Y'all ain't getting any younger Jimmy... at this rate y'all are gonna need walkers and wheelchairs just to get down the aisle"

"I'm almost ready Jess, I just got a few things to put in place to make it memorable" said Jimmy

Mhm, so what's this big plan of yours?" asked Jessie

"A walk down Memory Lane" said Jimmy "He has to collect a rose from every place we've ever gone to on a date, including the Botanical Garden and when he's collected all of the roses then he'll end up at Maggie's rose garden where I'll be waiting with the ring"

"Ooo you sly dog... Is Simon helping you pull this off?" said Jessie

"Of course... Who do you think came up with this idea?" said Jimmy "Who knew the guy with commitment issues was a hopeless romantic"

"Me, Momma, Grandma, Mack, your Momma... we've known for a while" said Jessie "Momma told me once that she & Simon dated before she hooked up with the dick of the century"

"I thought Lucifer took those memories" said Pamela

"He did but the resentment is still there" said Jessie "With or without the memories, he's still the dick of the century"

"Okay baby" said Pamela "Subject change... Pops would you like Marcus to paint a mural in the nursery?" 

"Oh yes, please" said Zayn "that would be perfect"

"Okay then... we need to stop off at an art supply store and get paints & brushes Jellybean" said Marcus

"Okay" said Jessie and pulled out her phone "done"

"May I see your portfolio?" said Haz

"Sure Haz" said Marcus and handed it to him

"Wow these are really good Marcus" said Haz "I love the details in them... How long were you two together before she left?"

"9 years" said Marcus "And then I was told she had to go back and that's when she asked me to take our memories"

"I see why you were in a melancholy mood" said Haz "How old was Jess?"

"Jess was 25 when she left" said Marcus "I had that dress made just before she left... She only wore it once, but that image was burned in my memory... the dress is made of Spanish lace with long sleeves and buttons down the back... absolute perfection"

"Where is it?" asked Jessie

"Upstairs in the bag with your things from the cabin" said Marcus

Jessie ran into the house...

"I haven't seen her run that fast since our run" said Haz 

"That dress is important to her" said Gran "Its her link to their past" as Jessie came back out in the dress

"There's my angel" said Marcus "The angel that stole my heart and gave me hers"

"Dance with me... like we did that night" whispered Jessie

JESSIE'S POV

Marcus stood up and went to the box of CD's and pulled out a cassette tape and put it in and hit play as we walked out to the yard. I draped my skirt over my arm as we danced. It was my song to him without the words... this moment was ours... no one joined us or spoke a word or thought a single thing... even Heaven was quiet.

"My beautiful angel in Spanish lace" whispered Marcus as we touched our heads together and just held each other as our song played "I Love You Jessica"

"I Love You too Marcus" I whispered and parted when the song ended

Marcus bowed & I dipped into a curtsy as he kissed my hand then stood up and spun me around as we hugged.

"This is the absolute best day of my life" said Marcus

"Mine too" I said "Thank you for bringing this back to me my love"

"You're welcome Angel" said Marcus as he carried me back to the patio and held me in his arms as he sat down with me on his lap "My beautiful Angel"

I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder. My world finally felt at peace as I drifted in & out of sleep.

"What... time..." I said softly

"Almost 11:30 my Angel" said Marcus and kissed my head

"Okay" I sighed

PAMELA'S POV

"She's sleeping" I whispered "My poor baby... she has a high energy level so when she slows down, she falls asleep fast"

"I could tell when we were in the kitchen that they day had finally caught up with her and she was getting tired" said Louis

"Hey Jimmy?" said Haz

"Yeah?" said Jimmy

"When you get back home tp take care of the houses, could you send me all of Jessie's CD's, movies and any pictures & photo albums and any that you find at the other houses too" said Haz "I think it would be nice for Jessie to have them here" 

"Sure Haz, I can do that" said Jimmy

"Cool, thanks" said Haz

"Harry... What are you scheming?" said Anne

"Oh.. just a little surprise for Jessie" said Haz "And I'm gonna need everyone's help on this, so no thinking about it...Louis"

"Okay Haz.. I wont, promise" said Louis "So what's your idea?"

"I'm going to put her CD's and the ones Jimmy sends me on her Ipod, then I'm going to take the photos from her shoebox & any that Jimmy sends me in a photo album and the photos that we know that she took, I'm going to design a website to that she can take pictures and get paid for it"

"Wow.. just be careful Haz… its a great idea, it is, but she may get overwhelmed by it all" said Gemma

"I will Gem.. promise" said Haz

"What are you going to do with the movies?" asked Louis

"I'm gonna put then in the living room and we're gonna start having a movie night every Saturday along with takeout & popcorn... all of us as a family"

"I think that's a great idea Haz" I said "we all enjoyed movie night last Sunday and its a good way to unwind and relax"

"I'll be right back honey and then we can head home" said Louis

"Okay" said Gem as Louis ran in the house "Louis loves cooking with Jessie, but he's having a hard time with the compliments"

"I noticed that during dinner" I said "He needs to relax... Jessie's not gonna let him screw up"

"Louis's always had a hard time with compliments" said Dad "Give him time and he'll loosen up"

"Oh okay" said Gem

"So does Louis always talk to himself when he learns new things?" said Marcus

"Yeah, he's always done that" said Dad "He'll talk thru every step till its committed to memory... its his learning process"

"Ah, okay... I thought he was trying to talk himself into a panic attack" said Marcus

"No... I watched them last night when they were making the cheesecake" said Dad "Everything she said he repeated back to himself as he worked with her and she let him... she picked up on that quick and it made him more willing to learn" as Louis came back out

"Okay Marcus, if she wakes up, let her know the pans are covered in foil & are in the fridge" said Louis

"We will and I'll see you in the morning" said Marcus "Have a goodnight Louis"

"Yeah, you too Marcus" said Louis "Goodnight everyone"

"Goodnight you two" said everyone

Maura, Gran, Robin & Anne said their good-byes & goodnights and went home.

"So Harry, Anne is your Mom?" said Marcus

"Yeah and Gemma is my sister" said Haz "Mum lives next door and Gemma lives on the other side of town"

"Ah okay" said Marcus "So do you live with your Mom still?"

"Sort of... I've been living here since Mary got home from her trip to the States" said Haz "but I still have some things at my Mums"

"Ah okay" said Marcus "And Maura is your Mom, right Niall?"

"Yeah... speaking of which, we need to go to Mom's tomorrow after work and pack the rest of my things Haz" said Ni "Gran will be here and I still have my key so we can get in if Mom isn't there"

"Okay Ni" said Haz "You need any boxes?"

"I can get some from work, its all good Haz" said Ni

"Okay that's not a problem" said Haz

"I better head off y'all" said Jimmy "I'll be back sometime tomorrow... I need to file Jessie's adoption petition and work on a hiccup Jessie mentioned a while ago"

"Thanks Jimmy, its much appreciated" said Marcus

"You're welcome Marcus" said Jimmy "Y'all have a goodbight"

"Goodnight Jimmy" said everyone

"Drive safe" I said

"I will.. bye now" said Jimmy and left

"Jessie baby.. wake up" I said and patted her knee till she moved "Hey baby"

"What?" said Jessie and yawned, rubbing her eyes

"You fell asleep baby" I said "Go put your pajamas on, brush your teeth and then I'll brais your hair, okay?"

"Oh, okay Momma" said Jessie "Be right back"

"Okay Angel" said Marcus as Jessie went inside " Thanks Pamela, I didn't have the heart to wake her"

"I know" I said "That's alright Marcus, she needed to take her dress off and get ready for bed anyway" as Jessie came back out in her boxers & t-shirt

"Just one braid Momma" said Jessie

"Okay... French or regular?" I asked

"French please" said Jessie and sat on my lap

"Alright baby" I said

"Did Louis take care of the pans?" asked Jessie

"Yeah... he said to tell you they're covered and in the fridge" said Marcus

"Okay good" said Jessie "I'll set my alarm for 7am so I can put them in the oven before my workout"

"How long do they take to bake?" asked Marcus

"About 30-45 minutes" said Jessie "Plenty of time for my workout & a shower"

"Oh okay" said Marcus

"There you go baby, all set" I said

"Thanks Momma" said Jessie "I put Dutchess's bed next to Charlie's so she wont be lonely"

"Okay baby" I said "You may want to keep your door open tonight tho, just in case she comes upstairs"

"Yeah, I know" said Jessie "And she's not gonna like it either"

"She'll get used to it baby, just be patient" I said ""Once she sees Charlie in his bed, she'll figure it out"

"I hope so, the thought of flicking her nose.. its not something to look forward to" said Jessie "But she can't sleep with me any more"

"Dutchess will be fine Angel... You'll see" said Marcus

"Come on, lets all go to bed... its been a long day" I said

"Another fun-filled day in the Fun House of wacky shit" said Jessie and giggled "There's never a dull moment in this place"

"That's true" said Ni "but we can hope for quieter days from now on tho"

"From your lips to God's ears Papa" said Jessie and went to wake up the dogs "Charlie, Dutchess… Come on sleepyheads, its time to go inside and go to bed"

The dogs got up and followed us into the house. Charlie got in his bed as Dutchess headed for the stairs.

"No Dutchess" said Marcus as she stopped and looked at him "Come here Dutchess, its alright you're not in trouble" as she walked over to him "This is your bed.. you need to stay here with Charlie and keep the house safe... Can you do that for me?"

"woof, woof" barked Dutchess

"Good girl... go to bed" said Marcus ""If anyone comes thru the door, bark really loud and a lot but stay in the house... okay?'

"woof, woof" barked Dutchess and laid down in her bed

"Good girl" said Marcus and rubbed her head "lets go Angel"

"How did you do that?" asked Jessie

"She's a protector.. she just needed a job to do" said Marcus "I told you she'll be fine"

"Okay, lets go then" said Jessie "You can change in the bathroom for privacy"

"Okay Angel" said Marcus and grabbed his pajama pants and t-shirt and went in the bathroom


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

JESSIE'S POV

I turned down the bed, hung up my dress, and took care of my clothes as Marcus came into our room.

"Are those clothes still clean?" I asked

"Yeah" said Marcus "I'll just set them on the sesk chair for tonight... I can wear them again tomorrow"

"Alright" I said as I got in bed "Come on.. lets get some sleep" as I set my alarm

"Okay" said Marcus and got in bed and laid down. I laid down, resting my head on his chest "Goodnight Angel"

"Goodnight my love" I said "I Love You"

"I Love You too Angel" said Marcus and kissed my head as I drifted off to sleep... listening to his heartbeat

IN THE MORNING...

I woke up to my alarm chiming. I turned it off and got up, careful not to wake Marcus. I put on my workout clothes, grabbed my Ipod & shoes and went down stairs, opening the bedroom doors as I went. When I got to the kitchen, Momma was up and dressed in her workout dear.

"Morning Momma" I said as I took the pans out of the fridge and turned on the oven

"Morning baby.... How did you sleep?" asked Momma

"Great... best night's sleep thus far" I said and poured some juice and took my vitamin

"Good to hear baby" said Momma "Is Marcus still sleeping?"

"Yeah... and Dutchess stayed in her bed all night too" I said as the oven buzzed. I uncovered the pans and put them in the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes "You ready?"

"Hell yeah.. let the sweating begin" said Momma

"Okay... we'll start with a jog around the yard and exercises before we start our individual workouts" and put in my earbuds

"Sounds good baby" said Momma and put her earbuds in "Lets go... no talking"

"No talking" I said and hit play on my Ipod and started jogging with Momma

We did 10 laps around the yard and then did our exercises.

"10 reps each Momma" I said as we started

"Okay baby" said momma

"Squats" I said and called out each exercise as we went "Push ups.... okay stretch your legs muscles - touch your toes, breathing in thru your nose & out thru your mouth, counting to 10, then while touching your toes you're gonna raise your left leg as high as you can & hold it while counting to 10 and then switch to your right leg raise & hold counting to 10... okay Momma?"

"Okay baby" said Momma "Oh dear God my muscles are gonna hurt like Hell tomorrow"

"Don't push them too much Momma... if you can't do 10 each, just do 5" I said "I don't want you to hurt yourself"

"Okay baby" said Momma

"Okay, time for individual workouts" I said

"Okay baby... Have fun" said Momma

"You too Momma" I said as she rolled out her yoga mat and I did my flips & tumbles and finished with my headstand and stayed there till my alarm on my Ipod went off

I went in the house and took the cinnamon rolls out of the oven and flipped them out onto cookies sheets to cool and started a pot of coffee.

"Momma... time to start breakfast - bacon & eggs.... I'm gonna jump in the shower" I said

"Okay baby.. on my way" said Momma "Wkae everyone up on your way please"

"Okay Momma" I said and went upstairs "Breakfast will be ready in 30 minutes people... and the shower is mine for the next 20 minutes" I yelled "Don't make Momma use the air horn"

"Okay, okay we're up" said Haz "Wow... what's that smell?"

"Sticky pecan cinnamon rolls" I yelled "And don't touch them Haz, they're still hot"

"Okay peanut" said Haz "I wont... promise"

I grabbed my clothes and shower caddy and headed for the bathroom. I showered and got dressed and took my things back to my room as Marcus was waking up. I brushed and fluffed my hair & used a little hair gel to set the curls.

"Morning sleepyhead" I said and kissed him

"Morning Angel" said Marcus "How was your workout?"

"It was good.. Momma & I did our individual workouts, I baked the cinnamon rolls and Momma's making bacon & eggs for breakfast" I said "You better get up before the coffee's gone"

"Coffee... I'm up" said Marcus and got out of bed "How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby" I said "You?"

"Same... best night's sleep in a long time" said Marcus

"Well come on, lets get you some coffee" I said and held hands as we went to the kitchen

Marcus poured some coffee as I got out 3 containers and put 2 rolls in each one.

"What are those for?" said Haz

"They're for Anne, Maura & Robin to take to work so they can have them with their lunch" I said and put my shoes on "I'm gonna run these over to Anne's Momma... be right back"

"Okay baby.. hurry up, the eggs are almost ready" said Momma

"Yes ma'am" I said and ran over to Anne's and knocked on the door, Anne answered

"Morning Jessie... What's this?" said Anne

"Morning Anne... I brought some pecan rolls over for you, Robin & Maura" I said "I didn't want you to miss out on having some"

"Oh, thank you sweetie" said Anne

"You're welcome" I said "I gotta get back, Momma's making breakfast... Have a good day... bye"

"You too sweetie... bye" said Anne and closed the door

I ran back home "Packages delivered" I said and took my shoes off "Papa.. whoa, you don't look so good... you okay?"

"I'm not sure poppet... I didn't sleep well and my head is killing me" said Papa

"Oh Papa.. show me where the pain started from" I said

"It started at the base of my neck.. I thought I just slept wrong, but its gotten worse since I got up" said Papa

"Okay Papa, sit down and just breathe, I got you" I said "Your neck is full of knots... let me find your pressure points in your neck and get that pain to ease up a bit... go to your calm place while I work, okay?"

"Okay poppet" said Papa and closed his eyes

I worked the pressure points with my thumbs till the knots loosened up and then did a head massage and neck alignment.

"Where's your pain level Papa? 1 being okay, thru 10 still hurting" I asked

"Zero" said Papa and sighed "Thank you poppet"

"That's good.. You're welcome Papa" I said "get some breakfast and try not to do too much today"

"Yes ma'am" said Papa

I was plating up the cinnamon rolls as Gem, Louis & Gran came thru the door.

"Perfect timing" I said "get some breakfast & coffee... Gran I have some tea ready if you'd like some" I said

"Thank you dear" said Gran "Oh those look good Jessie... are they cinnamon rolls?"

"Sicky pecan rolls" I said "and they turned out perfect"

"Yes!!" said Louis "How long did they bake for?"

"45 minutes" I said "I let them go a little longer bc of them being in the fridge overnight... I gave some to Anne, Robin & Maura to have at work, so these are all ours"

"Oh my God... these are to die for" said Haz "I could go into a sugar coma from these but it would be so worth it"

"That's why I only make them twice a year" I giggled "and that's why they're served with breakfast so you DON'T go into a coma"

"Ah okay" said Haz "they taste even better with a bite of bacon... Mmm... sorry peanut, but you're gonna need to make tghem more often bc we need them all the time... right Zayn?"

"Um.. well... maybe not these, but definitely a regular cinnamon roll" said Zayn "one without as much sugar - thses make my teeth hurt"

"I can do that Grandpa" I said "I can make a plain cinnamon roll... a peanut butter & chocolate chip roll... a raisin & cranberry cinnamon roll... or a banana & walnut cinnamon roll - which one do you want Grandpa - pick one"

"Ooo raisin & cranberry please" said Zayn

"Alright.. raisin & cranberry it is then" I said "I'll make them up Saturday night after dinner & bake them up Sunday morning... okay?"

"Oh thank you princess" said Zayn

"You're welcome Grandpa" I said "and good job asking for rolls with less sugar"

"Thanks... I'm trying" said Zayn "I'm not supposed to have a lot, but its hard bc I love chocolate and sweets"

"I know its hard and as I said before, I'm in touch with Dr. Carlisle and you're in good hands... you wont have anything you're not supposed to & I check with her before I make anything to make sure its okay and so that she's aware... so trust me, we got you covered" I said

"Okay princess" said Zayn "and yes, I took my vitamin"

"Good job" I said "You're on Day 4 of taking them... How do you feel?"

"I feel good... no dizziness & my energy level is up... I still get tired, but not as often and I'm sleeping better at night" said Zayn

"That's great Grandpa" I said "Have you been writing in your journal much?"

"Oh yeah, a lot" said Zayn "I've been keeping track of my progress and reading the books and I'm feeling more comfortable about the weight gain bc Liam said he'd go on a diet & exercise with me after the babies are born, so its all good"

"Wow, that's great Grandpa" I said "Rock on you two.. I like the positive attitude to, keep it going"

"Can I borrow that nature CD again?" asked Zayn "I want to put it on our laptop so I can listen to it when I'm writing"

"Sure.. in fact, why don't you keep it and put it in your hospital bag so you have it while you're in labor" I said

"Oh wow... I can take it to the hospital?" said Zayn

"Oh sure you can" said Mary "You can take whatever you need to stay focused & calm... When I was in labor with Liam & Louis, I had Motown playing in my room - Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin... it was the best soundtrack ever"

"Wow.. okay then its going in my hospital bag" said Zayn

"And let me know if you start feeling any discomfort in your lower back" I said "I'll show Liam how to ease the pain and make you feel better, okay?"

"Okay princess" said Zayn "I've read the books so I know its coming, but I'm not looking forward to it... I don't have a high pain tolerance"

"I know Grandpa, Momma told me" I said "Don't hink about that right now... for right now, just relax and think about what the nursery is going to look like.... pale yellow walls, white lace curtains and the most beautiful mural you've ever seen"

"Its going to be breathtaking" said Zayn

"Marcus would you like to see the nursery?" said Louis "So you can get an idea of where to start?"

"That would be great" said Marcus and followed Louis in to the room

MARCUS'S POV

"Wow.. okay, we're gonna need some fans to air the room out and dry the paint faster... when does it need to be done?" I asked

"By Sunday night... that's when Gemma goes back to her apartment" said Louis "I'll be leaving on Monday afternoon"

"Okay, I can start tomorrow morning if the paint isn't dry enough tonight" I said "A couple of trees with wide canopies... a meadow with a herd of deer, squirrels, birds, rabbits, a couple of unicorns, faeries, gnomes, an arbor of flowers around the doorway... yeah, that'll work... 3 days & 2 nights and I'll sleep on Monday"

"Don't go killing yourself Marcus or Jessie will kill me" said Louis "The last thing any of us needs to for Jessie to get pissed off and blow up"

"I'll talk to her, she wont get mad.. promise" I said "The door wall, Main wall and the far wall need to be painted before the door gets hung so its good and dry by morning and we can hang the door tonight after dinner... it'll take about an hour"

"Sounds good... Gem & I will work on that while you're out" said Louis "I'll get the fans from the garage so we're good to go"

"Oh, I'm gonna have fun with this one" I said " and its for a baby's room so it'll be perfect"

"Actually, its for 3 babies" said Louis

"3?" I said "Zayn's carrying 3 babies?"

"Yeah... it shocked us too... Jessie knew before we did"

"Holy shit... no wonder Heaven was so excited" I said "That's amazing"

"Jessie made an audio recording of the babies heartbeats on her phone" said louis as we headed back to the table "You should hear it... its incredible"

"What's incredible?" asked Jessie as we sat down

"The recording of the babies heartbeats" said Louis

"Yeah it is" said Jessie "Do you want to hear it?"

"Yes please" I said as Jessie pulled out her phone and hit play "Wow.. that's amazing... they sound like echoes, but I can hear all 3 - 2 are in sync and 1 is on its own... truly amazing... Congratulations Liam, Zayn"

"Thank you Marcus" said Liam & Zayn in unison

"We'll find out when Zayn is at 21 weeks whether they're all boys, all girls or both" said Jessie "We're going to have a gender reveal with bows is they're girls & fire trucks if they're boys... I'm hopeing for all girls - fingers crossed"

"I don't care as long as they're healthy" said Liam "But I will say that after raising Pamela, it would be nice if one of them was a boy - with Zayn's looks, he'd be a heartbreaker and Mom never had a Grandson and Lou & I were the only boys born till we had Pamela"

"Was I that bad?" said Pamela "Be honest Dad"

"No baby girl, you weren't a difficult child, you were just headstrong like your Mom & energetic like my Mom is all" said Liam "I just think you haven't really been a parent unless you've had more than one child and if you're able to have one of each, you see things from different perspectives"

"Ah okay" said Pamela "I see your point"

"What was her name?... Pamela's Mother" I asked

"Danielle" said Liam "I called her Dani bc her Grandpa used to call her that and it made her smile... Pamela has her smile and my Grandmother's eyes & Mom's curls - My Grandmother died before I was born, but I've seen pictures and my Dad told me all about her.... she was a special lady, just like Mom & Dani"

"Momma you need to go shower and get dressed.. you need to get dressed too Marcus - its almost 10:30" said Jessie "I'll help clean up"

"Yes ma'am" I said

"Okay baby... I'll be back in 20 minutes" said Pamela as we both went upstairs


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54

JESSIE'S POV

"Hey peanut, do you mind if I take some of these to work for Tom & Linda?" asked Haz

"No, I don't mind" I said "You know, why don't I take a couple for Jimmy and you can take them all to work"

"Oh wow.. thanks peanut" said Haz

"You're welcome" I said and put 2 on a plate and put it in the microwave

I was putting the remaining rolls in a container when Marcus came in wearing jeans & a white denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up and sat down to finish his coffee.

"I love that shirt" I said "its one of my favorites"

"I know... that's why I'm wearing it" chuckled Marcus

"Ah okay" I said "I'll be right back.. I need to grab my purse and shoes... Momma should be ready soon"

"Okay Angel" said Marcus

"Hey Jessie?.... Can we talk?... privately?" asked Haz

"Sure Haz" I said "We can talk in my room"

"Okay" said Haz and followed me upstairs

"What's up?" I said... Haz looked nervous as Hell "Relax Haz, just breathe & relax"

"I'm trying peanut" said Haz and took a deep breath "okay... I want to ask Mary to marry me..so could you help me choose a ring?"

"Absolutely" I said "Do you mind if I make a suggestion?"

"Sure peanut" said Haz, a little more relaxed

I went to my dresser and took out 2 small ring boxes "These were my Grandma & Grandpa's rings and Grandma's engagement ring" I said "I want you to have them"

Haz opened the boxes "Oh peanut... Are you sure?" said Haz

"Yep, I'm sure" I said "I'm not getting married and time soon, plus I have a lot of diamonds I can use when the time comes so take them... I hope you & Izzie are as happy & in Love as my Grandma & Grandpa were - and if you need help planning the proposal, let me know"

"Oh Jessie, its beautiful... Thank you" said Haz "I will... I have a few ideas floating around in my head, but I'm not ready to put them into action just yet"

"Okay Haz… when the times comes, like I said, let me know" I said and grabbed my shoes & purse and gave him a hug "Now while you're thinking things over, don't forget to breathe and talk to Papa.. it will help to have someone in the loop in case your nerves get too bad and you wont ruin the surprise... okay?"

"Good idea" said Haz "I still have to talk to Liam or Louis first - that's the nervous part"

"Ask Louis... He's closer in age and he has Gemma to talk to if he has any questions or concerns" I said "Be patient and let him take his time to think about it... no rush, right?"

"Yeah, no rush" said Haz "I'll keep them in my backpack so Mary doesn't find them.... How did you get them?"

"Grandma & Grandpa never wore them when they traveled... they would put them in these boxes before they'd leave and then put them back on when they returned" I said "When I opened the box with my christening gown, they were in there"

"Ah okay" said Haz as we went downstairs and put the rings in his backpack then poured another cup of coffee and sat down

"Is everything alright Haz?" asked Papa

"Yeah, I'm fine... I'll tell you on our way to work Ni" said Haz

"Okay Haz" said Papa

"Can I borrow your phone Angel?" asked Marcus

"Sure.. Whatcha need it for?" I asked

"I need some photos of the arbor, rose bushes , yard and flowers so I can fit them into the mural and so that I get the right colors for the flowers" said Marcus

"Ah okay... let me show you how to work it" I said and pulled out my phone and opened the camera app "just press the red button on the screen when you get your image lined up and if you have any problems, just call me" and handed it to him

"Thanks Angel" said Marcus and went outside

I finished helping clean up the kitchen while Marcus took his photos and waited for Momma to come back downstairs.

"Papa tell Momma I'm outside in the front yard with Marcus when she comes down" I said

"Okay poppet" said Papa

I grabbed my purse and went out to the porch. Marcus was taking close-up shots of the flowers and then full shots of the rose bushes, then the arbor and climbing roses.

"How's the photo shoot coming?" I asked

"Good, I'm almost done... I just need a full shot of the entire yard" said Marcus

"If you stand up here on the porch & turn the camera sideways, you'll get the whole yard" I said

"Oh okay" said Marcus and came up on the porch "Oh yeah, this is perfect" and took his photo

"Yeah, it is" I said "Are you sure you can get the mural done in 3 days?"

"Yeah but its going to take a couple of all night painting sessions to get it done by Monday morning" said Marcus "If I can start it tonight, then I can get it done on time"

"When will you sleep?" I asked

"I can sleep when its done" said Marcus "Louis told me the furniture will be delivered on Monday, so I'm kind of on a deadline"

"Oh okay" I said "If you finish before Monday, promise you'll get some sleep"

"I will, I promise" said Marcus

"Okay then, have fun with your mural" I said "What is taking Momma so long?... She should've been done by now"

"Why don't you go see if she's alright" said Marcus "May be she's having trouble with her hair or trying to figure out what to wear"

We came back inside... I went upstairs as Marcus went back in the kitchen. I knocked on Momma's door.

"Momma?" I said

"Come in baby" said Momma

I opened the door - Momma was lying on the bed with a washcloth on her forehead.

"Are you okay Momma?" I asked

"I'm fine baby... I just got dizzy and whacked my head on the dresser" said momma

"Ouch... let me see" I said as Momma lifted the rag "Holy shit Momma, you're bleeding... bad" and ran to the stairs "Hey Grandpa... can you come to Momma's room please?... And bring your bag"

"On my way princess" said Grandpa Li and grabbed his bag from his room "What happened?"

"Momma whacked her head on the dresser and now she's bleeding" I said

"Okay.. let me see" said Liam as Momma lifted the rag again "well its not that badm but you're not going shopping today... at least not till this stops bleeding and it doesn't loon like its gonna stop any time soon..... How did this happen?"

"I was getting dressed and got dizzy" said Momma "I lost my balance and hit my head on the corner of the dresser, but I'm fine Dad"

"You may be fine baby girl, but its still bleeding" said Liam "You can't drive with it bleeding like this... if it doesn't stop soon, you may have to go to the hospital and get some stitches"

"Momma, you stay here" I said "I'll ask Izzie or Grandpa Zayn to take Marcus & I shopping.... and I promise we'll only get what's on our list, nothing more"

"Okay baby" said Momma "Can you pick me up a pregnancy test please?... just so I know I'm okay"

"Sure Momma" I said "I'll get you some Iron vitamins too - just in case"

"Thank you baby" said Momma

"You're welcome Momma" I said "I'll get you a clean wet washcloth so we can rinse that one out"

"Good idea princess" said Liam as I went to the bathroom "and then I'll help you downstairs baby girl"

"Okay Dad" said Momma as I came back with the fresh washcloth and gave it to Liam

"Thanks princess" said Liam and folded it so that it was more secure over the cut"There you go, now sit up carefully and lets get you down to the couch"

Momma sat up "Oh Goddamn.. just a minute Dad" said momma and closed her eyes "Jesus.. my head is pounding like crazy"

"That's bc you're sitting up" said Liam "It'll ease up in a little bit bay girl... lets get you on your feet... Can you walk or do you need me to carry you?"

"Let me try and walk first Dad" said momma and took a couple of steps and started swaying "Yeah, not happening... you're gonna have to carry me Dad... the room is dipping & spinning again"

"Okay baby... put your arm around my neck... here we go" said Liam and picked Momma up bridal style and headed for the stairs. I grabbed Grandpa's bag and followed them down to the living room.

"What happened?" said Zayn

"I got dizzy and cracked my head on the dresser" said Momma "I tried to walk and the room dipped & started spinning again"

"Oh peaches" said Zayn "I'll get you one of my vitamins" and went to the kitchen "here take this" and handed her the vitamin & a bottle of water

"Thanks Pops" said Momma "Oh God that's gross"

"Yeah, but you get used to it after a while" said Zayn "Do you want me to take Marcus & Jessie shopping?"

"I was gonna aske you or Izzie" I said "Do you mind?"

"No, I don't mind, let me go get dressed and I'll be right down" said Zayn

"Okay Grandpa, take your time, I don't want you cracking your head open like Momma did" I said

"Yes ma'am" chuckled Zayn and went upstairs

"Lets see if the bleeding has eased up any" said Liam and lifted the rag "yeah, its not bleeding as bad now.. I can get a better look at it... you don't need stitches so as soon as it stops bleeding, I'll put a liquid bandage on it to seal it up and your hair will cover it"

"Oh thank God... I was not looking forward to getting stitches" said momma as Zayn came downstairs

"Okay princess, are you two ready?" said Zayn

"Yep, I've got our list and Momma wants me to pick her up a couple of things from the pharmacy on our way home" I said

"Alright princess" said Zayn and grabbed his phone, wallet & keys "Gran... will you be my shopping date?"

"Thank you Zayn, I'd love to" chuckled Gran

"Then lets be on our way" said Zayn "What's our first stop princess?"

"The clothing store we went to... Marcus needs a few things" I said "Then the art supply place for the paints & stuff and then the pharmacy for the rest & Momma's things she wants... 3 stops, 2 hours max then lunch"

"Sounds good.... do you have the pictures you needed Marcus?" said Zayn

Yeah, I'm all set" said Marcus and tied up his boots

"Mom we're heading out" said Zayn "Do you want or need anything?"

Okay sweetie... no, thank you, I'm all set" said Mary

"Alright then, ladies, Marcus... your car awaits" said Zayn and opened the door

"Have fun" said Momma

"OH, we will" said Zayn "Feel better peaches, we'll be back soon" and headed for the car. Zayn opened Grans door and then got in "Buckle up everyone"

We pulled out of the driveway and headed for the clothing store. We found a parking spot and headed straight for the Men's department and pulled out my phone to see our list for today.

"Okay, we need the work" I said "Jeans, t-shirts, socks, boxers, long-sleeve t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, a few dress shirts, some every day t-shirts, a bath robe, shorts, swim trunks, and shoes - track shoes & regular shoes"

"Okay... What colors do you like Marcus?" said Zayn "And what size shirts & jeans?"

"Any color but black... I wore black all the time so any color is fine" said Marcus "Large for shirts... Jeans, I'm not sure, I just usually get whatever fits best"

"Okay... find him some white, black and different shades of blue jeans please" I said

"Wow... Yes ma'am" said Zayn "Come on Marcus, we have our orders"

"And make sure he tries them on... I want a correct size for future reference" I said

"Yes ma'am" said Zayn

"We'll go 2 sizes up on the sweaters & hoodies so that they fit over a t-shirt or dress shirt without feeling bunched up or tight" I said

"Okay dear" said Gran "Be sure some of the shirts are white... its a nice look on him"

"Okay Gran" I said

I picked up a few white long-sleeve t-shirts, a few every day t-shirts and the rest were all different colors. I got him 1 black t-shirt, only bc it had Spider-Man on it and I decided that he needed it. Next, we went to find Marcus & Zayn bx I needed more sizes for shoes & boxers

"There you are" I said "What size boxers & shoes do you wear?"

"Boxers are a size large and shoes in a size 13" said Marcus

"Okay... How's the jeans size search coming?" I said

"Its going good" said Zayn "The only problem we're having is finding just one size... some of the styles run small and we're in the skinny jeans section bc the other styles are either too baggy or not long enough"

"Damn... Do what you can for now, and if we have to, we'll order them online" I said "And don't forget to get him some cargo shorts and a couple pairs of swim shorts please"

"Okay princess" said Zayn "How did the shirt shopping go?"

"It went great" I said "We found a lot of shirts and 1 black t-shirt that has Spider-Man on it, so suck it up babykins" and giggled

"Okay Angel" chuckled Marcus

"Anyway, we're off to get socks, shoes & boxers then we're outta here so come find us or we'll come find you" I said "Happy hunting boys" and walked off


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 55

MARCUS'S POV

"Is Jessie always like that?" I asked

Yeah... when she has a list she's a woman on a mission to get it all in one trip" said Zayn "Which is a good thing bc then she's not making multiple trips for things she's forgotten"

"Its better to just let 'Hurricane Jessie' do her thing and get it out of her system so she can stop thinking about it and focus on other things" said Zayn "When we went shopping for the babies, she was on it... She had her list and handed it over to us and let us work from it... she was just as excited as we were to pick out things we needed and some things we didn't think of"

"Does she make a list every time?" I asked

"Yeah.. Jessie's constantly making lists" said Zayn "Any time she goes shopping, she makes a list and she doesn't deviate from it... Now go try these on and see how they fit"

"Okay" I said and went into the changing room. After I tried on the jeans, I tried on cargo shorts and swim trunks - which all fit perfectly, got re-dressed and came out "They all fit"

"Oh thank God" said Zayn and sighed "I was beginning to think this mission was going to end in failure... How many pairs do we have?"

"10 pairs of jeans, 4 shorts & 2 swim trunks" I said

"I think that's plenty for now" said Zayn "Lets go find the girls and see what Jessie's picked out so far"

"I'm afraid to find out" I said " this list of hers is outrageous... So I really need all of this?"

"If she says you need it, thyen you probably need it" said Zayn "Don't argue with her, bc you'll loose - big time" and chuckled

"What does that mean?" I asked

"Ask Haz & Louis... they tried to arguing with her" said Zayn "Haz almost had to walk a mile in a pair of women's 10-inch high heels and Louis came within a hair's breath of having to get a teddy bear tattoo"

"Almost?" I said

"Yeah... she let them off the hook but not before she made them sweat over it for a bit" said Zayn "Jessie's ruthless... after that, I learned to just let her do whatever she wants and don't argue or suffer the consequences"

"Ah okay... I'll keep that in mind for when/if that should ever happen to me" I said

"Good idea" said Zayn "Has Jessie changed much since the last time you two were together?"

"A little, but not much" I said "She's more organized more now than before... She's more prone to 'ripping someone a neww ass' as she puts it... she can cook - that's something new, but she's pretty much the same... She still plays the piano, speaks different languages, loves to dance, loves to run, loves playing in the rain & making snow angels in the winter time"

"Well that's good" said Zayn "She's also really good at working the aches & pains out of a person's back... she helped Niall, Pamela & Haz when they overworked their backs... Haz was so bad he could barely sit he was in so much pain... that was Tuesday night and he's fine now... her Grandpa showed her how to do it... He was a chiropractor - a back doctor"

"Ah okay" I said as we looked in the shoes department for Jessie and Gran and found Jessie trying on a pair of high heels

"What do you think Gran?" said Jessie

"Are you sure you can dance in them?... I mean that a really high heel dear" giggled Gran

"Hmm... good point" said Jessie "But I need a high heel bc Marcus is so tall... its not like he can shrink down a bit"

"That's true, but I think you can go with a 5-inch heel instead of a 10-inch and still be able to dance with Marcus dear" said Gran "You don't want your feet to cramp up on you 10 minutes after you put them on, so go with a more sensible heel height"

"Okay Gran" said Jessie "I just want to get an idea on the shoes we'll need for the wedding is all"

"Always working those Wedding checklists huh princess... put it aside till Saturday" said Zayn "You need to get the dress first, then get the shoes that way you don't end up with a short dress and heels that are too high"

"Ah, good point, thanks" said Jessie

"Any time princess" said Zayn "Did you find the shoes for Marcus?"

"Yep... 1 pair of running shoes & 2 pairs of regular shoes... I need him to try them on in case the size doesn't fit right" said Jessie

"After today, I'm living in sweatpants and a ratty old t-shirt till Monday" I said as I took my boots off - again - and tried on the shoes "I have never had to get dressed & undressed so much in my entire life as I have today... its exhausting"

"Well if you had a proper size, rather than going by 'whatever fits', we wouldn't have to go thru all of this" said Jessie "Would we?"

"Yeah.. okay" I said "You made your point Angel"

"How do they feel Marcus?" asked Jessie

"A perfect fit Angel" I said

"Excellent... lets get out of here, get the paint, hit the pharmacy & then get some lunch" said Jessie "and then we can head home"

"Sounds good to me" I said and put my boots back on "I want to get back to help Gem & Louis with the nursery"

"They work pretty fast" said jessie "They may be done painting the room by the time we get home"

"Oh, I hope so" said Zayn "I'd like to see what it looks like before Marcus paints the mural.. then I wont go back in it till its all done... I promise"

"Okay Grandpa" said Jessie "I'll ask Louis so you don't get yelled at for being in there and you can see it"

"Yay!!" said Zayn "How long will you be staying in England Gran?"

"Till after New Year's" said Gran "I still have a score to settle with Haz for decapitating my snowman a few years back"

"Uh-oh... Haz is a dead man" said Jessie "Papa told us about that and how y'all got sick and then how y'all got drunk on hot toddies on New Year's Eve"

"Yeah... fun times" said Gran "Bourbon laced hot apple cider - the best thing for a head cold"

"I'll bet" said Zayn "I don't drink so I'll take your word for it"

"Then how was 'baby night' a crazy night if you weren't drunk?" asked Jessie

"Because Liam was drunk princess" said Zayn "That was the night your Momma graduated from University"

"Ah.. I see" said Jessie "Grandpa must be a riot when he's drunk"

"Oh he's hilarious when he gets drunk... which isn't very often" said Zayn "The whole time we've been together, he's only gotten drunk 4 times.... on his 21st birthday, the day your Momma got her pilot's license, our Wedding Day & when your Momma graduated"

"The major milestone's in his life" said Gran "Expect him to get drunk at the Wedding and after the babies are born" and giggled

"Yeah probably" chuckled Zayn "Liam tends to get a little emotional with alcohol"

"Oh we all do dear" said Gran "Especially the Irish... Christenings, Weddings, Birthdays, Holidays, Sporting Events, Wakes... you name it, there's always alcohol and emotional people - and when they drink, they sing... it never fails"

"Oh boy... this Wedding is gonna be a blast" said Jessie "I'm gonna post videos of it on Twitter like a madwoman"

"You better check with Pamela & Niall first before you post them princess" said Zayn "The General and his family will be there and might not want them on social media"

"Oh okay" said Jessie "I'll check with them before I post anything... I promise... the last thing I want is to get in trouble, especially on Momma & Papa's Wedding Day"

"Okay princess" said Zayn "We're next... lets see what the damage is on this shopping trip"

"This is only the first stop Zayn" said Jessie "We still have 2 more stops before we see the total damage, but I'm not worried, its covered"

"Do I want to know what she means by that?" I asked

"Nope" said Zayn

"Okay" I said

"Oh hush, both of you" said Jessie "Lets just say that I could - in our family alone - pay for 6 Weddings & honeymoons and NOT go into debt... Right now I'm living off my emergency fund and still haven't made a dent in my finances yet"

"How much have you spent on Ni & Pamela's wedding?... so far?" said Zayn "Tell the truth Jessie"

"$2.2 Million" said Jessie "And that doesn't include their honeymoon either"

"Holy shit" I said "Are you serious?"

"Yeah... it cost $2 Million just to reserve the Hotel rooms for 5 days, the bridal suite for 2 days, and reserve the ballroom for 3 days" said Jessie "Decorate the ballroom, the menu for the rehearsal dinner, reception, & the Wedding brunch... the flowers, the cake, the DJ, car service to & from the church... $200,000 was given to the church where the Wedding is being held as a donation and it was all worth it - and I did it all in 2 hours"

"See Marcus?... I told you" said Zayn "Hurricane Jessie - taking England by storm & making connections"

"Yeah.. I guess so" I said "How much is in your emergency fund?"

"A little over $18 Million" said Jessie "And there's more than that in my bank account"

"Sweet Jesus, Mary & Joseph" said Zayn "Lets finish this conversation in the car princess"

"Um.. okay" said Jessie "Are you alright Zayn?... You don't look so good"

"I'm fine princess" said Zayn "Something just feels kind of off at the moment... I don't know why tho"

"Oh okay" said Jessie and put everything on the counter to be rung up "Where do we want to go for lunch?"

"Somewhere where I can get some chili-cheese fries" said Zayn " and chicken wings"

"You want to go to Nandos" said the clerk "They've got the best chili-cheese chips & chicken wings around"

"Where is it located?" asked Jessie

"3 blocks down the road, next to the cinema" said the clerk

"Thanks" said Jessie as the clerk rang up the last item

"Your total is $498.65 please" said the clerk

"That's not bad" said Jessie "I expected it to be about that much" as the clerk gave Jessie her change and receipt "Thank you... Have a nice day"

"You too Miss" said the clerk

We headed to the car, put the bags in the trunk and got inside.

"Okay Grandpa, what is it that you're feeling?" said Jessie "bc I didn't sense anything off"

"There was a guy standing behind Gran and he was listening a little too closely to our conversation" said Zayn "It made the hairs on my neck tingle... it just didn't feel right, sorry princess"

"That's alright Grandpa... you didn't just fine" said Jessie "Don't ever ignore that tingle and from now on we don't talk finances in public... Agreed?"

"Agreed" said Zayn, Gran & I together

Next stop - The Art Supply Shop

We pulled into the parking lot and went inside.

"Okay, I need the photos I took" I said as Jessie pulled out her phone and brought up the photos "Alright... I need re, yellow, pink, peach, orange, lavender, fushia, brown, tan, white, forest green, gray, silver, pearl white, black... blue for the water, neutral for skin tone... colors for shading & highlighting and that's it for the paints"

"Why are some of the paints in tubes and some in cans?" asked Zayn

"Because when you're doing things trees, unicorns, fountains & stuff, its better to have a large amount of paint so you don't run out... the tubes are more for accent to make the other colors pop and look more realistic" I said "when its done, you'll be amazed... trust me"

"Ah okay" said Zayn "what else do you need?"

"Brushes, rags, gloves, a blending board, a paint smock, cutting tools and stensils" I said "oh and cleaning solvent"

"Liam has gloves at home you can use... he has a box of them in his bag" said Zayn "Mom has a box of rags in the garage you can use too"

"Okay good... thanks Zayn" I said "Then that's everything"

"You're welcome" said Zayn and headed for the checkout

"Hello... Did you find everything you need?" said the clerk

"Hello... yes, thank you" said Jessie "We're gonna need an invoice please"

"Yes ma'am" said the clerk "Would you like all of this in a box?"

"Yes please" I said

"What are you painting?" asked the clerk as she rand up the items

"A mural for a nursery" I said

"Oh wow... I'd love to see photos of it when its finished" said the clerk "We get a lot of customers who come in asking for someone who can do that for their businesses and such that want a bit of calm indoors to make people want to come back"

"Interesting" I said "I can have some photos taken and to you by say.. next week?"

"That would be great" said the clerk "No rush... a proper mural takes time - just ask for Theresa when you bring them in"

"Okay, thank you" I said

"Do you have a business card?" asked Jessie

"Yes ma'am" said the clerk and handed it to Jessie "Theresa does all of the referring and can come to you if you want to set up a meeting"

"That would be great" said Jessie "more informal and relaxing"

"Most artists prefer it that way" said the clerk

"Oh this is just a hobby" I said "I'm not a professional painter"

"Really?... wow, that's even better" said the clerk

"Why is that?" asked Zayn

"Because people who do this as a hobby, have a more flexible schedule and are more reasonable with the cost of a project than a professional artist" said the clerk

"Ah, I see" said Zayn "How much does a project like this go for?"

"Anywhere from - minimum of 15,000 to as much as 5 Million.... depending on the client and size of the project" said the clerk

"Lord have mercy" said Gran "At that cost Marcus, you could do 3 or 4 projects a year and be set building your client base for future projects"

"Precisely ma'am" said the clerk "And the more people see your work, the bigger the client base"

"It sounds good, but I'll need to think about it for a while" I said "And weigh out my options"

"Of course, take your time" said the clerk "That'll be $450.00 even"

Jessie paid the clerk and was given the invoice.

"You have a great day and we'll be in touch" said Jessie

"You too ma'am and good luck on the mural" said the clerk

"Thanks" I said as we headed for the car

"Lets go get lunch and then to the pharmacy" said Jessie

"What does Pamela need from the pharmacy?" asked Zayn

"Some iron vitamins and a pregnancy test" said Jessie "She doesn't think she's pregnant, she just wants to be sure"

"Ah okay" said Zayn "You would know if she was tho, right? Like you did with me?"

"Yeah, but Momma's scared so I didn't push it" said Jessie "The fact that they're not married yet and that Momma doesn't have a job has her on edge"

"I think that, the emergency landing yesterday and tomorrow's Wedding appointment has caused Pamela to hit her emotional limit" said Gran

Jessie's phone rang "Its Jimmy" said Jessie and put it on speaker

JESSIE: Hey Jimmy... What's up?

JIMMY: Hey Doodlebug... put me on speaker, Marcus needs to hear this

JESSIE: You're on speaker already Jimbo - talk

JIMMY: I spoke to a friend of mine at the State Department and we've got Marcus a new birth certificate, social security number & a passport... They'll be delivered by courier in 2 days so you're all set... when they get here, you can work towards getting your drivers license when you're ready

JESSIE: Jimbo you rock dude

MARCUS: Thanks Jimmy for all of your help

JIMMY: You're welcome Marcus... Jessie, I also got your adoption petition filed & signed by the Judge Gemma recommended so I'll be over this afternoon to have Ni & Pamela sign them... You are now officially Jessica Renee Horan and a new passport & amended birth certificate will also be here by Monday

JESSIE: Damn Jimmy... you're a miracle worker dude... I Love You so much

JIMMY: I Love You too Doodlebug... Travis & the boys will be here tomorrow afternoon at Manchester Airport to start work on the bird so y'all can come get an update on Sunday and talk to Travis

JESSIE: Okay, I'll tell momma... Are you gonna come over for dinner tonight?

JIMMY: Not tonight Doodlebug... I got a panicked voice mail from Mack this morning

JESSIE: Poor guy... If you need to, bring Mack here, its not like we don't have a private plane for God's sake

JIMMY: Okay Doodlebug... I'll know more after we talk

JESSIE: Okay Jimmy, we'll talk later rock star

JIMMY: Okay Doodlebug, talk to ya later ( and hung up )


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56

MARCUS POV (Continued)

We arrived at Nando's and were seated at a booth and ordered lunch.

"So what do you think about me painting as a job?" I asked Jessie "It sounds like a good opportunity, right?"

"Of course it is and I think you'd be great at it" said Jessie "I'll support whatever you decide, but its your choice Marcus... Grandpa used to say 'if you love what you do, the job will never feel like work'... that's what I want for you - to find something you love to do"

"Okay Angel" I said

"You could always do paining as a side job" said Zayn "find a job you love and do the painting as a hobby, but get paid for it"

"That's an idea" said Jessie "Lots of people have more than one job nowadays"

"Marcus, work on the mural and think it over" said Gran "make a list of things you like & don't like about painting murals and go from there"

"Yeah, I'll do that" I said "I guess I'm feeling a little overwhelmed... between the possible job offer, Jimmy's phone call & the shopping trip today, its all hitting me like a tidal wave"

"That's understandable" said Zayn "We've been going thru the same thing for a week now... the only advice I can give is to just breathe and ride the wave.. hopefully it'll ease up soon"

"When we get home, give yourself a little 'alone time' " said Jessie and held my hand "We have a lot of activity going on right now and you've only been back, not even 24 hours, so just breathe and try and relax my love"

"Okay Angel" I said "I Love You"

"I Love You too" said Jessie

"So other than Pamela's things, what else do we need from the pharmacy?" said Gran

"Marcus's personal needs items and more hangers" said Jessie "Then I'm going to lie down for a while before Louis & I make dinner"

"What's on the menu tonight?" I said

"I don't know" said Jessie "I don't feel like cooking tonight... I was supposed to make cheesy chicken, broccoli & rice casserole, but it doesn't sound good... then I thought a vegetable lasagna, but that doesn't sound good either... I'm making a monster nacho on Saturday for our movie night, so I have no clue what we're having tonight"

"Why don't we stop off at the store and get steaks & potatoes and I'll make dinner tonight?" I said

I don't mind you making dinner, but have you ever cooked for 14 people before?" said jessie

"Um.. nope" I said

"Then if you still want to make dinner, go with burgers or barbecue chicken" said jessie "Its faster and less expensive to buy"

"We could always to take out too princess" said Zayn

"What do you mean by take out?" I asked

"We go to a restaurant, order food and take it home to eat" said Jessie "last time we had take out, we had Chinese food"

"Ah okay" I said "I've never had Chinese food before"

"Its good... you'd like it" said Jessie "and I tell ya what we'll do... we'll get 6 steaks & some potatoes and you can make dinner for your guys night tomorrow... how does that sound?"

"Okay and tonight we'll do Chinese" I said

"Sounds good" said Jessie "Do you like spicy food?"

"Not really" I said

"Okay, nothing spicy" said Jessie

Gran paid the bill and Jessie left a tip and we headed to the car and then to the phatmacy and pulled into the lot a few minutes later.

"If y'all want to wait here, I'll quick grab the last few items and be right back... 5 minutes tops" said Jessie

"Okay princess" said Zayn as Jessie got out and ran inside and sure enough she was back in 5 minutes - with 7 bags

"Pop the truck Grandpa" said Jessie and put the bags with the rest and got in the car and headed home

We pulled into the driveway and unloaded. I grabbed the box of paints, while Jessie & Gran grabbed the bags and went inside. Louis & Gem were hanging the doors as we came into the kitchen.

"Wow.. Jessie wasn't kidding, you two do work fast" I said

"Yep.. the room is all painted, the fans are on high and we thought we'd go ahead and hang the doors" said Louis

"Is it okay to take a look at it before Marcus starts painting?" asked Jessie "Zayn wants to take a quick peek"

"Sure.. give us 15 minutes to get the doors in place" said Gemma

"Yay!!" said Zayn

"OKay" chuckled Jessie "where's Momma?"

"She's out on the patio with Mom & Liam" said Louis

"Okay... Gran, Zayn, why don't you go out to the patio, Marcus & I will be right out" said Jessie

"Okay dear" said Gran

Jessie & I took my bags upstairs and put everything away and I changed into a pair of sweatpants & a ratty old t-shirt so I could start painting later.

"We never went to the grocery store" I said

"I'll get them tomorrow after we get done at the Hotel" said Jessie

"Okay, sounds good" I said

"Are you alright?... You sound a little off" said Jessie

"I'm just not used to having money... especially when its your money" I said

"I told you, its our money" said Jessie "What's mine, is yours & what's yours, is mine and we have equal say in how its spent... When you worked for God, you wore a suit all the time, so you didn't need as much clothes as you do now... I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable my love"

"I know angel" I said "A man is supposed to provide for his family, I'll feel better when I have a job"

"And you will" said Jessie "For now this money will provide for us both in the mean time... okay?"

"Okay angel" I said "Lets put Pamela's things in her room and go visit for a bit"

"Okay" said Jessie and put the test & vitamins on Pamela's dress as we headed out to the patio

"Hey baby... How was your shopping trip?" asdked Pamela

"It was good... we got everything on the list" said Jessie "We put your things on your dresser"

"Thank you baby" said Pamela

"How's your head feeling?" said Jessie

"Its better... the bleeding stopped a little bit ago" said Pamela "We came out here bc the paint fumes were really bad... How does the room look?"

"We haven't seen it yet" said Jessie ""Louis & Gem are putting the doors on right now"

"Oh okay" said Pamela "Mr. Rothsdale came by and dropped off your laptop, its all clean"

"Oh Awesome... I'm sorry I missed him" said Jessie "Jimmy called while we were out with some good news"

"What's the good news?" said Gem as she & Louis came out to the patio

"Jimmy filed my adoption petition and the Judge you recommended signed it and as soon as Momma & Papa sign them is official" said Jessie

"Wow.. Congratulations Pamela, Jessie" said Gem "Have you told ni yet?"

"No, not yet" said Jessie "I wanted to wait till he got home from work"

"So its a secret till you tell him, right?" said Louis

"Yep" said Jessie "We're not cooking tonight Louis... we're going to have Cinese instead"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis "you not in a cooking mood today?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little off today" said Jessie "How was Dutchess today?"

"She was fine" said Mary "She stayed with Gem & Louis while they painted and then came out with us when Charlie woke her up"

"Oh good" said Jessie "its gonna take me while to get used to leaving her alone... its not gonna be easy leaving her when we go to Ireland in a few weeks"

"You're going to Ireland?" I said

"Yeah.. Papa wants Momma & I to meet the rest of the family before the Wedding" said Jessie "Do you want to come with us? You'll have your passport soon"

"I'd like that" I said "It'll be my first plane trip... What's it like?"

"Its like floating in water" said Jessie "itsd totally relaxing and we have a private plane so it will just be us on board there and back'

"Yeah and I can't wait to fly it" said Pamela "I flew the plane that we came here in... it was amazing"

"Jake & Tim will let you fly it any time you want Momma... I'll get their number from Jimmy tomorrow for you" said Jessie "You'll like them, they're the coolest guys you'll ever meet"

"Jimmy's not coming over tonight?" said Pamela

"Just to have you & Papa sign the papers" said Jessie "He got a panicked voice mail from Mack this morning so Jimmy's gotta call him and find out what's wrong.... and they haven't talked in a few days so they need some time alone to talk"

"Oh okay" said Pamela

"Lets go see the nursery Grandpa" said Jessie "and Marcus can put his box in there

"Okay" said Zayn "Come on babe"

"Okay babe" said Liam

I followed everyone inside and grabbed my paint box from the kitchen table as Louis opened the doors.

"LI, Zayn... welcome to your nursery" said louis & gem in unison

"Oh wow... it gorgeous" said Liam

"Which wall are you using for the mural Marcus?" asked Zayn

"It will start at the door, going to the main wall and then on to the far wall" I said "each corner will have a tree with a wide canopy that will act like a frame with the main wall and far wall containing a woodland scene with squirrels, deers, rabbits, birds, faeries, gnomes, swans, a pond, a birdbath, unicorns & flowers"

"Wow... I can see it" said Zayn "Okay, I've seen the room before the mural... I wont come back in till its done and I wont peek either"

"Its going to be breathtaking" said Mary

"Can I ask for 1 favor?" asked Zayn

"Sure, what's the favor?" said Gem

"This room has hardwood floors, right?" said Zayn

"Yes, it does" said Gem

"I don't want carpet in here, I want the hardwood floors with area rugs... they're easier to keep clean" said Zayn

"Okay Zayn... no carpet" said Gem

"Thanks Gem" said Zayn "Okay lets go sit out on the patio for a bit"

"You're welcome Zayn" said Gem

"Y'all go ahead... I'm gonna go lie down for a bit" said Jessie "My eyes feel scratchy"

"Okay baby" said Pamela

"Oh Momma... Jimmy also said that Travis & his crew will be arriving tomorrow afternoon to start the repair work on Betsy" said Jessie "and you can see him on Sunday for an update as to what caused the emergency landing at the airport"

"Oh okay, thanks baby" said Pamela

"Yep, no problem Momma" said Jessie "See y'all in a bit" and headed upstairs

"Feel better princess" said Zayn

"Thanks Grandpa" said Jessie as she climbed the stairs and was out of sight

"Is Jessie alright?" said louis "She seems a little off since you got back"

"She's blocking me, so I don't know" I said "Plus, I'm still trying to figure out her moods

"Okay Pops... What happened while you were out today?" asked Pamela

"What makes you think something happened?" said Zayn

"Bc you're fidgeting" said Pamela "Spill it Pops"

"Damn... when we were at the clothing store waiting to check out, Marcus & Jessie were talking and there was a guy standing behind Gran... literally hanging on to every word they were saying... it made the hairs on the back of my neck tingle so I acted like something was wrong and said I wasn't sure what it was so we stopped talking till we got in the car" said Zayn "When I told Jessie what was wrong, she said I did just fine and don't ever ignore it when the back of my neck tingles and she said from now one we don't talk finances outside of the house and we all agreed"

"Oh okay... she just needs some alone time" said Pamela "She'll be finewhen she comes back down"

"How is it that you've learned to read her so easily?" I said

"I watch her" said Pamela "When she's quiet, she's reading the room and listening to the angels... when she stares at the table, she's thinking about things, usually one of her checklists... when she rubs her temples, she comes outside and does a headstand... and when she apologizes before she speaks, she's gonna swear, sometimes really bad and sometimes just a couple of swear words, but she is trying not to swear too much"

"Once you see her facial expressions you can usually tell where her brain is" said Pamela "Tuesday night was the first time we saw her upset - she punched a wall and broke 3 fingers - Haz's father called her the Devil and a bitch and that mentally sent her over the edge"

"Yeah, her eyes changed color too" said Louis "They went from light blue to black in 10 seconds flat - it was scary... and the verbal swear storm she unleashed that night had my ears ringing for 5 minutes"

"Yes I know all about her temper - I've been on the receiving end of it many times" I said "So has the 'goon squad'... I've learned to be quiet and let her yell it out till she calms down"

"She's done that before?" said Mary

"Yes... Jessie isn't one to take an offense quietly" I said "Not many people can make the goon squad squirm, but she did - twice... I was impressed, but I never told her that, bc she would've punched me in the face for it"

"Well she's sleeping now" said Liam "She's dreaming about... never mind... now I need to scrub my brain with bleach"

"Whoa... damn" said Louis "Seriously Liam?"

I closed my eyes and listened "Oh crap... sorry Liam" I said "I had forgotten about those memories"

"Its alright Marcus" said Liam "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I mean you two were together for 9 years, it was bound to happen eventually"

"Yeah but we don't need to know about it" said Louis "she's still a kid for God's sake"

"Hey I can't control what she dreams about" said Liam "Physically she may be a kid, but mentally she's older than all of us so shut up... and if you think about it Louis, either way, she's not a virgin any more"

"Yeah, yeah, I know" said Louis "I'd rather not think about that thank you very much... I can still hear her screaming her first night here... I don't think I'll ever forget it" and shuddered

"What happened that night?" I asked "She still hasn't told me about it"

"David was driving drunk and hit another car.. Jessie & the other driver survived the accident, but David went thru the windshield and died instantly" said Mary "Haz got the call about the accident bc the other driver was a friend of ours and Mr. Rothsdale told us about the accident and about Jessie so Haz, Charlie & I went to the hospital to check on our friend and to see Jessie bc we had been told she had stopped talking... eventually she told me David had done bad things to her and when we found out she had no family, we brought her home"

"Because of the trauma from the accident, the physical trauma from the abuse and the mental relief from realizing David wouldn't be able to hurt her any more, her body went into overdrive causing her minstrel cycle to come early and as a result, had a miscarriage the following day" said Pamela "Since then, she's been on one Hell of a mental rollercoaster ride for the past week"

"I'm surprised she hasn't had a nervous breakdown yet" said Mary

"I don't think she ever will" said Gemma "If she was going to have one, it would've been after the miscarriage but she just let it go and didn't give it a second thought... The way she went off on Louis Monday night after Marcus's visit was her brain's way of having had enough bullshit thrown at her"

"Yeah, if she hadn't run out of the house crying, she would've dislocated you jaw Lou" said Pamela

"Yeah, I know, I got off easy that night" said Louis

"Jessie is a very protective person" said Liam "She's willing to put herself in harm's way to keep those she loves safe"

"Jessie reminds me of Pamela when she was little" said Zayn "Very headstrong, bossy, , yet calm, they both have a 'take charge' attitude, they're very competitive and extremely independent"

"Not to mention a quick temper and stubborn as Hell" said Louis

"Oh knock it off" said Pamela "I was NOT THAT BAD!!"

"Oh yeah?... says you" said Louis

"Yeah, well you deserved it Louis" said Pamela "Keep it up and I'll put a spider in your shoes as payback for dumping fire ants in my bed"

"Don't start that shit again you two" said Liam "I'm not going down that road again... BE QUIET LOUIS"

"Fine" said Louis "Whatever" and crossed his arms

"I swear you two need some serious therapy" said Mary "You're adults now so start acting like it or I'll get out your father's belt and beat you both"

"Yes mom" said Pamela & Louis

"You two act more like brother & sister than you do Uncle & Niece" said Gran "How close in age are you?"

"We're 9 years, 10 months and 23 days apart" said Pamela "Louis turned 10 the year I was born"

"Ah that explains it" said Gran

"Explains what?" said Louis


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

MARCUS'S POV (Continued)

"The sibling rivalry" said Gran "Pamela is the little sister you never had and you're her older brother... Niall & his older brother Greg went thru the same things that you're going thru when they were younger... even now they have their petty argument from time to time... this is normal for siblings"

"This is normal?" said Liam & Zayn together

"Of course it is" said Gran "I still argue with my brothers & sisters about things that happened a long time ago"

"Well this particular argument destroyed a bedroom and almost resulted in someone getting a broken nose and broken ribs with a baseball bat" said Mary "And it wasn't Pamela who was almost severely injured"

"Holy shit.. and I thought Jessie had a temper" I said as Pamela looked at me "I'll shut up now"

"What did Jessie do when she blew up on the goon squad" said Liam

"Jessie... um... beat them up - all of them... after she went on a verbal tirade for 2 hours" I said "One of them tried to stop her and she kicked him... hard... between the legs - he still can't walk properly... after that, she calmed down and never said another word to any of them and they avoided her if they needed to talk to me"

"Oh damn" said Louis "Des got off easy.. if he hadn't punched her in the head, she could've killed him"

"I don't like it when she fights" I said "Jessie gets really violent and if you try and stop her, you run the risk of never having children or sex for that matter"

"Well she hasn't gotten into a fist fight with anyone yet, so maybe she's learned to control her temper better now" said Louis

"Yeah, or maybe not Louis" said Pamela "that kind of anger could pop up unannounced at anytime... we need to be a little cautious when it comes to her temper"

"Agreed" said Liam "And pray none of us gets hurt"

"When she was younger, before the accident, she was never violent with me, or she would've unleashed on David" I said "I don't think she would unleash on a family member, but she may on someone trying to hurt this family.... now that Jessie has her memories back, who knows what she could do and for what reason"

"Well know we know and can be somewhat prepared for what could happen" said Mary

"Subject change... Jessie's awake" said Liam as Jessie came out and sat down

"Hey angel... How do you feel?" I said

"A little better" said Jessie and chuckled "Oh calm down y'all, I ain't gonna go ape-shit crazy here... yes, I know what y'all were talking about - its fine, it was gonna come up eventually... yes, I went ape-shit on the goon squad and no I have never unleashed on a family member... not even Daddy"

"Okay baby... we were just a little concerned, that's all" said Pamela

"That's okay Momma" said Jessie "I don't like going ape-shit, it makes my head hurt for days afterwards... and Marcus is correct and I've said this before... if ANYONE tries to hurt this family, I WILL kill them... period... everytime"

"Speaking of which, just for my own clarification" said Jessie "What does the law say about defending your home against intruders?"

"You can detain said intruder until the police arrive" said Gem "You can not beat said intruder unless they harm you first"

"Okay, good to know" said Jessie "I don't know why, but something feels off around here... its quiet upstairs, that's normal, but around here, something's not right"

"You noticed that too?" said Liam

"Yeah, it feels like electricity, but its not in my head, its in the air" said Jessie "Like I'm surrounded by a cloud of energy"

"Yeah, its not bad or good, its just there... watching & listening" said Liam "And it feels like there's more than one... like maybe 2 or more"

"Oh wow... its a bunch of new souls" I said "I've never been around ones that weren't human before"

"Ah okay, that explains why there aren't any emotions" said Liam

Jessie closed her eyes and held out her hands and sat very still, not saying a word.

"You're very welcome" said Jessie as she put her hands down and opened her eyes "I hope that explains things for you... good luck little ones... Liam, I think you better go to the pharmacy... Izzie needs a pregnancy test, A.S.A.P."

"Ok skit... I forgot about that" said Mary

"Oh Holy double shit... Mom!!… SERIOUSLY??.. You Forgot??" yelled Louis

"Looks like you're gonna need a bigger house Mom" said Pamela "bc you're going to be due around April... possibly May"

"Go Liam... now" said Jessie calmly as she pulled out her phone and walked to the picnic table and sat down

JESSIE'S POV

NIALL: Hey poppet... What's up?

JESSIE: Hey Papa... Did Haz tell you his plan for Mary yet?

NIALL: Yeah, he told me on our way to work... why?

JESSIE: bc we just had a few small visitors - a bunch of new souls came to see me... and... well... Mary's pregnant

NIALL: Oh God

JESSIE: Liam's gone to get a test to confirm, but 2 of the new souls have settled inside Mary

NIALL: Should I tell Haz?

JESSIE: I don't know... He was pretty nervous when we talked earlier... You know him better than we do, How is he going to take the news?

NIALL: He'll either be happy as hell or He'll pass out from shock... either way, I'll be driving us home

JESSIE: Hmm... then we'll wait till y'all get home to tell Haz

NIALL: Okay poppet... this is getting crazy

JESSIE: Yeah tell me about it... Louis is hyperventilating, Mary is in total shock, Liam is mentally freaking out and the rest of us are completely dumbfounded cuz we didn't see this one coming so soon

NIALL: And now we're gonna have 5 babies in the house... we're gonna need a bigger house at this rate and fast

JESSIE: That's what Momma said.. we always could add another level or room onto the house... just sayin

NIALL: Yeha, I don't think so poppet... Oh God, this is too much to handle right now... Has anyone told Anne yet?

JESSIE: No, I figured Haz would tell her when he found out, that's why I called you first

NIALL: Okay, don't... she'll tell Mom and tell Gemma to hold off calling her... I gotta go poppet, we'll be home soon

JESSIE: Okay Papa, see you soon

And Hung up as I walked back to the patio.

"Gem, don't call Anne" I said "Papa said she'll tell Maura & call Haz and Papa wants Haz to get home in one piece"

"Okay munchkin" said Gem

"Oh grow up Louis, for Christ's sake" I said "So Haz & Izzie had sex.. you'd think it was the end of the world by the way you're acting"

"THIS IS MY MOM!!" shouted Louis "SHE'S PREGNANT!!"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious" I said "We've already established that.. What's your point Louis?"

"I don't know" said Louis and buried his face in his hands, then ran them thru his hair "I need a beer" and went inside

"Don't worry about Louis" said Zayn "He's not mad or upset, he's in shock... once he has his beer, he'll be fine, he went thru this when Li & I told him we were getting married"

"Mary, sweetheart, are you alright?" said Gran softly

"I don't know" said Mary as tears ran down her face "Jessie, can you tell if there's a baby?"

"Sure Izzie... Can I touch your belly?" I said

"Go ahead, I need to know" said Mary

I laid my hand on Mary's belly and listened "Yep, there's 2 in there" I said

"Oh God... twins? Are you absolutely sure?" said Mary

"Yeah, they're talking to each other" I said

"I don't know if I can do this" said Mary "I was an emotional wreck when I was pregnant with Louis... that pregnancy was different from my one with Liam... I was constantly at the doctor's office bc I always thought there was something wrong, emotionally, I barely made it I was so stressed out" 

"Izzie, don't worry, please" I said "We'll get you thru this and I'll be here to help you stay calm and relaxed, just breathe.... Momma... would you like me to...?"

"Yes please baby" said Momma and laid my hand on her belly & ;istened

"All clear Momma" I said "You can relax, there's no baby yet"

"Okay baby, thank you" said Momma

"No problem Momma" I said "It looks like Dr. Carlisle will be delivering the next generation of Styles babies"

"I hope they're girls" said Mary "With Haz's eyes and curly hair"

"I got the test Jessie" said Liam as he came thru the back door

"Thanks, okay Izzie, upstairs and do the test to confirm what we already know"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "Gran, will you wait with me?"

"Of course dear" said Gran

"Thanks... we'll be right back" said Mary

"Just breathe Mom, it'll be alright" said Momma

"Okay sweetie" said Mary and went inside with Gran

"Oh God, now I need a beer" said Momma "Where's Lou, Dad?"

"In the kitchen thinking things thru" said Liam

"Okay" said Momma and went inside

"Gemma? What's wrong?" I said softly and sat down next to her

"My bug is gonna be a Daddy" said Gem as tears filled her eyes, then ran down her face "He absolutely loves babies and he told me once that he hoped to have 'have a house full of kids' some day"

"Shh, then this is a good thing, right?" I sadi as Gemma nodded "Then wipe your eyes and be happy, you're gonna be an Aunt and Anne's gonna be a Grandma... you two get to spoil those babies rotten" 

"Okay" laughed Gem and wiped her eyes as Momma & Louis came back out to the patio

"Hey Louis, are you okay now?" I said calmly

"Yeah, sorry about that" said Louis "Is Mom upstairs?"

"Its alright" I said "Yeah, Gran's with her.. didn't you hear then come thru the door?"

"No, when I'm thinking, I block out my surroundings" said Louis

"When Haz & Papa get home, don't say anything... Let Izzie tell Haz, okay?" I said

"Okay munchkin" said Louis "Are you okay Gem?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" said Gem

"Well everyone, not only do we need to help Zayn thru his pregnancy, but we need to help Izzie thru hers also" I said "Now Louis, Izzie said she was an emotional wreck when she was pregnant with you, so we need to not argue so much and help keep her calm... Momma, Louis, that means if you two are gonna have a rehash of past slights, take it out to the field and away from the house... got it?"

"Got it" said Momma & Louis

"Liam, you need to make an appointment for Izzie on Monday with Dr. Carlisle so we can get her checked over and get her vitamins started" I said "Once we have her routine established, Momma & I will go get a basinet & changing table and we'll keep it in Marcus & I's room till we all come up with a housing plan, okay?"

"Sounds good to me" said Liam "I'll make the appointment now"

"Okay baby" said Momma

"I'll be moving in with Gemma on Monday afternoon so if you need us, just call" said Louis

"Okay Louis" I said "Are you & Gem still going to be here on the weekends?"

"Of course munchkin" said Louis "You're still teaching me how to cook, right?"

"Yepperdo" I said

"Awesome sauce!" said Louis & chuckled

"Okay, Mom's set for 10:30am Monday morning" said Liam "That way Haz can take Mom and be back in time for work if he needs to"

"Excellent" I said "That means we go on Tuesday Momma"

"Okay baby" said Momma and pulled out her phone "Let me put it in my calendar so I don't forget... and done"

"Okay... I need to sit" I said and sat down next to Marcus "the ticker tape parade is back in my head again" and rubbed my temples "I need to have Izzie make a list of foods that made her sick when she was pregnant with Liam & Louis so we can avoid a repeat... we need to stock up on peanut butter, crackers, ginger ale & fruit... we need a second coffee pot, some decaf coffee & more tea... and we need to take Izzie shopping for maternity clothes"

"Oh God, another shopping trip" said Zayn

"Momma & I will take Izzie Grandpa... its all good" I said

"Okay princess" said Zayn "I'm sorry about earlier"

"That's alright Grandpa, as I said, We shouldn't have had that conversation in public" I said "You did nothing wrong, this one is all on me and it wont happen again, I promise, thank you any way"

"Okay princess, you're welcome" said Zayn 

"Its positive" said Mary as they came back out and sat down "How long till Haz & Ni get home?"

I looked at my phone "45 minutes" I said

"Just breathe Mary" said Gem "It will be alright, trust me, Haz will be so happy about this"

"Okay Gem" said Mary and exhaled

"Mom I made you a Dr.'s appointment with Dr. Carlisle for 10:30 am on Monday" said Liam "So Haz can go with you"

"Thank you Liam" said Mary "Okay Jessie... what checklist are you working on now... I know you are, so spill it young lady"

"It seems everyone knows how your mind works except me" chuckled Marcus

"Yeah, I know, its scary" I said "Tuesday, Momma & I are gonna go get you a basinet, changing table & baby basics for you and then we'll plan a shopping trip for maternity clothes, and eventually we're all gonna need to sit down and come up with a housing plan bc we don't have room for 4 couples & 5 babies"

"Damn you've been busy... I wasn't even gone 5 minutes" said Mary

"What can I say, I work fast" I said "When I'm good, I'm good and when I'm bad, look out bc the shit's gonna hit the fan"

"Oh my God.. She sounds like Maggie" chuckled Gran as everyone laughed

"Yeah, Grandma used to say that a lot.. especially when she & Momma were planning a surprise party for Grandpa, Mack, Jimmy or Simon... Grandma got them all good at one point" I giggled "Thanks Gran"

"You're welcome dear" said Gran

"I wish I had more time to prepare before telling Haz" said Mary "This feels like an ambush... and not a good one either"

"Mary, trust me, Haz is going to be over the moon about this" said Gem

"But what about Anne?" said Mary "Haz is only 17 and hasn't even graduated from high school yet"

"Mum will be thrilled to be a Grandma" said Gem "Stop worrying Mary, everything will fall into place in due time, you'll see... trust me please, I wouldn't lie to you"

"Okay Gem" said Mary "Oh God, my hands are shaking so bad"

"Mom, calm down and just breathe" said Louis "I'm soory for acting like an ass to you, I didn't mean it... I'm happy for you & Haz, I really am"

"Its alright Louis, it was a shock for me too" said Mary "You're still my baby... my little independent man of the world"

"I Love You too Mom" said Louis "No matter how many more children you & Haz have"

"How many more?" said Mary and looked at Gem

"Haz never said exactly how many" said Gem "He just said he wanted a houseful of kids"

"Oh dear God" said Mary "Now I'm scared... I don't think I can do this" and started crying

"Oh Izzie... shh, its alright" I said gently and rubbed her back "shh, just breathe Izzie, come on Izzie, just breathe.. that's it... Momma can you get Izzie a ginger ale and a cool damp dishrag please"

"Okay baby" said Momma and went inside and came back a minute later "Here you go baby"

"Thanks Momma" I said "Here Izzie, take a few sips, the ginger will calm your nerves and the wash cloth is for you eyes & face so you don't rub your skin & eyes raw"

"Okay" said Mary "Thank you"

"You're welcome" I said "There you go, just a couple of sips at a time or the carbonation will give you the hiccups"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "Why do you always give somone ginger ale?"

"Because ginger is a natural relaxant" I said "It has many uses... it can soothe an upset stomach, calm your nerves and can decrease pain receptors & increase your memory... the Cinese have been using ginger root for centuries to soothe and heal the human body"

"Oh okay" said Mary

"Back home, Momma used to live on ginger ale bc being married to Daddy gave her an ulcer" I said "the ginger ale would make her feel better"

"Ah, I see" said Mary

"Now just relax and sip your ginger ale.. just breathe normal, slow & easy... once Haz is home, you can tell him and its all gonna be fine, okay?" I said

"Okay, how much longer?" said Mary

"15 minutes" I said "don't think about the time or you'll start crying again... you said you hope the babies are girls, with Haz's eyes and curly hair, right?"

"Yeah" said Mary

"Then think about that" I said "close your eyes and think about what they look like when they smile, what they sound like when they laugh, imagine them running around the yard, swimming at the lake and what they look like when they're sleeping... that's it Izzie, that's your calm place, okay?" Mary nodded "now go to your calm place and slow your breathing - that's it... let that calm feeling wash over you like rain drops on a lazy summer day... let all your nerves & fears float down the river and you slow your heart rate as you watch them float away.. there they go, right on down the river... now you're totally relaxed... I want you to stay like this for 5 minutes and when you're ready, slowly open your eyes" and sat down

"Does that actually work?" asked Marcus

"Oh yeah" said Zayn "Jessie is the mater of relaxation techniques"


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Yeah Jessie got Dad so relaxed he fell asleep out in the yard for almost an hour" said Momma "I was impressed"

"I just tune into thoughts & memories" I said "Add a little hypnosis with a soothing voice and it makes them relax... its easy and once the person has a calm place and learns how to breathe & lower their heart rate correctly, they can do it on their own whenever they feel stressed"

"Who's done this relaxation thing?" asked Marcus

"Liam, Zayn, Papa, Anne & Izzie" I said "each one has a different calm place that way if they feel like they need to relax around everyone, there's no one saying 'that's not right, do it this way'... they know what to do to get to there and I'm here if they have trouble concentrating"

"Does a calm place have to be a memory?" asked Marcus

"Not always, it can be a feeling associated with a memory or a place... anything that you can relate to feeling calm & relaxed" I said "Liam's is the sound of hearing the babies heartbeats... Zayn's is nature sounds... Papa's is the feeling he felt when Momma said yes she'd marry him... and Anne's is the feeling she felt when she held Haz & Gemma for the first after they were born"

"I see" said Marcus "What's yours?"

"I don't have one" I said "I do headstands to calm & recenter myself... Gemma does aerial flips on the trampoline and Momma does yoga"

"What about Haz & Louis?" asked Marcus

"I don't know... they haven't needed to relax yet" I said "For now, they're doing just fine on their own, but when or if they need my help, they'll let me know"

"Oh okay" said Marcus

Mary slowly opened her eyes "Welcome back... How do you feel?" I said

"Wow.. I feel a lot better" said Mary "Thank you sweetie"

"You're welcome Izzie" I said "You look more relaxed... for a minute there I thought you might fall asleep like Liam did"

"I almost did and then it hit me we haven't had dinner yet so I opened my eyes" said Mary

"You want Zayn & I to go pick it up?" asked Liam

"Sure" I said "Get spring rolls for all of the orders, dumplings, crab rangoons,... you may want to write this down Liam"

Liam pulled out his phone "Okay princess, hit me" said Liam "No Marcus, not literally" and chuckled

"Good one Grandpa" I said, giggling "5 chicken & broccoli... 2 chicken curry... 2 almond chicken... 1 schezwan chicken... 1 General Tao's - mild... 1 Teriyaki chicken skewers and whatever you two want" I said "4 orders of dumplings with hoysen sauce... 4 orders of crab rangoons… spicy mustard, plumb sauce, soy sauce, and chopsticks"

"Got it" said Liam

"Don't forget what you two want bc I don't share" I giggled

"Yes ma'am" said Liam

"Liam, come here a minute" I said as he came over "I have the money in my purse... I don't want you to use your money, you still have baby furniture to buy, okay?"

"Okay princess... how much should I get?" said Liam

"$300 should cover it" I said

"Okay princess" said Liam "Be back soon Mom"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "Drive safe"

"Always" said Liam as they headed for the car

"Nice play munchkin" said Louis "High-five" and smacked our hands together

"Thanks" I said "God, I can't wait to see the look on their faces Monday when the furniture is here & set up... and they still have no clue it coming"

"Wait... they don't know the furniture is coming on Monday?" said Marcus in shock

"Nope... as far as they know, they items they picked are on back order" I said "I paid for all of it, along with the set up & delivery for Monday as a surprise... the nursery was supposed to be a surprise, but Zayn washaving panic spells so we had to tell them but the furniture is now the surprise"

"Oh okay" said Marcus "so what is being delivered?"

"1 huge round crib, 2 changing tables, 2 gliding rockers, 2 wardrobe closets, 3 baby carrier/car seats, 3 baby bathtubs, 3 baby swings, a dresser, a 3-seat baby stroller and a play yard" I said

"Holy shit munchkin... what did that run you?" said louis

"Too damned much" I said "with set up and delivery... $15,000"

"No, that sounds about right" said Mary "For what it costs for 1 baby, when you multiply that by 3, its spot on"

"God damn" said Louis "I never realized how expensive having a kid actually was... let alone 3 at one time... those poor guys are gonna go broke"

Gee Louis, why do you think we're doing this?" I said "So they DON'T go broke, ya dork"

"Oh" said Louis "Great plan ladies"

"Thank you" said Momma, Mary & I in unison

"We still have one thing to get but that's a ways down the road yet" I said "And that's Izzie's gift to them... oh Momma, ask Marcus when his birthday is"

"When is your birthday Marcus?" said Momma

"January 1st" said Marcus

"Holy shit... no way" said Momma

"That's what Jessie said too" chuckled Marcus

"I don't understand" said Louis "What's the big deal?"

"That's Jessie's birthday too" said Momma "Marcus & Jessie on Jan. 1st and Haz & I on Feb.1st"

"That's freaky" said Gem

"I know right?" said Momma

"Well you got it made Marcus" said Louis "Now you'll never forget her birthday and if you do, you're screwed"

"Yeah, no kidding" said Marcus "When is your birthday, Louis?"

"December 24th... Christmas Eve" said Louis

"Oh... my... God" said Gem "This can not be happening"

"NO FUCKING WAY!!" I said loudly "You too?"

"Yep" said Gem

"Oh this really is freaky" said Momma "When is.. no, no way, if this happens again, I'm gonna croak... When is Anne's birthday?"

"June 1st" said Gemma

"that's my birthday" said Mary "8 birthdays on 4 dates... this is beyond freaky"

"You getting ready to croak momma?' I giggled "Welcome to the fun house of wacky shit y'all… no one will EVER believe this shit"

"Almost baby" said momma "almost"

"Almost what?" said Papa as he & Haz came out to the patio

"Momma's almost ready to croak... wait till y'all hear this" I said "Mary & Anne have the same birthday on June 1st... Momma & Haz on Feb. 1st... Gem & Louis on Dec. 24th, and Marcus & I on Jan. 1st"

"Holy crap" said Haz "That's freeaky"

"That's what Gemma said" said momma

"I think it cool" said Pap "Think of how much time you can save planning a birthday party when 2 people share the same day"

"That's true" I said "so are you all set for tomorrow Papa?"

"Yeah, about as ready as I can be poppet" said Papa "How was your shopping trip Marcus?"

"Exhausting, but good" said Marcus "but I'll be living in this outfit till Monday, so I'm fine"

"How's your head poppet?" said Papa

"Its fine sunshine" said momma

"We got some big news today Papa" I said

"Oh? What's your big news?" said Papa

"Jimmy called me today" I said "He got my adoption petition filed today and it was approved... all he needs is your & Momma's signature and then its official... I'll be Jessica Renee Horan"

"Oh wow... that was fast" said Papa "I love the sound of that darlin"

"What's the rest of your good news peanut?" said Haz

I looked at Mary and nodded as Mary took a deep breath.

"Um... Haz?... I'm pregnant" said Mary and handed Haz the test stick "I found out a little while ago"

Haz looked at the stick and then looked at Mary "Really? We're having a baby?" said Haz

"Actually, we're having 2 babies" said Mary "Jessie confirmed it"

"Twins?" said Haz "WOOHOO!!" and hugged Mary "Oh God" and started crying "We're gonna have 2 babies... I Love You princess"

"I Love You too Hazzabear" said Mary

"Oh wow" said Haz and wiped his eye "We need to make a Dr.'s appointment"

"Liam made one for us for 10:30 Monday morning with Dr. Carlisle" said Mary

"Oh, okay good... How do you feel princess?" said Haz

"At first I was a nervous wreck, then I had a meltdown" said Mary "But Jessie got me to relax and now I'm a little relieved & a little overwhelmed at the same time"

"Has anyone told Mum yet?" asked Haz

"No, we wanted Mary to be able to tell you first" said Gem "Mum will be home soon and you can tell her then"

"Okay... Louis, can I talk to you privately, please?" said Haz

"Sure Haz" said Louis "Lets go in the kitchen"

"Okay... I'll be right back princess" said Haz

"Okay Haz" said Mary as they went inside "What's that all about?"

"I have no idea, they're not thinking anything, so I don't know" I said "While we wait for them to come back, I need you to make me a list of foods that made you sick when you were pregnant with Liam & Louis"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"Well whatever they're talking about, Haz has finally decided to learn how to dance" I said "Momma, I need to borrow your denim heels and CD player and grab a piece of paper, Marcus can you get my box od CD's from our room please"

"Okay" said Momma & Marcus and went inside as I took my shoes & socks off, they came back out and Momma handed me the shoes & paper as Marcus plugged in the CD player.

"Thanks Momma... Marcus find the CD marked 'Dance music' please" I said as I ripped the paper in half and folded it into a thick rectangle and wedged it into the heel and put the shoe on and did the same with the other half of paper and put the other shoe on as Haz & Louis came back out "Are you ready to dance Haz?"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz

"Okay, lets go" I said "The first dance is a waltz... take my hand and put your right hand on my waist.. my left hand goes on your shoulder, now its a simple 2-step.. I'll lead till you get the steps, then you'll lead, okay?"

"Okay" said Haz and nodded at Marcus to start the music

"Now don't think, just breathe and let the music guide you" I said "its a mirror dance which we move as one.. when you move forwards, I move backwards & when you move backwards, I move forewards and we turn together in the same direction... okay?"

"Okay" said Haz

":And backwards 1.. 2.. turn 1.. 2.. forwards 1 .. 2.." I said

"I do better reading the dance moves" said Haz

"Ah.. you're a visual learner" I said "Okay, Plan B... Marcus restart the song... Papa, I need your help please"

"Coming poppet" said Papa "What do you need?"

"I need you to dance with me while Haz reads our feet as we move" I said "Its easy Papa"

"I know how to waltz" said Papa "Gran taught me"

"Okay good... you lead" I said "Haz pay attention bc the next round you're leading"

"Okay" said Haz as the music started Papa & I danced moving as one thru 2 turns "Oh Okay, now I got it" and took Papa's place as moved as fluid as before without missing a beat

"Very good Haz" I said "You learn quick"

"Thanks" said Haz as the song ended

"The next dance is faster, but you don't have a partner" I said "Its called a line dance.. its like the Macarena, but you move more.. its called the electric slide"

"Oh, I love that dance" said Momma "My turn" and ran out to us as I slipped off my shoes

"Okay Momma" I giggled "we're going to do 1 rotation then you can join us Haz… its a simple box step"

"Okay" said Haz as Momma & I started dancing

"Woohoo, go Momma" I said "Shake what your Momma gave ya" and made everyone laugh "Okay Haz come stand next to me" we paused the music as Haz & Papa joined us" okay, start it up" as the music started again "Come on Haz, rock out dude, don't be so rigid... have fun with it and loosen up"

"Okay peanut" chuckled Haz and relaxed

"There you go.. you got it" I said "See? All you need to do is relax and go with the music... the whole point of dancing is to have fun and cut loose"

"Oh okay" said Haz "But what if I'm not good at it?"

"It doesn't matter" I said "Make your own dance moves... there are no'good or bad moves' when it comes to dancing"

"I see.. its how the music makes you feel, right?" said Haz

"Exactly" I said as Liam & Zayn came out to the patio

"Woohoo!! Go Haz!" shouted Zayn which made Haz laugh and loose his balance mid-step

"Oomph" said Haz as he landed on his butt laughing

"You okay?" I giggled and helped him up

"Yeah, I'm good" said Haz

"Did you ask Louis?" I whispered

"Yeah, he gave me his permission and I got the ring in my pocket" said Haz "I was just waiting for Liam & Zayn to get back" whispered Haz

"Excellent" I said "Lets go ask her Romeo" and signaled for the music to stop "We'll pick back up after dinner Marcus"

"Okay angel" said Marcus and handed me back my shoes "You're a really good dancer angel"

"Thanks babykins" I said as I put them back on and then we headed to the patio and sat down

"So I take it the test was positive?" asked Liam

"Yes, and Haz KNows and we're all good" said Mary

"Congratulations" said Liam & Zayn

"Thanks" said Haz and took a deep breath "Mary, I have loved you my whole life and even tho we haven't been together for very long, I have never been happier than I am with you and today you have given me the most beautiful & wonderful gift ever... You have been and always will be the dream at the end of my rainbow come true... Mary Isabel Williams, Will you marry me?" and got down on one knee and pulled out the box and opened it

"Yes.. Oh God... Yes" said Mary as Haz put the ring on her finger and kissed her

"WOOHOO!!" we cheered and clapped

"Its about time Haz" said Zayn "You sure took your time here Haz"

"I just got the ring this morning Zayn" said Haz "I was going to propose Saturday while the girls were getting their dresses at the dress shop"

"How did you get the ring this morning?" asked Mary "You didn't leave the house till you had to go to work"

"Can I see your ring?" said Gran.. Mary held out her hand and Gran gasped "Is that... Maggie's ring?"

"Yeah... they were in the hat box with my christening gown" I said "Grandma & Grandpa never wore them when they traveled, so I'm guessing Jimmy put them in there... so when Haz asked me to help him choose a ring, I gave him Grandma's engagement ring and their Wedding rings"

"Oh Jessie... thank you" said Mary and hugged me

"You're welcome Izzie" I said "I hope you & Haz are as happy & in Love as Grandma & Grandpa were and may you both have more than 50 years together... Now Haz, if my Grandpa was here, there's a few things you need to always remember.... Always, say 'I Love You' several times a day & twice as much on Sundays, birthdays, holidays and especially on your Anniversaries... Always be the candle that lights Mary's way back to your arms... Surprise each other every chance you get... Commit the little things about each other to memory... when the bad times show up, lean on each other and don't let them pull you apart... and the absolutely most important thing to always remember - Family ALWAYS comes first - before God, before work, before outside commitments - don't ever put your Family second, everything else can wait"

"Thank you peanut" said Haz and kissed my cheek "I will... I promise"

"You're welcome Haz" I said "Where are Anne & Robin? They should've been here by now.. Grandma too"

Haz, Gem & Papa checked their phones.

"Um.. it seems Mum & Robin are on a date" said Haz "They say they'll be over later"

"Mom is too... apparently with a friend of Robin's" said Papa

"Oh good for them" said Gran "Let them enjoy their dates and we'll send their dinners home with them later"

"Okay Gran" said Papa "Lets have dinner and celebrate Mary & Haz's engagement and new babies"

"There's already glasses on the table with sparkling cider just waiting to be poured" said Zayn

"Excellent" I said "The perfect ending to an awesome day" and went inside

Momma & I handed out the dinners, Papa poured the cider and Gran put the extra dinners in the fridge.

"Izzie, you drink your ginger ale, I don't want the cider to make you sick" I said

"Yes ma'am" said Mary

"I'm drinking ginger ale too Mom" said Zayn "I don't care for the taste of cider"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"Everyone join hands" said Papa "Jessie, will you say Grace please"

"Okay Papa" I said "Heavenly Father, thank you for an amazing day.. bless this food with your love and grant us peace... Bless Haz & Mary with your love and guidance as they begin a new chapter in their love story, may their love grow in the eyes of their children... In Jesus name... AMEN"

"Amen" said everyone

"Nicely done Jessie" said Gran

"Thanks Gran" I said "Everyone raise a glass... May your Love Story be the example we all hope to have and may you be blessed with lots of babies - at least 4... To Haz & Mary" I said

"HERE, HERE!!" we all cheered and clinked our glasses

"4 babies?" said Mary "Um.. can I get these two born first, please"

"Yes ma'am" I said "So Haz how many children constitutes 'a house full'?"

"2 maybe 3" said Haz "all girls"

"Oh Lord" said Mary "We'll see Haz… we wont even know for 6 months, if these are boys or girls.. or both"

"I know princess" said Haz "but I hope they're girls, as beautiful as you"

"With your eyes, curls & dimples" said Mary

"And your smile" said Haz

"From your lips to God's ears" said Gran"They'll be the most beautiful little girls in England and heartbreakers to boot"

"I predict there will be 5 little girls crawling around this house by next Christmas" I said "And Momma will be pregnant with twins"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa.. back that truck up and park it" said Momma "Twins?.. In the next 17 months?"

"Yep" I said as I took a bite of chicken "Twins... Should I be more specific on the time frame for conception?"

"Yes please" said Papa

"Your honeymoon... unless you stop using condoms on your Wedding night, then you could be pregnant by Halloween" I said "just FYI Papa.. Momma's ovulating so keep those condoms in stock or she'll be pregnant before the Wedding"

"JESSIE...TMI" said Momma and buried her face in her hands "Dear God, just shoot me now"

"Sorry Momma" I said "Papa pulled a Louis and started bombarding me with questions"

"Ni, stop it" said momma "That's alright baby"

"Sorry poppet" said Papa "sorry darlin"

"That's okay Papa" I said "Its not like you meant to do it, just be careful next time"

"Yes ma'am" said Papa

"Subject change" said Momma


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Okay" I said "I know y'all just got engaged like, not even 10 minutes ago, but what kind of Wedding do y'all want?.. A Church Wedding or an Outdoor Wedding?"

"An outdoor Wedding.. In the summer" said Haz "No suits... No fancy dresses... just casual & small - just the family"

"Wow.. low key" I said "I like it... maybe in the front yard under the trees?"

"Yeah exactly" said Haz "that's the style of Wedding I've always pictured having... The guys wearing white dress shirts & blue jeans - no ties.. the ladies can wear whatever they want and shoes are optional"

"Wow... laid back & barefoot" said Mary "Its very retro and has a hippie vibe to it.. like back in the 60's during Woodstock & The Summer of Love... I like it"

"Yeah?" said Haz and smiled

"Yeah, I'll wear my hair down with flowers in it" said Mary

"My flower princess" said Haz "I Love it"

"Okay Izzie, then do you want a white dress or a colored dress?" I said

"Hmm" said Mary "well I've already worn a white dress, so lets go with a colored dress"

"Okay, what color?" I said

"Raspberry Pink - Haz's favorite color" said Mary "with an Empire waist, short - just below my knees, off the shoulder with flowy sleeves"

"Oh, I like it" I said "This summer or after the babies are born?"

"Oh gosh" said Mary "I don't know... Gem doesn't Haz need to be 18 to get married?"

"Nope" said Gem "He can get married tomorrow if he wants... given that he turns 18 in 7 months and is about to be a father, he can do as he pleases"

"Wow, okay then" said Mary "Haz, its your call - this summer or after the babies are born?"

"This summer" said Haz

"Okay" I said "You can honeymoon in Ireland and fly with us while we're there for the week and we leave in 3 weeks"

"Thanks peanut" said Haz

"So when do you want to have the Wedding?" I asked

"A week from tomorrow" said Haz "We can get married next Friday, the music festival is the following day and we can have a family day all day that Sunday at the lake - the perfect weekend"

"Wow okay" I said "Momma & Papa are meeting Father Donnelly tomorrow so I'll ask him to perform the ceremony"

"Oh cool" said Haz

"Traditional vows or do you want to write your own vows?" I said

"Traditional vows" said Haz "We can write our vows when we renew them in 10 years"

"Okay" I said "Who do you want for the Best Man & Groomsmen?"

"Ni & Louis" said Haz

"Bridesmaids?" I said

"Anne & Maura" said Mary

"And who will give you away?" I asked

"Liam & Zayn" said Mary "I gotta have my boys with me"

"Okay" I said "I'll take the pictures... we'll ask Ellie & the sisters if they can make the food... we'll have the reception in the backyard... I'll place the cake order at the bakery - nothing big, just a couple of tiers, don't worry... I'll make a CD of your favorite music, so make a list of of songs - 25 songs each... you need a song for your first dance - "

"Little Things" said Mary "That's our song"

"Okay... then Haz, you're gonna need to record it" I said

"Okay peanut" said Haz

"Do you want a bouquet?" I said

"Just a small one to toss... other than that, no" said Mary "We can use some of the roses from the front yard to make it"

"Okay" I said "We need a keyboard... What song do you want played for the ceremony?"

"That song you wrote... the one that played when you & Marcus were dancing to after you put your dress on" said Mary "The one on the cassette tape"

"A Heart's Song?" I said "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, its a beautiful song" said Mary

"Okay, then I'll play it for your Wedding" I said

"I'll talk to Linda on Saturday about using the keyboard from work for the Wedding poppet" said Papa

"Thanks Papa" I said

"Where will you be staying when in Ireland Ni?" asked Gran

"We're staying with Dad" said Papa

"Then I'll call Bobby and have him clean my house & stock the kitchen for Haz & Mary to stay at for their honeymoon" said Gran

"Thank you Gran" said Haz & Mary in unison

"Then that's it... the most personal and inexpensive Wedding & Honeymoon in history is set" I said "all you need to do is get the marriage license and you'll be getting married in exactly 8 days"

"Damn she's good" said Liam "I wish we had her do our Wedding"

"I know right?" said Zasyn

"I only make it look easy bc I memorized the checklist from momma's wish book" I said "I have to do the menu, pictures, music, get the dresses for 2 Weddings... plan Momma & Papa's Honeymoon... 2 baby showers... 2 bridal showers... and make sure y'all don't end up in jail cuz someone got drunk at a strip bar at Papa & Haz's bachelor parties"

"Damn peanut" said Haz "calm down before you have a stroke... Why do Ni & I have to have a bachelor party?"

"Because its tradition mate" said Papa "The best man is supposed to throw a party for the groom as a way of saying good-bye to single life and Hello to married life... and get totally shit-faced"

"I am NOT getting shit-faced the night before my Wedding" said Haz "Absolutely 100% not gonna happen mate"

"Oh its gonna happen Haz" said Louis "Bet on it"

"No, I'm not Louis" said Haz "The last time I got shit-faced I was comatose for 3 days and catatonic for 2 days after I woke up... NO I'M NOT"

"Damn Haz you're a lightweight" said Louis "Okay, okay, we wont let you get drunk, but you ARE having a bachelor party dude... both of you are"

"May God help you both" said Liam "Go easy on them Louis or Mom & Pamela will kill you before you get a chance to propose to Gemma"

"Wait... What?" said Gem & Haz together

"Whoa... whoa... whoa... Gem & I haven't even talked about getting married yet" said Louis "For cryin out loud Liam, we've only just talked about & decided to live together... let us live together before you have us married... Christ"

"Go ahead and live together Louis" said Liam "Just don't take too long to propose... you ain't getting any younger and at the rate you're going, you'll be in your 40's by the time you have your first child"

"Jesus would you shut up" said Louis "Just shut up Liam"

"Liam, that'll be enough" said Mary "Don't say.. another word"

"Yes ma'am" said Liam "Sorry Louis... Sorry Gemma"

"Its alright Liam" said Gem "It was just a bit of a shock to hear you say it bc, as Louis said, we haven't discussed marriage... yet"

"Do you? Want to get married?" said Louis nervously

"Yes... eventually... when we're ready & have discussed it further" said Gem "and after you've talked to Haz first - end of discussion"

"Wow.. Yes ma'am" said Louis "Good to know"

"Good... subject change" said Gem "When is the bridal/baby showers?"

"The baby showers will be the weekends after Zayn & Izzie reach 21 weeks and we find out the babies genders" I said "Izzie's bridal shower/bachelorette party will be next Thursday at Anne's and Momma's bridal shower will be the afternoon before the Wedding in the bridal suite and her bachelorette party will be that night after the rehearsal dinner - location yet to be decided"

"So we have a lot going on this week to get ready for next Friday" I said "Tomorrow is our guys & girls night... Saturday is our Wedding shopping trip... Sunday is Haz & Izzie's Engagement photo shoot and Anne's Family portrait with Gem & Haz… Monday, is Haz & Izzie's Dr.'s appointment and they need to get the marriage license - Momma, Zayn, Liam & I are going to London for the day... Tuesday, Momma & I are going baby shopping for Izzie... Wednesday, Momma, Izzie & I are going clothes shopping for Izzie... Thursday is the bridal shower and Friday is THE BIG DAY"

"Oh my God, I'm exhausted already" said Mary "and its only Thursday"

"Why are we going to London?" asked Zayn

"Because we're going sight seeing and I want to take pictures of the3 of you for the baby books" I said "So don't argue... we're renting a car & driver so when we get tired on the way home, we wont get in a wreck... I've survived 2 already, I ain't lookin to survive a third, so I ain't takin no chances here"

"Okay princess" said Liam "What's Marcus going to be doing while we're gone?"

"I'll be sleeping" said Marcus "I start painting in the nursery tonight till its done"

"Louis & I are going to drive to my flat tomorrow so that he knows how to get there Monday afternoon" said Gem "So we'll be gone most of the day tomorrow but we'll be back in time for our girls night"

"Oh, that reminds me" I said "We need to stop off at the grocery store after we get done at the Hotel bc I need to get steaks & potatoes for you men to have for dinner - Marcus is gonna make dinner for y'all tomorrow night"

"You know how to cook?" said Louis

"Yes.. Jessie showed me how to work a grill and how to cook" said Marcus "You want me to teach you how to grill?"

"Hell Yeah!!" said Louis

Marcus laughed "Alright, we meet at the grill at 5 o'clock" said Marcus "pick up some chicken & barbecue sauce angel and Louis & I will make you ladies barbecued chicken and a baked potatoes"

"Okay babykins" I said "Gemma, you bring the movies and Momma & I will bring the junk food"

"Mum's got Netflix so we're all set on the movies" said Gem "Don't forget the peanuts, chocolate chips and butter flavor microwave popcorn and sodas"

"Okay" I said "Yes Zayn I'll get enough for Haz to make some for your guys night"

"Yes!! Thank you princess" said Zayn

"You're welcome... Grandpa don't let him go nutso on it" I said "The Dr. said he could have 'some' not all of it"

"Yes ma'am" said Liam & Zayn

"Do y'all need anything else for your guys night?" I asked

"I don't think so poppet" said Papa "Haz & I brought my movie collection from home so we have movies... I think Louis got enough beer and we have plenty of ginger ale-"

"We need tortilla chips, refried beans, sour cream & salsa" said Zayn "I'll make my bean dip"

"Yes!!! The BEST bean dip in Michigan" said Louis

"Okay Zayn" I said "You got it... anything else?"

"This is becoming an event" said Momma

"Well then we had better make this the best one ever bc when the babies get here we wont be having these very often" I said "And starting in October, the married couples are having a weekly date night - go anywhere you want, do whatever you want to decompress and have fun as long as its not in this house or yard - that's an order"

"Yes ma'am" said everyone

"What will you be doing while we're on our date nights?" asked Momma

"I have some projects lined up from October up till Christmas - New Year's at the latest" I said "I'm gonna start making quilts, baby sets and a few photo projects now that I have my cameras and I need to buy a sewing machine"

"I have a sewing machine you can have" said Mary "Its in the storage pantry next to Old Joe"

"Awesome sauce!!" I said "Thanks Izzie"

"You're welcome sweetie" said Mary

"I'm also gonna need to find a fabric store or order the material online" I said "So if anyone has any old shirts, t-shirts, jeans, table cloths, curtains, dresses, skirts, hoodies, or cotton shower curtains you want to hand over for a quilt, I'll take them - all colors & patterns, it doesn't matter I can put them in a quilt... the more you have the better"

"I'll be right back" said Marcus and ran upstairs... when he came back down, he was carrying... my quilt

"Oh my God... you brought my quilt!!" I said as he handed it to me

"Of course I brought it" said Marcus "Its your quilt, you made it"

"You made this?" said Gran

"Yeah... a long time ago" I said "Marcus collected the patches and material for it... it took him 2 months to find the right colors and patterns... He even brought me flags from all over that I cut up and put them in it... America, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Ireland, Israel, Greece, Jamaica, Australia, New Zealand, England, Canada, Scotland, Denmark, and Switzerland"

"Its beautiful baby" said Momma "How long did it take you to make it once you had all of the material?"

"6 days" I said "and 96 spools of thread"

"And 4 broken fingernails" said Marcus

"Oh yeah, that pissed me off to no end" I said " I had to cut the rest of my fingernails so that they didn't break"

"Jessie went thru a bit of depression and needed a project to occupy her mind, so I got her an old pedal sewing machine and the materials and she made this" said Marcus "She even made the lace around the edge and sewed it on by hand"

Gran came over to look at the quilt "Amazing" said Gran "What did you use to make the lace? Its so soft"

"Silk thread from Japan" I said "It took me 2 days to make it bc it kept getting knots in it" I smelled the quilt "What's... is that eucalyptus?"

"Yeah... to keep the spiders out of it" said Marcus "After you left, I packed it away in that old cedar chest with your dress and our photos"

"Tell me you brought the photos" I said

"They're in your duffle bag under the bed" said Marcus and ran up to our room, I pulled the bag out and unzipped it and found a huge photo album... he must've put them all in it so I grabbed it and ran down to the kitchen and hugged him

"Thank you for bringing them back to me" I whispered "I Love You"

"I Love You too angel" said Marcus and kissed my head, then we sat down and I opened the album turning the pages

"Momma... there's the cabin Marcus built for us that I told you about" I said "There's my vegetable garden, the sunflowers we planted and the pond where a pair of swans made their nest in the tall grass"

"Where's this cabin located?" asked Momma

"Alaska" said Marcus "Its quiet up there... its where I'd go when I needed to get away... it reminded me of Maine and no one bothered me there, so I built a cabin... no electricity, no indoor plumbing, no heat - just a fireplace... it was peaceful"

"It was Heaven" I said "No phones, no internet, no television - nothing... we'd take a blanket outside and watch the stars all night and then watch the sun come up over the mountains... it was breathtaking"

"I'll bet" said Zayn "What were your names... before"

"Yasmine, Svetlana, Gretchen, Suzannah, Amanda & now Jessica" I said "Marcus has always called me either jellybean or angel... till now"

"That's bc I couldn't always remember to not call you by your previous name, so I gave you a nickname I could remember" said Marcus "Once I knew you were where you were supposed to be, then I could start using your name"

"That makes sense" I said "But I've always had blond hair & blue eyes"


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Yeah that never changed" said Marcus "just the length of your hair... when we first met, you had short hair, but I like it better long"

"Me too" I said "It would've been longer by now, but when I was 3, I fell asleep with a piece of bubble gum in my mouth and when I woke up it was matted in my hair and Grandma had to cut my hair to get rid of it... I never had another hair cut after that and I never went to bed with gum in my mouth either"

"How short did she have to cut it?" asked Gem

"Short... like Haz's hair" I said "and it was long too... it was almost to my waist with perfect spiral curls"

"Oh God, I would've cried" said Gem

"I did... I cried for almost 3 weeks" I said "Then Momma said that it would grow back but it didn't make me feel any better so she rolled it in strips of cloth every night and before I knew it, it was long again and I stopped mopeing"

"And you haven't even had a trim?" said Mary "just to get rid of the split ends?"

"Nope... I don't do anything with my hair, other than Momma braiding it, I don't get split ends" I said "The only thing I've ever done to my hair is I use a little styling gel and that's only to set my curls when I need to dress up"

"Could you do my hair for the Wedding?" asked Mary

"Sure... we can roll it up the night before and it'll be soft and curly for the Wedding... no problem" I said "I can even fluff up Haz's curls... if he wants me to"

"Hmm... we'll see peanut" said Haz "I usually let it do what it wants"

"Haz, no offense, but 9 times out of 10, it looks like a rats nest" I said "A little hair gel and a little fluff would be an improvement... especially on your Wedding Day"

"Jessie has a point bug" said Gem "Right now, your hair looks like you just woke up"

"Well damn.. why didn't someone tell me?" said Haz

"Because we thought you knew" said Momma "Don't you use a mirror when you do your hair?"

"No I don't use a mirror" said Haz "I wash it, brush it, and shake it out - done... Why should I use a mirror"

"Oh Haz" I said, shaking my head as I pulled out my phone and snapped his picture "This is why you use a mirror" and showed him the picture

"Oh Christ... I look awful" said Haz

"Precisely my point Haz" I said "You don't want to look like this on your Wedding Day"

"Okay, okay you can do my hair, but that's it, just my hair" said Haz

"Aw come on Haz/// a little blush... a little eye liner" I teased "Ooo maybe a little glitter powder... you'll look Fabo" and giggled

WTF is Fabo?" said Gem

"Its short for Fabulous" I said laughing

"No way... no make-up... whatsoever" said Haz

Dang Haz, I was joking dude" I said "Who knew you were so straight-laced and tied tighter than a hangman's noose... but seriously, a little make-up can brighten your face so you don't look 'vampire pale'... look at my face - what do you see?"

"Nothing but mascara... why?" said Haz "You look the same as you always do"

"Thank you, but I'm actually wearing make-up" I said "The works...foundation, blush, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, bronzer, & lipstick... and all you could see was mascara... when make-up is done correctly, it should look like you're not wearing any... bc of my age, I don't want to look like a hooker and cause Papa to have a stroke"

"Thank you poppet" said Papa

"You're welcome Papa" I said "I figured I should tone my make-up down especially after your reaction when I mentioned getting a bra"

"Again, thank you" chuckled Papa "Yeah, you threw me for a loop with that little stunt young lady"

"In my defense, I had to do something" I said "Gem & Louis were on the verge of dropping an atomic bomb on my plans for the Wedding and I really didn't want to kill them in front of witnesses"

Marcus started laughing "Oh God.. that's too funny angel" said Marcus

"Don't laugh... she's serious" said Louis "Jessie may not have killed us literally, but she definitely would've yelled at us if we had ruined her plans"

"Definitely" said Gem "But I tell ya, watching how her mind works was amazing... she had everything in place in 2 hours... 2 stops and it was done and the look on Pamela & Ni's faces when she told them was truly, truly priceless"

"Yeah, like I said earlier, when Jessie has her mind set, its best not to argue and just let herdo her thing and get it out of her system" said Zayn "So now we're going to London on Monday"

"Oh be quiet, you know y'all love my surprises & shopping trips, don't act like you don't" I said "If I hadn't done this, we'd still be sitting here talking about the Wedding and Liam would've had a coronary trying to figure out how to pay for a Wedding and buy Baby furniture for 3 babies and wondering where the Hell to put it all"

"That's true" said Liam

"As it is, we have 1 Wedding completely set, 1 Wedding in progress and a partially completed nursery, in less than a week" I said "Now I know how God felt when he created the Earth - on a really small scale... and on the Monday after the Wedding, I'm gonna sleep - all damn day"

"Okay baby, we'll let you sleep" chuckled Momma

"Thanks Momma" I said as we finished dinner and cleaned up "Okay Haz lets go.. back to the dance lessons"

"Okay peanut" said Haz

"Hey Gran?" I said

"Yes dear" said Gran 

"Do you ever wear your hair down?" I said

"Sometimes, why?" said Gran

"I was just wondering, if you'd consider wearing it down for Momma & Papa's Wedding" I said

"I take it everyone else is wearing their hair done?" said Gran

"Yeah, we all are... except for Momma" I said

"Then I will too dear" said Gran "bc you asked me to"

"Thanks Gran" I said and gave her a hug before heading out in the yard "Now, bc there will be kids at the Wedding, we're gonna do a couple of fun dances so if y'all want to join us, feel free to do so"

"The first dance is called 'The funky chicken' "I said "Yeah, I know, it sounds stupid, but kids love it so you're gonna learn it"

"Okay peanut" chuckled Haz

"The nice thing about this dance is that you can stand on your knees if the child you're dancing with is really small" I said as the music started "Tuck your hands in your armpits so they look like wings, lower your body down to a squat - wiggling as you go, then hop up & do a clap and repeat... that's it - its all about balance and having fun"

"This is fun, but I feel silly" chuckled Haz

"I know, just remember tho, dancing with kids is the best kind of dancing to do.. bc they're just learning how to dance, you can make a game of it" I said as the song ended "The next dance is the hokey-pokey and it teaches kids to follow directions, like 'Simon Says', and do as the song says... okay y'all get out here so Haz & I don't look like total idiots" and giggled

"What dance are we doing?" said Papa as they all joined us

"The hokey-pokey" I said "stand in a circle, put your left hand on the right shoulder of the person next to you and walk backwards expanding the circle... there that's good, now there's enough space between us so no one gets hit and do what the song says & follow my lead" and hit play

** Its time to do the hokey-pokey... Are you ready?**

"Ready" I said "Its interactive... left hand first"

**Put your left hand in, you put your left hand out, you put your left hand in and you shake it all about, you do the hokey-pokey and you turn yourself about... that's what its all about**

"You get the idea Haz?" I said

"Yeah, I get it" said Haz as the song continued

"Wow, that was a workout" said Papa as the song ended "but it was fun... we should do that one at the reception"

"We will Papa, I'll make sure of it" I said "Okay y'all, that's all for now, we'll do more in the next few days, I don't want to overwhelm Haz by doing too much"

"Okay poppet" said Papa "So Haz how was it?"

"It was fun.. Now I get why Jessie likes to dance so much" said Haz "I feel better knowing I wont be making a complete fool of myself at your Wedding"

"On Sunday, I want Haz & Izzie dressed in white dress shirts & jeans... and wash your hair Haz, we're doing engagement photos so y'all have 2 days to mentally prepare for being told what to do" I said "Momma, we'll do you & Papa's engagement photos when we go to Ireland"

"Okay peanut" said Haz

"Okay baby" said Momma

"By the time I send them to Simon and get them back, it'll probably be pretty close to the Wedding or just after so we can send them out to the General's family and Papa's family when we get them" I said and pulled out my phone

TO: Jimmy  
FROM: Doodlebug

Hey... I need Simon & Mack's cell numbers... I need to ask them for a favor.  
Talk at ya soon  
Doodlebug xx

"Who did you text?" asked Haz

"Jimmy... I need Mack & Simon's numbers" I said "I need to let Simon know to start expecting packages and I need a favor from Mack"

"Ah okay" said Haz "What's the favor?"

"Can't tell yet, its a surprise" I said "I will say that this surprise will knock Izzie's socks off" as my phone buzzed "Jimmy, you rock" and called Simon on speaker

SIMON: Hello?

JESSIE: Hey Old Man... whatcha up to?

SIMON: Hey NeeNee… not much, what about you?

JESSIE: Oh, you know me... stirrin up trouble, causing mayhem, making everyone go prematurely gray... just another day at the office

SIMON: *laughing* good one NeeNee… what's up?

JESSIE: I'm gonna be sending you some packages of film in the next few days and I need them back quick, they're engagement photos of my Aunt & Uncle... I also need 6-5x7s in a matte finish

SIMON: You got it NeeNee, as soon as I get them, I'll put a rush on them and get them back to you... figure by the end of next week

JESSIE: That's perfect, they're getting married a week from tomorrow so you'll be getting the Wedding photos the following week

SIMON: Oh wow, okay... You doing okay there?

JESSIE: I'm doing great... Jimmy filed my adoption petition & got it finalized... we've got babies popping all over the place... Momma, Papa & I are going to Ireland in a few weeks and I have a boyfriend... Life is amazing

SIMON: You have a boyfriend?.. I've been replaced?

JESSIE: I'm sorry Simon, but I've found somone else... his name is Charlie and HE doesn't live across the pond and let work consume every second, of every minute, of every day

SIMON: I'll kill him for stealing you away from me

JESSIE: Oh calm down and untwist your boxers Simon.. Charlie is my Aunt's dog... God, you're such a dork *giggling*

SIMON: Oh

JESSIE: But I do have a boyfriend, his name is Marcus and Jimmy has already met him and approves

SIMON: Well if Jimmy approves, then I'm happy for you NeeNee… When do I get to meet him?

JESSIE: I don't know... Are you planning on being here for Momma & Papa's Wedding on September 23rd?

SIMON: Yes I am, and from what Jimmy's told me, its gonna be the shindig of the century - with your birthday party coming in second

JESSIE: Oh it is... we're gonna have so much fun... Then you'll meet Marcus at the Wedding

SIMON: Excellent... I gotta go NeeNee, I'm going out with some friends to shoot some photos

JESSIE: Okay Simon, have fun... catch ya on the flip side dude

SIMON: Later gator

and hung up.. Next I called Mack & put it on speaker

MACK: Hello?

JESSIE: Hey Mackie Pooh bear... its hugs-a-lot bear

MACK: Care bear!! Oh baby... Are you alright?

JESSIE: I'm fine Pooh bear... How are you?

MACK: Terrible... I miss Jimmy and I've got the flu & a sinus infection

JESSIE: Aw, my poor Pooh bear... How in the Hell did you catch the flu in July?

MACK: The photographer was sick and had the air conditioner on so high it was like Siberia in winter and you know me, if anyone sneezes I get sick... so I'm in the hospital on I.V. antibiotics bc it hurts to swallow anything bigger than a baby aspirin, my head hurts and these God forsaken Nurses are in here every 3 fucking minutes bc God forbid they allow someone to get any sleep around here

JESSIE: Well, if you can get out of bed... lock the door with a sign on it that says "STAY OUT for the next 3 hours or I'll call the police and have the next person that comes thru this door arrested for Harassment & Attempted Murder"

MACK: *laughing & coughing* Oh, that's a good one care bear... God, I miss you baby

JESSIE: I miss you too Pooh bear... I need a favor Pooh bear as soon as the warden grants you an early parole

MACK: Name it care bear

JESSIE: I need you to go to Grammy & Papaws house, go up to their room to the walk-in closet, open the ceiling access panel to the attic... you'll find 3 boxes tied together with a purple ribbon... I need you to send them to me, priority shipping

MACK: Okay care bear... Is this your number?

JESSIE: Yeah... text or call me when you get sprung and I'll give you my address

MACK: Okay... I wish you were here

JESSIE: I wish I was too Pooh bear, but I'll see you at Momma & Papa's Wedding in a couple of months and at my birthday party... right?

MACK: Abso-freaking-lutely care bear and you be sure to send me lots of pictures too... How's Dutchess doing?

JESSIE: She's doing great... Thank you for taking care of her for so long

MACK: You're welcome care bear... I gotta go kill a nurse care bear.... I Love You Hugs-a-lot

JESSIE: Okay.... I Love You too Pooh bear... get better and I'll see you soon

and hung up "No wonder Jimmy got a panicked voice mail from Mack" I said and called Jimmy

JIMMY: Hey Doodlebug

JESSIE: Have you talked to Pooh bear yet?

JIMMY: No, I've been on conference calls all damned day... why? What's wrong?

JESSIE: Pooh bear is in the hospital with the flu & a sinus infection, he's on I.V. antibiotics bc his throat hurts and he's about to murder a nurse bc they wont let him sleep... you know how he gets around hospitals and he's on the verge of tears bc he misses you

JIMMY: The Flu? In July?

JESSIE: Yeah, I guess the photographer was sick and had the AC jacked up to Siberia cold and made Pooh bear sick

JIMMY: Goddammit... Mack hates needles and he hates hospitals even more

JESSIE: I know Jimmy... What are you gonna do about it?

JIMMY: Well I'm gonna call my Pooh bear and when Jake & Tim get here tomorrow, I'll let them get some sleep then take me home on Saturday

JESSIE: Okay Jimmy.... if you need to, bring Pooh bear back with you till you get everything settled here

JIMMY: Okay Doodlebug... I'll be over in about 15 minutes to have Pamela & Ni sign your adoption papers so I can file the completed papers with the courts before I leave

JESSIE: Okay Jimmy... see ya soon

JIMMY: Yepperdo

and hung up "Why do you need those boxes?" asked Haz

"Because they're for Izzie" I said 

"What's in them baby?" said Momma

"A rosary, a christening gown" I said "And one short, raspberry pink, Wedding dress with an empire waist, flowy sleeves and off the shoulder - just as Izzie requested"

"Oh... my... God" said Mary

"I told ya Haz… I knocked her socks off" I said

"How did you know about the dress?" asked Zayn

"Grandma wore it on her 50th Anniversary when Grandma & Grandpa renewed their vows" I said "Its a replica of Grandma's original dress and had Mack make it raspberry pink bc its my favorite color... so when Izzie described the dress she wanted, I knew she needed Grandma's dress so when Mack gets out of the hospital, he'll get the boxes and send them to me and they'll be here by Wednesday, Thursday at the latest"

"Ah okay" said Zayn as Jimmy came thru the door to the patio

"Wow... what did I miss?" said Jimmy "Haz is so happy, his aura's shaking"

"Mary's pregnant and we're getting married" said Haz

"Woohoo! Congratulations!" said Jimmy "Show me the ring" as Mary held out her hand "Ah... Maggie's ring...I was wondering who the lucky lady would be to wear this... Maggie is over the moon for you both"

"Thanks Jimmy" said Mary

"You're welcome" said Jimmy "Okay, I have 3 copies you need to sign... 1for the court here, 1 for your records, and 1 for the courts back home... so when is the big day?"

"Next Friday, here at the house" said Haz

"Wow, well it looks like Mack & I will be bringing the boxes you need back with us... bc I'm not gonna miss the Wedding and Mack would kill me if he missed it too"

"You need to propose to Mack Jimmy" I said "You know if he hadn't gotten sick, he would've cleaned the house and found the ring"

"But, its not ready" said Jimmy

"Screw the trip down Memory Lane... you know he's gonna say yes" I said "You could propose buck naked standing on a volcano and he'd say yes... my point is, it doesn't matter how you propose as long as you stop pussy-footing around and fucking do it.... sorry Papa"

"Fine" sighed Jimmy "I'll propose to Pooh bear when we get back"

"Bout Fucking Goddamn time" I said "James Morris Burke, if you wasn't so damned cute I'd give you a fat lip, I swear... go get some sleep, and tomorrow you need to check out & settle up the bill, buy Mack the prettiest shirt you can find and get your ass back here by 5 o'clock for a guys night - Marcus is making steaks & baked potatoes for y'all for dinner"

"Yes ma'am" said Jimmy "Okay, see y'all tomorrow at 5"

"See ya Jimmy" said everyone as he left

"Standing buck naked on a volcano" said Zayn "That's not a bad visual there princess"

"Oh shut up Zayn" chuckled Louis "Out of that whole conversation, that would be the one thing you picked up on"

"Hey, its not my fault Jessie picked that particular vision to make Jimmy get the point" said Zayn "I'm surprised his jaw didn't hit the floor after she said it"

"Momma! Papa! OH... MY... GOD" I said in shock "For God's sake, I'm sitting right here... SERIOUSLY?... NO THE BRIDAL SUITE DOES NOT HAVE A CHANDELLIER" 

Everyone started laughing


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"I swear to God... I'm surrounded by a bunch of sex-crazed degenerates" I said

"Oh really?" said Liam "Come here princess" I walked over to Liam as he whispered in my ear "Sould I tell them about your wild sex dream with Marcus"

"Don't... you wouldn't dar" I whispered

"Be careful who you call a 'sex-crazed degenerate' then" said Liam "go sit down"

I sat back down "What was that all about angel?" said Marcus, I whispered in his ear what Liam had said "Oh... I see... Are you alright angel?' I shook my head

"Oh my God, Li... Did you tell her?" said Louis - Oh God, does everyone know?

"No I didn't tell her... I just gave her a reminder... Jessie knew what I was talking about" said Liam "and might I add, if it weren't for sex-crazed degenerates, none of us would be sitting here today"

"I'll be back in a bit" I said and took my shoes off

"Where are you going baby?" asked Momma

"I'm gonna go put on my workout gear" I said "I need a run" and went inside to change and grab my Ipod.

PAMELA'S POV

"Don't even try and justify this Dad" I said "You had no right to say that to Jessie"

"She called us degenerates" said Dad

"Excuse me? Anyone can be a degenerate... A FUCKING PRIEST CAN BE A DEGENERATE, DAD!!" I yelled "AND NONE OF US ARE VIRGINS DAD, SO KNOCK IT OFF!"

"Baby girl - " said Dad, but I cut him off

"No Dad... no more baby girl" I said "That was wrong... so wrong... that was private Dad.... you don't see me reminding you of my graduation night, do you? ITS PRIVATE!"

"I'm sorry Pamela" said Dad

"Yeah, you should be" I said "I'm going to go find my daughter and try and convince her that her Grandpa isn't an asshole" and went inside

NIAL'S POV

"WTF is going on?" I said

"Ni, as Jessie's father... you don't want to know" said Gem "At least, not right now... let Pamela talk to her - its a girl thing"

"Okay Gem" I said

"Way to go Liam" said Louis "You know you've fucked up when your first born calls you an asshole"

"I had every right to say that" said Liam

"Liam, I may not be a parent, but even I know there was a better way to handle that without embarrassing Jessie in front of everyone" said Louis "And you fucked up... big time"

"Louis is right Liam" said Mary "Now, you have 3 days to apologize and you better pray to God that they both forgive you... I suggest, that IF there's a next time, you keep your fucking mouth shut"

"Ni... I'm going to run with Jessie so she's not alone" said Pamela from the door

"Okay poppet... be safe and hurry back" I said

"We will" said Pamela and was gone

"Oh is she livid" said Mary

"I'm going to get started on the nursery" said Marcus

"I'll get you those gloves & rags" said Zayn 

"Thanks Zayn" said Marcus as Zayn went inside "Liam, Pamela & Jessie love you and I have every faith they'll forgive you... but you broke Jessie's trust and, unfortunately, that will take longer to get back" and went in the house

"And THAT, ladies & gentlemen, is Grace under pressure" said Gran "Marcus knows and yet, he didn't yell or get angry bc he is unsure of his role in this family... He loves Jessie and doesn't want to hurt her, so he stays quiet - but be warned Liam... HE WILL hurt anyone who tries to hurt her again, mentally or physically"

"When Jessie said that she was surrounded by 'sex-crazed degenerates', did ever occur to you that its bc everyone's thoughts are NOT rated PG?" said Gem "And that she said that AFTER she yelled at HER PARENTS?"

Anne, Robin & Mom walked thru the gate and sat down,

"Well, look who finally showed up" I said "How was your evening?"

"It was nice" said Mom

"Glad to hear it Mom" I said "Will there be a second date?"

"Maybe" said Mom "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" I said "You're single and deserve to have fun & have a life Mom... When you find someone, I'll be waiting to meet them"

"Wow... who are you and where is my overly protective son?" said Mom

I laughed "I'll always be protective of you Mom" I said "but how will you ever meet someone if I act like a 2 year old & throw a fit bc my Mom has a new fella in her life?"

"Nicely put Niall" said Gran "I've only been saying the same thing for the past 2 years, but she doesn't listen to her Mother any more"

"Where's Pamela, Jessie, Zayn & Marcus?" said Anne

"Zayn & Marcus are in the nursery and Pamela & Jessie went for a run" I said "They'll be back soon"

"Oh Okay" said Anne "And what's got you smiling so big Harry?"

"Mary & I have something to tell you" said Haz "W're getting married"

"Oh gosh" said Anne as Mary held up her hand

"Next Friday" said Haz "And... Mary's pregnant"

"I'M GONNA BE A GRANDMA!!" yelled Anne "Oh gosh... Oh baby, I'm so happy for you... for both of you" and hugged them both "Why didn't you call me?"

"Because we didn't want to interrupt your date" said Mary "Haz said you'd be over later, so we decided to wait"

"Can I see the ring again?" said Anne as Mary held out her hand "Oh Mary, its gorgeous"

"It was Jessie's Grandmother's ring" said Haz "I asked Jessie to help me pick out a ring and gave it to me along with their Wedding bands"

"Wait... Next Friday?" said Anne "Where?"

"Here, in the front yard under the trees" said Haz "Ni & Louis are going to stand with me..."

"And I want you & Maura to stand with me" said Mary "please"

"Of course we will" said Mom & Anne

"Thank you" said Mary "Jessie has all of the details, so she can fill you in when she gets back"

"Oh okay" said Anne

"Hey Mum... you want to hear something freaky cool?" said Gem

"Sure... What's freaky cool?" said Anne

"Okay, so you know Pamela & Haz share the same birthday, right?" said Gem

"Yes, 2 years apart... why?" said Anne

"Well, Louis & I also have the same birthdate... so do you & Mary... and so does Marcus & Jessie" said Gem

"Wow... no way" said Anne

"Yeah... its freaky cool, huh?" said Gem

"That's amazing" said Anne "When did you find this out?"

"Earlier today" said Gem "We were talking and Marcus said his birthday was Jan. 1st... well then he asked Louis when his was, and he said Dec. 24th and I was like 'no flipping way' and then Pamela asked when your was, and I said June 1st and Mary was like 'so is mine' "

"Wow... nice recap Gem" I said & chuckled

"Thanks Ni, I do my best" said Gem & giggled

Pamela & Jessie came out to the patio "That was fast" I said

"There was a game going on down at the track so we came back" said Pamela

"How're you feeling lemur monkey?" I asked

"I'm okay, I guess" said Jessie "Where's Marcus & Zayn?"

"Marcus is in the nursery" I said "I'm guessing Zayn is with him... they must be talking"

"Oh, okay" said Jessie "I'll be right back... I need a juice & a banana"

"Okay baby" said Pamela

"How is she really?" said Gem

"I don't know... she wont talk to me" said Pamela

"You want me to give it a shot?" asked Gem

"Could you, please" said Pamela "I don't like it that she wont talk to me"

"Sure... we'll go out to the picnic table and talk" said Gem

"Thank Gem" said Pamela as Jessie came back out, Gem stood up

"Hey munchkin, follow me out to the picnic table for a minute" said Gem

"Um, okay" said Jessie as the went out to the yard

"She'll talk to Gem sweetie" said Anne "Gemma's good with young girls"

"I hope so" said Pamela

"I'm gonna go find Zayn" said Liam

"Look in the nursery" said Pamela

"Okay thanks" said Liam

"Yep" said Pamela

"You need to forgive him Pamela" said Mary

No Mom" said Pamela "I'm too furious with him right now... He takes shit way too fucking personal and I'm tired of it"

Pamela, he's always been like that, he's not going to change overnight sweetie" said Mary

"I'm not asking him to do anything Mom" said Pamela "All my life, Dad has told me 'don't take situations or what people say personally' and he can't even take his own advice... I'm done, I can't take his bullshit anymore"

"Pamela, take some time and give him a chance to apologize" said Gran

"I'll take some time Gran" said Pamela "as far as giving him a chance to apologize, I can't promise to do that"

Gemma came back "Okay Pamela... she's ready to talk and Holy shit that girl has some major fucking baggage" said Gem "Just listen and don't get angry or she'll shut down again"

"Okay, thanks Gem" said Pamela

"No problem" said Gem as Pamela walked off "Ni, come with me"

"Okay Gem" I said and followed her over to Anne's yard "What's going on with Liam & Jessie?"

"You're aware that Jessie & Marcus were intimate before, right?" said Gem

"Yeah, we know... why?" I said

"Well after Jessie & Marcus got back, Jessie was in a funk, so she took a nap... and dreamed about her & Marcus - being together" said Gem "You follow what I'm saying?"

"Oh God" I said "Liam saw her dream, didn't he?"

"Yeah and now Jessie thinks she's done something wrong and broken your rule" said Gem

"But she hasn't" I said "What they did before has no baring on the current situation"

"That's what I told her, but when she shut down, a part of her did too... you need to call Jimmy bc he knows her brain works better than we do"

"Okay, where's her phone?" I said

"Let me call it" said Gem and pulled out her phone "It went to voice mail, so it must be up in her room"

"Okay" I said and ran to Jessie's room... he phone was sitting on her bed so I picked it up and called Jimmy

JIMMY: Hey Doodlebug

NIALL: Jimmy, its Niall... Can you come over?

JIMMY: Niall?... What's wrong?

NIALL: We have a bit of a situation here... Jessie shut down

JIMMY: Aw crap, okay, I'm on my way and don't tell her I'm coming or she'll shut down further, okay?

NIALL: Okay, thanks Jimmy

and hung up as I ran back to the patio.

"Okay Gem, Jimmy is on his way" I said "We can't tell her he's coming .. he says she'll shut down further"

"Okay Ni, sit down" said Gem "He'll be here soon"

"Is Jessie alright Gem?" asked Haz

"I don't know bug" said Gem "You remember when Jessie had to find you?"

"Yeah, I remember" said Haz

"Well part of Jessie's mind is lost bug" said Gem "So Jimmy's going to come find it, but if we tell her he's on his way, Jessie's mind will be totally lost and it will be harder for Jimmy to find it"

"OH poor peanut" said Haz

Jimmy came thru the door and sat down "Okay, tell me what happened" said Jimmy "Just think it, its faster" and closed his eyes "Okay, it sounds like Jessie tried to block Liam while she was angry, instead of resetting herself"

"Jessie went for a run, but she wouldn't talk to Pamela, so I gave it a shot and got her talking" said Gem "Jimmy, she thinks Catherine, Maggie, William, & David are still alive"

"Aw crap.. I was hopeing this wouldn't happen... she's really stuck" said Jimmy "Did this happen before or after you got her talking?"

"After... Pamela is with her now"

"Okay" said Jimmy and took a few deep breaths "Here goes everything" and went to the picnic table as Pamela came walking back

"I'm going to fucking KILL HIM" said Pamela and went in the house

"Come on Ni, we gotta stop her" said Louis as we ran in the house

"YOU STUPID FUCKING ASSHOLE!!" yelled Pamela "YOU BROKE MY BABY"

"Marcus take Zayn out to the patio and don't go near Jessie" said Louis "Go, now"

"What are you talking about?" said Liam

"I mean you broke Jessie" said Pamela "She has no idea who we are and thinks her family is still alive... all bc you took her words personally and just had to remind & embarrass her - I FUCKING HATE YOU"

"PAMELA!! That's enough" said Louis

"No Louis, its not enough" cried Pamela "Why does he get to walk around unscathed while my baby is broken?" and collapsed into my arms

"Shh, its alright poppet" I said softly in her ear "Jimmy will find her, just like she found Haz"

"I want my baby" cried Pamela

"Louis take Liam out to the patio and have Gran come in please" I said

"Okay Ni... come on Li" said Louis as they left and Gran came in a second later

"Louis said you needed me" said Gran

"I need to get Pamela out of the house for a while... Can you stay and let everyone know we'll be back soon" I said

"Of course dear" said Gran "Take all the time you need"

"Thanks Gran" I said "Come on poppet, lets go" and grabbed the truck keys, my wallet & phone and helped Pamela out to the truck "come on poppet, get in, that's my girl" and buckled her seat belt. I got in the truck and we drove off to the lake

GRAN'S POV

I went back out to the patio "Marcus, the nursery is empty, if you want to go back inside" I said

"Where's Niall & Pamela?" asked Marcus

"They left" I said "Pamela was too upset and needed to get out of here for a while"

"Mom... it happened again... Pamela's eyes turned red again" said Louis

"What shade of red?" asked Marcus "The reason I ask is bc her eyes are violet... so what shade of red?"

"Red with a tinge of hot pink" said Louis

"Phoenix red" said Marcus "to be exact... you said 'again' - what color and how old was she?"

"Red like fire ants, she was 6... why?" said Louis

"You know how Jessie's turn different shades of blue and then turn black when she gets mad?" said Marcus "Well Pamela's does the opposite - depending on her anger level, they turn different shades of red... the deeper the color, the angrier she gets"

Haz pulled out his phone and started texting... probably to Niall.

"Ni & Pamela are at the lake" said Haz "Pamela cried herself to sleep so they're going to stay there till either Jessie comes back or at 11 o'clock hit, then they'll come home"

"Haz.. get over here" yelled Jimmy "She's asking for Hazzabear"

"Oh Yay!!" said Haz and ran out to them and sat down

"Well that's a good sign" I said "Maybe this will all be over soon"

"God I hope so" said Louis "This is getting to be too much to handle... my head hurts"

"Just breathe Louis" said Anne "Harry & Jessie have a special bond.. I saw it the night he & Mary brought her home - they're shared abuses have them tied to each other more deeply than either of them realize and there's nothing that they wouldn't do for each other"

"Now I see it" said Mary "I didn't notice it before"

"They're connected.. like two links in a chain" I said

"Look... they're hugging" said Gem "Oh thank God" and slumped in her chair "thank you god" as they headed back to the patio

"Okay Jimmy" said Jessie "Where's Momma & Papa?"

"We'll call them.. they're at the lake" said Haz and pulled out his phone

NIALL: Hey Haz… any news?

JESSIE: Papa.. come home, please

NIALL: Oh thank God... we're on our way poppet

JESSIE: Drive safe Papa

NIALL: Always poppet... Always

and hung up "Thanks Jimmy" said Haz

"You're welcome Haz" said Jimmy "I'll see you tomorrow"

"Yep, see ya tomorrow" said Haz as Jimmy left

"Welcome back munchkin" said Gem & Louis

"Oh my sweet girl" I said and hugged Jessie

"I'm sorry Gran" said Jessie "I'm sorry everyone... for checking out like that"

"That's alright, we got you back dear" I said

"Jessie, angel... I have to get back to work" said Marcus "Come see me after you see Niall & Pamels, okay?"

"Okay my love" said Jessie as Marcus kissed her head and went back inside

"Jessie?" said Liam "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to be so mean to you, please forgive me"

"I forgive you Grandpa" said Jessie "but don't ever do that to me again.. next time, I wont be so quick to forgive"

"Yes ma'am" said Liam "Can I still call you princess?"

"Of course Grandpa" said Jessie "You need to try and change your ways Grandpa... Momma wont truly forgive you till you do - you broke her heart"

"I'll try princess... I promise, I'll try" said Liam "I Love You, princess"

"I Love You too Grandpa" said Jessie and kissed his cheek as Niall & Pamela came thru the door

"Oh my baby!!" said Pamela and fell to her knees as Jessie ran into her arms "Oh, my beautiful baby... Don't ever leave me like that again"

"Oh Momma... I wont, I promise" cried Jessie and ran into Niall's arms "Oh Papa"

"I missed you poppet" said Ni and hugged her tight

"I missed you too Papa" said Jessie "I'm so sorry for scarring you & Momma"

"That's alright poppet" said Ni "You're here now, that's all that matters now"

"You sit down... I have to go see Marcus" said Jessie "I'll be right back, I swear"

"Okay baby" said Pamela and went inside "Where's Jimmy?"

"He left" said Haz "He helped me find Jessie and I think it drained him... he looked tired"

"Oh Haz, thank you" said Pamela and hugged him tight

"You're welcome Pamela" said Haz

"Why did Jessie shut down?" said Pamela

"Jessie tried to block Liam when she was angry rather than do a headstand" said Haz "Jimmy said that when that happened a part of Jessie's brain got stuck where the bad memories were, and she reverted to when she was 4 years old & that's why she didn't know who we were... so he helped me find her so he could block up the hole where the memories were" as Jessie came back out and sat down

"Munchkin... why don't you fill Anne & Maura in on the Wedding plans" said Louis


	62. Chapter 62

Chapter 62

GRAN'S POV (Continued)

"Well its about as low-key as you can get" said Jessie "Its informal so you can wear whatever dress you like and shoes are optional, but not required... the guys are to wear white dress shirts with blue jeans, no ties... Father Donnelly will perform the ceremony... Ellie & the sisters will be making the food for the reception, which will be here in the backyard... I'll be ordering the cake & Izzie's flowers tomorrow, and I'll be doing the prayer, photos & music... Izzie's dress will be here on Wednesday, the bridal shower will be at Anne's on Thursday, the guys will be having Haz's bachelor party Thursday night... Friday is the Wedding... Saturday is the music festival... Sunday is an all day Family Day at the lake.... and Haz & Izzie will be going to Ireland for their honeymoon and will be staying at Gran's house for a week"

"Wow... okay" said Anne "And this is the type of Wedding you want Harry?"

"Yeah, I've always wanted a Wedding like this Mum... its romantic and personal" said Haz

"Okay baby" said Anne "I think its beautiful"

"Thanks Mum" said Haz "Jessie planned it while we had dinner... Jessie, show Mum & Maura your quilt"

"Oh, okay" said Jessie "I'll be right back"

"Wait till you see it... its beautiful" said Gemma "Jessie made it" as Jessie came back out with the quilt

"Marcus brought it with him from our cabin" said Jessie as she unfolded it

"You made this?" said Maura

"Yes ma'am" said Jessie

"Its beautiful Jessie" said Anne "What are the patches from?"

"They're pieces of different flags" said Jessie and named them all again "Marcus got the material and a sewing machine for me"

"And Jessie made the lace too" said Haz

"Its beautiful and so soft... what did you use?" said Maura

"Silk thread from Japan" said Jessie

"Amazing... a true labor of love" said Maura "Its thicker than a regular quilt... what did you put inside it?"

"Goose feathers from a few pillows" said Jessie "They're a natural insulator to keep out the cold in the winter"

"Did it take you very long to make?" asked Anne

"No, I made this in 6 days" said Jessie "It took me 2 days to make the lace bc it kept getting knots in it"

"It took Marcus 2 months to find the right colors & patterns of material" said Pamela

"And starting in October thru Christmas, I'll be making more quilts so if you have anything like old dresses, jeans, hoodies, t-shirts, curtains, table cloths, cotton shower curtains, sheets, pillow cases - let me know and I'll put them in a quilt for you... and pick different colors and patterns to make the quilt more personal" said Jessie

"Wow, okay" said Anne

"I'll also be making baby blanket sets" said Jessie "So if you anyone whose pregnant, let me know and I'll make one... if you if the baby is a boy or a girl helps and what color you want"

"What's in the baby set" said Gran

"A blanket, booties, a sweater jacket, either a beanie or a bonnet and a pair of mittens" said Jessie "bc babies have a tendency to scratch their faces... I already have sets planned for Zayn & Izzie... with the quilts & baby sets, I'll be busy till Christmas - New Year's at the latest"

"How many quilts are you making?" asked Pamela

"9... one for each couple - minus Marcus & I" said Jessie "One for Gran, Grandma, Grandpa Bobby, and one for Greg & Denise"

"Okay.. 9 quilts at 6 days each.. that's 9 weeks... that puts you at, roughly, the first week in December - give or take a few days" said Pamela "How long does it take to make 1 baby set?"

"About 3 days" said Jessie 

"OKay… 5 baby sets at 3 days each.. that's 15 days" said Pamela "With the quilts and baby set, rough guess that puts you right on Christmas Eve"

"Yep... spot on Momma" said Jessie "Then I start my photo projects... speaking of photo projects - Haz when we go to Ireland, I'm gonna show you how to use one of my cameras so you & Izzie can take pictures for your Wedding album"

Jessie walked over to Haz and whispered something in his ear.

"Yes ma'am" chuckled Haz

"What did she say?" said Mary

"I'll tell you later princess" said Haz

"Alright" said Mary

"Also, this Sunday, I'll be doing Haz & Izzie's Engagement photos but I also want to do a Family portrait with Anne, Haz, Gem & Robin... so y'all need to wear white dress shirts & jeans, no shoes & socks and no ties... this is a very casual, laid back portrait... okay?" said Jessie

"Absolutely sweetie" said Anne

"Wow Okay munchkin" said Gem

"You got it Jess" said Robin

"Gran, I'm doing Momma & Papa's Engagement photos in Ireland but before we go, I want to do a photo of you, Grandma, Papa & I - 4 generations of the Horan family in different shades of blue shirts, blouses or dresses and khaki pants" said Jessie

"Okay dear" I said

"Okay sweetie" said Maura

"Do I have to wear khaki's?" said Ni

"Would you rather wear a skirt Papa?.. bc that's your only other option" said Jessie

"Fine.. I'll wear khaki's" sighed Ni

"Good... crisis averted" said Jessie "We'll do a family portrait at the Wedding... if y'all have a picture of Gramps by himself, bring it and we'll include it in the photo... this is gonna be an amazing portrait... damn I love how my mind works - these photos are gonna rock and make Simon jealous as all get out"

"You think so?" said Ni

"Oh, I know so" said Jessie "Don't get me wrong, Simon's a great photographer and he can teach anyone how to take great pictures, but when it comes to finding creative ideas to make a photo more special or personal, the man has some serious issues and can't think outside the box"

"Ah, I see" said Ni

"Pamela.. Marcus told us something interesting while you were gone" said Louis "You wanna hear it?"

"Sure Louis" said Pamela

"Okay, just don't get mad" said Louis

"I wont, I swear" said Pamela

"Okay, well, during your tirade, your eyes turned red again" said Louis "When I told Mom, Marcus asked what color red were they and then what color when it first happened... anyway, he said your eyes do the opposite of what Jessie's do"

"I don't understand.. what do you mean by opposite?" said Pamela

"Okay so Jessie's eyes turn different shades of blue depending on her mood and turn black when she gets mad.. right?" said Louis

"Okay... I'm with you so far" said Pamela

"Well bc your eyes are violet, when you get angry, your eyes turn red... the first time, they were red like the color of the fire ants... this time, they were a darker red with a tinge of hot pink in it - Marcus called it 'phoenix red' and said that your eyes show your anger levels... the opposite of Jessie's"

"Ah okay" said Pamela "Interesting... so it wasn't as a result of getting bitten by the ants"

"Nope" said Louis

"That is so weird" said Pamela

"Yeah tell me about it" said Louis "Here I thought I was going bonkers when it happened the first time, but now its like no big whup"

"Thanks for telling me Louis, and in the future, I'll try to reign in my temper" said Pamela "I'm not going to promise bc then it wont work, but I will try"

"Hey, you trying is better than a promise any day of the week" said Louis "I'll take it"

"Okay Louis" said Pamela and chuckled

Liam got up and went in the house without saying a word to anyone and Pamela never looked at him.

"Momma, I know you're angry with Grandpa right now, but you need to let him apologize and you need to forgive him" said Jessie "The only thing your anger is going to do for you is give you an ulcer and cause more heartache"

"I can't baby" said Pamela "maybe one day, but not right now"

Please Momma?... For me?" said Jessie

"My beautiful baby... I would do anything for you" said Pamela "but I just can't - it hurts too much... what he did is unforgiveable"

"Grandpa apologized to me and I forgave him" said Jessie "I had to - I didn't like it - but I had to do it"

"Why?" asked Pamela

"Because Momma, he's Family" said Jessie "and good or bad, family comes first... before God, and for all of eternity, Family ALWAYS comes first... David wasn't nice to me, but I forgave him bc he was family... Louis put ants in your bed and you forgave him bc he's family... Liam didn't mean to hurt my feelings or embarrass me, but he's family.... Family is all we have to make us whole, to learn from, to grow with, and teach us Love, Forgiveness and Tolerance... please forgive him Momma, you're his whole world"

"Alright baby... Where is he?" said Pamela

"I don't know, I can't read him" said Jessie

"Pops, call Dad... I don't have my phone" said Pamela

"Okay peaches" said Zayn and pulled out his phone

LIAM: Hey babe

ZAYN: Hey babe... Where are you?

LIAM: Down at the park

ZAYN: Oh babe, come home, I miss you

LIAM: I'll be home soon babe... I Love You

ZAYN: I Love You too babe

and hung up "Come on Momma" said Jessie as she hopped the fence "Move your ass Momma... hurry" and ran towards the park

"Baby, what's wrong?" yelled Pamela and hopped the fence

"Grandpa needs you" yelled Jessie

"Pops grab Dad's bag, get in the truck and head to the park" yelled Pamela

"Come on Zayn, I've got the keys" said Ni "stay here we'll be back soon"

"Okay Ni" said Louis "How did Jessie know there's a problem with Liam?"

"She was probably reading him while he was on the phone with Zayn" said Gem as Haz's phone rang

HARRY: Hey Ni

NIALL: We found Liam unconscious... Pamela's doing CPR... we called for an ambulance, but they wont get here for 10 minutes so we're gonna take him to the A&E Jessie was at... stay there and we'll call when we have more information

HARRY: Okay Ni

and hung up "I can't just sit here" said Mary "That's my baby"

"Mom, calm down" said Louis "I'm worried too, but we can't just show up... if the doctor's admit him, then we'll go, but for now lets just sit and wait... Pamela is with him and so is Zayn - trust me, he's in good hands and Jessie will make certain he gets the best doctor on staff"

"Louis right princess" said Haz "Either they'll call saying he's staying there tonight or they'll call and need us to come get them... either way, we're getting a phone call"

"Okay Haz" said Mary "I'll be right back, I need a ginger ale... does anyone want anything?"

"No thanks Mary" said everyone except Louis & Gem

"We'll take a couple of ginger ales too Mom" said Louis

"Okay sweetie" said Mary and went inside

"I'm good Louis" said Gem

"I know honey, but if no one needed anything Mom was gonna go to the hospital" said Louis "This way, she'll be back out and will look for another excuse to go... trust me"

"Oh okay" said Gem as Mary came back out with 3 ginger ales

"Here you go sweetie" said Mary and handed Louis 2 of the bottles

"Thanks Mom" said Louis and gave one to Gem

PAMELA'S POV

We pulled up to the emergency entrance, Jessie hopped out and ran inside and Ni & Pops came around to the truck bed.

"Ni go hijack a stretcher... Pops go abduct a doctor" I said "Come on Dad, wake up"

"I've got a stretcher poppet" said Ni

"Lock the wheels and help me get him on it" I said

"What's going on here?" said a man in scrubs

"Are you a doctor?" I asked

"Yes-" said the man

"Good... this is my Dad... 35... unconscious 6 minutes... pulse thread... CPR in progress... he needs his stomach pumped... no allergies... no medications... don't know what or if he took anything" I said "don't just stand there - MOVE IT"

"Yes ma'am" said the doctor "What's his name?"

"Liam Williams" I said "35... Married"

"Blood type?" said the doctor

"B positive" I said "Same as mine"

"I NEED SOME HELP HERE!!… NURSE GET ME A TRAUMA TEAM TO EXAM ROOM 1 - STAT" yelled the doctor "What's your name?"

"Pamela Williams... 19... Daughter... Helicopter pilot Captain... CPR & First Aide certified since 2004... Fire & Rescue certified since 2008... current residence 4132 Apple Grove Lane, Holmes Chapel, England... Engaged"

"Momma.. oh good, you found a doctor" said Jessie "I tell you when we finally find out what's wrong with Grandpa, I'm suing this hospital for attempted murder, neglect and medical malphesance…. these people looked at me like I either had 2 heads or ignored me completely"

"Who's this?" asked the doctor

"My daughter... she was a patient here a week ago... car accident, 1 injury, 12 fatality" I said

"Name at the time of the accident?" asked the doctor

"Jessica Renee Foster-Aimsworth" said Jessie "I have Constable Rothsdale on speed dial so quit talking and start working Doc... Papa, over here""Has anyone seen Zayn?" said Ni

"Who is this?" asked the doctor

"Don't worry about who he is... You writing a damn book?... Less talking, more working Doc" said Jessie

"Niall Horan... fiancé" said Ni

"Oh that's it" said Jessie and pulled out her phone "I am so sick of this fucking place and put the phone to her ear

"Who are you calling?" I said

"I'm calling our lawyer, then I'm calling the police, the U.S. Emassy & the State Department" said Jessie "Heads are gonna roll tonight and this jackass Doctor's head is the first one that's gonna roll"

"Hang up the phone Jessie" said Pops "Zayn Williams... 35... Married to Liam Williams"

"We've pumped Mr. Williams's stomach and he's stable" said the doctor "He's breathing on his own, which is a good sign, we'll draw blood to check for drugs he may have taken... there were no pills in his stomach, but we'll send it to the lab, whatever he took may be in liquid form... we'll know more in an hour"

"What should we do?" asked Pops

"Two of you can stay with him for now... We'll monitor his vitals and make him as comfortable as we can till we get the results" said the doctor Talk to him, let him know you're here... if he wakes up before we get the results, ask for Dr. Hayes"

"His Mother is on her way" said Pops

"Alright, but no more than two visitors at a time please" said Dr. Hayes "And you, young lady, should be a lawyer... We'll update you soon"

"Thank you Dr. Hayes" I said "Can you hear him?"

"Yeah, Grandpa's in there" said Jessie "He didn't take anything Momma... Tell him, its okay, he'll hear you"

"Go ahead peaches, he needs to hear you say it" said Pops

"Daddy... where's my Daddy" I said as he squeezed my hand "Oh Daddy, I'm so sorry, I was scared.. I didn't mean it Daddy, I Love You Daddy, please talk to me" I kissed his head "I forgive you... please forgive me"

"Baby girl" whispered Dad "I forgive you... I Love You more than you'll ever know"

I said:

He is you, You are him  
and I am me and together  
we make three

To the moon and back and  
around again...

He is you, You are him  
and I am me and  
together we make  
three

"I Love You too Dad... more than you know" I said

"Where's my baby" said Dad

"I'm right here babe" said Pops "Don't you ever try and leave me again... I need you babe, you're my life... you're the air I breathe, the other half of my heart"

"Ow... What the Hell" said Dad "I feel like I got hit by a Mack truck"

"We found you unconscious... you've had your stomach pumped and Pamela had to do CPR" said Pops

"Ow... Oh shit" said Dad "That explains the pain... I think a couple of ribs are cracked... it hurts to breathe"

"I'll get Dr. Hayes" said Ni and left

"I'm gonna wait outside for Izzie, Momma" said Jessie "The voices are too loud in here"

"Okay baby, stay by the doors please" I said

"Yes Momma" said Jessie and went outside

"I hear our patient is awake" said Dr, Hayes

"Where's Jessie?" asked Ni

"Outside by the doors" I said "She's waiting for Mom"

"I'll go wait with her" said Ni

"Okay sunshine" I said

"Can you tell me what happened?... Have you taken any drugs or medication?" asked Dr. Hayes

"I was sitting at the park near our house" said Dad " I stood up to head home and got dizzy... I think I hit my head on the bench... No, I haven't taken any drugs or medication"

"Okay, lets take a look at your head" said Dr. Hayes "Yeah, you've got a pretty big bump here"

"It hurts to breathe" said Dad "I think a couple of ribs are cracked"

"Okay, we'll take some x-rays to check" said Dr. Hayes "Once we find out and get you fixed up, you can go home"

"Okay, thanks Doc" said Dad "for everything"

"You're welcome Mr. Williams" said Dr. Hayes

"Pops you stay with Dad" I said "I'm gonna go tell Ni & Jessie the news and wait for Mom"

"Okay peaches" said Pops

"Okay baby girl, go, I'll be fine" said Dad

I went outside just as Mom & Haz were walking up to the hospital entrance.

"How is Liam" asked Haz

"Dad's fine" I said He's got a nasty bump on his head and I may have cracked a couple of ribs when I did CPR, but he's fine"

"Oh thank God" said Mom "Why was he unconscious?"

"According to Dad, after Pops called him, he got dizzy and hit his head on the bench and was knocked out" I said

"Oh okay" said Mom "I am getting really sick & tired with these dizzy spells... starting tomorrow, we're ALL going to start taking iron vitamins... its apparent that we're all a little anemic around here"

"I agree" I said "They're taking Dad for x-rays to check his ribs and then he can go home"

"Oh good" said Mom "Is Zayn with Liam?"

"Yeah... I had to get out of there" I said "I HATE hospitals.. they reek of bleach and there's something about them that makes my skin crawl"

"Did you forgive Liam?" asked Haz

"Yeah and he forgave me for my tirade" I said

"Good, now we can work on getting back to normal" said Mom

Pops came outside "Liam's gone to get his x-rays taken" said Pops "I'm so tired, my head hurts"

"Come sit down Grandpa and I'll make your head feel better" said Jessie Momma, you need to sit down too before you pass out"

"I'll sit down in a minute baby" I said as Pops sat down between Jessie's legs on the bench

"I'm gonna give you a head & neck massage to help ease your headache" said Jessie "While I'm doing that, I want you to go to your calm place, okay?"

"Alright princess" said Pops and closed his eyes

"Papa, Momma's being stubborn again" said Jessie "Get ready to catch her when she passes out"


	63. Chapter 63

Chapter 63

NIALL'S POV

"Okay pop-" I started to say as Pamela grabbed my shoulder and fell into me "I got ya poppet... Haz, help me get Pamela to the truck"

"Okay Ni" said Haz and put Pamela's arm over his shoulder as we walked/dragged her to the truck "Gently Ni, we don't want to hurt her... that's it.. okay, she's in" and carefully closed the door

"Jessie keep an eye on your Momma and keep helping Zayn, I'm going to go see if Liam's back" I said

"Okay Papa" said Jessie

I went to Liam's exam room.. he was getting dressed "So are any ribs cracked?" I said

"No, just severely bruised" said Liam "Where's Zayn?"

"Jessie's helping him to relax... he's got a headache" I said "Pamela passed out from an adrenaline crash"

"She'll be out all night" said Liam "When she gets hyped up on adrenaline, it drains her internal battery... it usually takes 8-12 hours for her to come out of it"

"Good to know" I said "Haz & Mary are here to take you two home... so are you & Pamela good now?"

"Yeah but we still have a ways to go" said Liam "we're at a good place to start from tho"

"That's good" I said "Just so you know.. Jessie defended you bc Pamela wasn't ready to forgive you yet... Jessie told her she had to bc you're family and family always comes first - good or bad, before God and for all of eternity, family is our whole life - family helps us learn, to grow and to teach us Love, Forgiveness and Tolerance... Our family is all we have"

"I'll never be able to thank Jessie enough for what she's done" said Liam "I promised to change my ways, so that's where I'll start... tomorrow"

"Okay, sounds good" I said "Lets go.. Mary wont relax till she sees that you're okay"

"Okay" said Liam as we went outside

"Liam.. oh baby, are you alright?" said Mary

"I'm alright Mom... I have a bump on my head and bruised ribs, but I'm fine" said Liam "I could use a 'Mom hug' tho… gently"

"Oh sweetie" said Mary and hugged him "I was so scared.. you can't even imagine what went thru my head"

"I'm sorry Mom" said Liam "Shh, its alright Mom, please don't cry, I'm fine, really... now, how about you show me your ring"

"Oh gosh" said Mary and wiped her eyes and held out her hand "It was Jessie's Grandmother's ring"

"Its beautiful Mom... just like you" said Liam, that made Mary smile "I've been waiting a long time to see that smile again... I'm so happy for you Mom... Haz, welcome to the family and thank you for giving my Mom back her smile"

"Thanks Liam and you're welcome" said Haz

"Zayn" said Jessie softly "Zayn... its time to go home"

"Hmm.. home... okay" said Zayn and opened his eyes "Thanks princess"

"You're welcome" said Jessie "Someone's gonna need to help Zayn walk to the car"

"I've got him" said Haz and picked Zayn up bridal style "He's just gonna fall asleep in the car anyway, might as well keep him off his feet"

"Thanks Haz" said Zayn softly and fell asleep

"You're welcome Zayn" whispered Haz "Lets go home princess"

"Come on Jessie, lets get your Momma home" I said

"Okay Papa" said Jessie "Momma's still passed out"

"Liam says she'll be out till morning" I said "I guess an adrenaline rush drains her, but she'll be fine"

"Oh okay... set her alarm for 8am so she has time to shower and wake up" said Jessie

"Okay poppet" I said as we followed Haz & Mary home

When we pulled into the driveway, Haz carried Zayn and I carried Pamela into the house. Jessie went to the nursery as we went upstairs.

JESSIE'S POV

"We're back" I said "Oh Marcus... its beautiful so far"

"Thanks angel" said Marcus "How's Liam?"

"He's fine... He's got a bump on his head and bruised ribs.. He's upstairs" I said

"Did he & Pamela patch things up?" asked Marcus

"Yeah, but they've got a long way to go" I said "Momma hit her limit with Grandpa today... now its Grandpa's turn to make things right"

"He will... of that, I have no doubt" said Marcus "Go get some sleep angel and I'll see you in the morning"

"Okay" I said and kissed him goodnight "I Love You"

"I Love You too angel" said Marcus

I went to my room to get ready for bed - Liam was sitting on my bed.

"Grandpa? Are you alright?" I said

"I'm fine princess" said Liam "Ni told me what you said to Pamela... I just wanted to say thank you, you didn't have to do that, but I'm grateful for it"

"You're welcome Grandpa" I said "Momma can be stubborn sometimes, especially when she's angry, but she loves you... if she hadn't, the damage would've been irrepairable and that's unacceptable... I wont live with that kind of rift again... not in this house"

"I understand princess" said Liam "Well get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning"

"Okay... Grandpa, take one of Zayn's vitamins before you go to bed, it'll help with the dizziness" I said

"Okay princess" said Liam 

As I got ready for bed, I heard voices outside so I grabbed my brush & a hair tie and went outside... everyone was sittig out on the patio.

"Hey sweetie" said Mary

"What's going on?" I asked

"Nothing, just decompressing... we're too wired to go to sleep just yet" said Haz

"Ah, okay" I said "Izzie could you braid my hair?"

"Sure sweetie" said Mary "regular or French?"

"French please" I said and sat down between her legs

"How's Marcus coming on the mural?" asked Papa "I noticed you went into the nursery when we got home"

"Its about 25% done"I said "He's got the trees painted, the arbor around the door and was working on the background when I saw it"

"Wow... he works fast" said Haz

"Its the detail work that takes the longest" I said "right now, it looks foggy and one dimensional... but oh, is it going to be gorgeous when its done"

"Tomorrow while Louis & I are out, we'll pick up the area rugs... How many do you think we should get?" said Gem

"Well we don't have any furniture yet, but lets go with 6 and make sure one of them is as long as the doorway and the rest no bigger than a car floormat" I said

"Okay munchkin" said Louis "Do you want them all pale yellow or whatever color we can find in those sizes?"

"Try and get them in pastel colors - light blue, pale pink, peach, pale light green, lavender & pale yellow... 6 rugs, 6 colors" I said "If you can't, white will do and make sure they have rubber on the backside... the last thing we need is for someone to slip while carrying one of the babies"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis

"I've been thinking about the housing situation" said Mary "Don't get me wrong, I Love having everyone around, but we're busting at the seams, especially with 5 babies coming soon"

"We wont be for long Izzie" I said "I have a couple of plans in place, I just need to discuss them with Momma, Papa & Anne first" 

"What plans poppet?" asked Papa

"Well, don't anyone flip their liver, but Robin asked Anne to move in with him" I said "seeing as Gem has her own place and Haz & Izzie are getting married soon, I was thinking of asking Anne if we could buy her house and that would free up 2 bedrooms here"

"Okay... What's the other plan?" asked Papa

"Well this one is a little more time consuming bc is a 'blank canvas' so to speak" I said "but I was thinking of buying the vacant field and have 2 houses built... one for Liam & Zayn and the other for Marcus & I - but ours wouldn't be built till after my 18th birthday"

"Wow... I can see you've been giving this some thought - on both plans - and they're good plans poppet, so why don't we wait till Anne & Robin make a decision and go from there... alright?" said Papa

"Okay Papa" I said "This isn't a yes or a no.. for now, right?"

"Right" said Papa

"Awesome sauce!" I said "I thought as close as this family is, it would be nice to live on the same street and still have our own spaces... Momma & Papa would live in Anne's house, Haz & Izzie would live here and Liam & Zayn would have their dream house... and who knows maybe the field could be zoned for 3 houses instead of 2 so when Louis & Gem eventually decide to get married, they could build their dream home"

"Damn.. why is everyone trying to get us married so damned fast?" said Louis

"Because Louis, you're perfect for each other... you work well together, you have a lot in common and you're so damned cute" I said

"Okay munchkin, you made your point" laughed Gem

"Oh okay" said Louis "well lets wait and discuss this after your Momma & Papa get married, okay munchkin?"

"Okay Louis.. no more marriage talk till after the wedding" I said 

"Thank you" said Louis "promise munchkin"

"Nope, not happening Louis" I said

"Why not?" asked Louis

"Because if I do that, then checklists 91 thru 96 goes up in flames" I said "and then Gem would shoot you... that's why"

"Holy shit... What have you done now?" said Gem

"Nothing... I swear to God, Gem nothing" I said

"Good" said Gem

"Yet" I said "But I swear, nothing goes into play till you say so Gem" I said

"And you will be the first one I tell" said Gem

"Okay... I told Grandpa to take one of Zayn's vitamins before he went to bed" I said "I didn't want him getting dizzy again"

"Thank you sweetie" said Mary "I'm going to go to the pharmacy and get some iron suppliments for everyone to take... it wont hurt any of us to start taking them, if for nothing else, then to stop these dizzy spells"

"Dr. Carlisle checked Zayn's blood and said that his iron levels were below normal and that's why he had a dizzy spell" I said "That's why Momma had me get her some iron vitamins and a pregnancy test bc of her dizzy spell earlier this morning... no Papa she's not pregnant if she were, she would've called you at work or shown up unannounced"

"Okay poppet" said Papa

"Izzie found out 45 minutes before you & Haz got off work that's why I called you bc if Haz was gonna pass out from shock, it was better for him to be at home before being told" I said "Sorry Haz"

"That's alright peanut, you were just being cautious" said Haz

"I was mostly worried about Anne's reaction to me being pregnant" said Mary " 'Hey Mom we're getting married' - no big deal... 'Mom, Mary's pregnant' - big damn deal... When Liam told us Dani was pregnant, I was completely floored bc they were only 16... I was a Grandma at 28 and now Liam is a Grandpa at 34"

"Yeah... its a girl" said Louis and chuckled "I tell ya Mom, if Jessie ever tells her kids this story, they're gonna look at her like 'no way, you're joking, right?... Uncle Haz was 17 when he married Aunt Izzie?' "

"Damn Ni, breathe mate" said Haz "You're no where near close to being a Grandpa yet, get a grip"

"Sorry... I know that Haz" said Papa "but even after Jessie turns 18, and praying she waits till she's 25 to have kids, that still puts me at being a Grandpa at 42"

"Oh Papa" I said "Calm down, I'm still 8 years & 5 months away from turning 18... Do I want children? - yes... Am I going to have them before I'm married? - Hell no... Will this family shoot Marcus if I get pregnant before then? - Hell yes... Is that a chance we're willing to take? - No way in Hell.... so just relax Papa"

"Okay poppet" chuckled Papa

"Izzie... Ellie said she'd stop by when she gets released from the hospital tomorrow so you need to ask if she & the sisters can make the food for the reception - figure enough food for 40 bc there may be some guests we didn't plan on... you decide the menu and I'll order the cake tomorrow while we're out... what flavor of cake do y'all want?" I said

"Okay... red velvet cake with cream cheese icing" said Mary

"Wow, okay... I think a small 3 tier cake would be the perfect size and then y'all can freeze the top layer for you to have on your first Anniversary" I said

"Um... no" said Mary "Have you ever had a cake that's been frozen for a year?.... I have and it was disgusting - it tasted like freezer burn & plastic"

"Oh, that's gross" I said "okay... hmm... would you prefer cupcakes? or stay with a small 3 tier cake?"

"Ooo cupcakes" said Mary

"You got it... lets go with 5 dozen" I said "and what ever is left after, we can send home with guests... and we can get them with a sugar rose on top... what's your favorite color rose?"

"Yellow roses" said Mary "A bouquet of sunshine"

"That's what Jessie said when we went to visit Ellie" said Gem "Jessie got her a bouquet of yellow roses to remind her of sunshine"

"I'm not a fan of yellow, but a yellow rose in full bloom makes me smile" said Mary

"What's Pamela's favorite flower?" said Papa

"Blue carnations" said Louis "Pamela got some for her birthday - I don't remember how old she was, but I remember she went completely over the moon for them"

"Pamela got them for her 7th birthday" said Mary "John got her carnations and she said 'I wish there was a blue one - I love blue'... 2 weeks later he got her a dozen blue carnations"

"Papa... Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I said

"Pamela needs blue carnations in her bouquet" said Papa

"Yes!!… Damn we're good" I said "We'll let Momma pick which bouquet she likes best and then you'll say 'somethings missing'.. when she says 'what's missing', then you say 'a blue carnation'... it'll knock her socks off"

"Oh, you're good munchkin" said Louis "Way to work it in as Ni's idea"

"IOt has to be Papa's idea, I can't take credit for it, its too obvious" I said "I already know too much about this wedding as it is and some things need to be their decision"

"She has a point Louis" said Gem "Jessie took care of the big stuff, they need to do the rest"

"You guys should've seen Jessie at the hospital tonight" said Papa "The doctor was trying to get information for Liam's medical file and Jessie wasn't in the mood for questions... She threatened to sue the hospital for attempted murder and... what was the other thing?"

"Medical Malpheasance" I said

"Yeah that's it" said Papa "Jessie was going to call Jimmy, Rothsdale, the U.S. Embassy & the State Department bc 'heads were gonna roll' if Liam didn't pull thru"

"Oh my God" said Gem "You should be a lawyer"

"That's what Dr. Hayes told me" I said "I was pissed... here I am, trying to get help and everyone either looked at me like I had two heads or ignored me completely so forgive me if I was teetering on the edge of a full-blown verbal meltdown... We didn't have time to pussy-foot around Papa"

"Be that as it may poppet, threatening to have someone's head chopped off bc they ask too many questions for your liking is not the way to go" said Papa "You need to stay calm and have some patience in those types of situations"

"Yes Papa" I said "I'll try and remember that when Momma's in labor and you're passed out on the floor"

"Damn Ni, she's got you there mate" laughed Haz

"Oh shut up Haz, you ain't much better ya wanker" said Papa "You passed out in Biology when we had to dissect that frog ya pansy"

"In my defense, and if you remember correctly, I was taken to the hospital and found out I had a severe double ear infection and had to be on bed rest & antibiotics for a week" said Haz "What's your excuse?"

"I don't like the sight of blood - mine or anyone else's" said Papa "No blood, no problem"

"Mhm.. and what was your excuse for passing out in Phys. Ed. when Mrs. Davis went into labor?... There wasn't any blood then" said Haz

"She broke my hand with that death grip... you try staying conscious when 35% of the bones in your hand are broken" said Papa "I had to have surgery AND wear a cast for 2 months so kiss my ass"

"Damn.. and here I thought Liam getting his arm dislocated was bad" said Louis

"What?" said Haz

"Yeah when Dani's water broke, she pulled Liam's arm out of the socket" said Louis "I had to stay with her while the doctor reset his arm"

"Some women don't handle pain well" said Mary "Both of my labors and deliveries were a breeze"

"How long were you in labor?" asked Gem

"With Liam, I was in labor for 2 days" said Mary "With Louis, I was in labor for 36 hours... they took their sweet ass time coming out"

"Holy shit" said Haz & Papa

"Yeah, well Dani held on for 12 hours till they did a C-section bc her heart stopped twice" said Louis " Liam was a mess for 6 months... Mom, Dad & I did the midnight feedings and diaper changes... Man, Pamela was so tiny, and she never cried"

"Yeah, Pamela was a calm baby" said Mary "Even when she got sick, she wasn't a crier... as she got older, she never complained when she was sick, she just went on like nothing was wrong"

"Holy cow.. well that explains why she never called for Grandpa when she cracked her head open on her dresser... Momma has a high tolerance for pain"

"So does Liam" said Mary "They're more alike then they realize... They're both stubborn fools and have a quick temper, but Pamela had to deal with having a gay father and the kids at sxhool bullied her bc of it... which is why she went ape-shit on Liam tonight... yes, I heard what she said to Liam and yes, she was wrong to say that, but now you know where her mind was at the time... Pamela will NOT tolerate bullying of any kind from anyone - family or not"

"I didn't know" I said "I've been trying not to read Momma & Papa too much, but momma keeps things locked up tight till the dam breaks... I was reading her after she passed out, but her childhood memories were still locked away... even npw, I can't read them but she's quiet now, so I wont be reading much tonight"

"You'll never read them" said Mary "Pamela doesn't like to remember them and trying to get her to talk about them upsets her too much and she gets angry... Its best to just let them stay locked away until she's ready to deal with them"

"Okay, I'll wait" I said "But if the opportunity to help her deal with them comes up, I'm gonna take full advantage of it... just so you're prepared.... Papa, you need to go check on Momma, she's having a bad dream"

"Okay poppet" said Papa and went inside

"What is she dreaming about?" said Louis

"Momma & Papa were walking down some street and then Papa was gone" I said "She started to panic when she couldn't find him"

"That's an odd dream" said Louis "Pamela's never had dreams like that before"


	64. Chapter 64

Chapter 64

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"I think when jessie shut down, it traumatized Pamela" said Gem "The thought of losing Jessie scared her shitless and then finding Liam unconscious, sent her mind into a free-fall"

Papa came back out with Momma "Hey Momma... Are you okay?" I asked

"I'm fine baby, I just needed to see you & Papa and make sure you were here and safe"

"We're here and safe Momma, try and relax" I said "Oh Momma, you're shaking... do you want me to help you calm down and relax?"

"Yeah, that would be great baby" sighed Momma

"Okay, lets go sit in the grass cross legged" I said as we went out in the yard and sat down "Hold up your hands, palms facing me, close your eyes & slow your breathing - that's it... now I want you to remember that feeling of your first solo flight - that's your calm place, okay?" Momma nodded "Good, go to your calm place and lower your heart rate... let all your fears and anxiety float away as you slow your breathing,,, let the feeling of flying wash over you like raindrops on a lazy summer day and let the breeze carry away all your fears and anxiety.. there you go, now you're completely relaxed, let your hands fall to your lap... I want you to stay like this for 5 minutes and when you're ready, slowly open your eyes and come back to the patio"

I stood up and went back to the patio.

"Man, is she a mess" I said "Momma has finally bottomed out, emotionally... We need to treat Momma as if she were pregnant and help her stay calm and relaxed during the day and take naps so she can keep up on her sleep and I'll work with her in the evenings after dinner so she can sleep at night... Papa, if Momma doesn't pull out of this by Tuesday, you may want to move our trip to Ireland up"

"Okay poppet" said Papa "We'll see how Momma does by Tuesday, before we make a decision on that"

"Have you thought about letting us do your songat the festival yet?" asked Haz

"If Izzie lets the five of you sing her song at the festival, then y'all can sing mine" I said "But only if she says yes"

"Princess, can we sing your song at the festival?" asked Haz

"Hmm: said Mary, looking deep in thought "I don't know..."

"Please?" said Haz

"Hmm.... okay, you can sing my song at the festival" said Mary

"YES!!… Thank you" said Haz & Papa

"You're welcome" said Mary & I 

"Haz, let Linda know, If I'm not back in time" said Papa

"Okay Ni" said Haz

"You are aware that Zayn gets nervous singing in public... right?" said Louis "This may not go well"

"Crap... may be we should ask him Ni and see if he can do it" said Haz "If he can, then we can try a run thru at the venue and see how it works"

"Yeah, we can ask him tomorrow" said Papa "and go from there"

"Sounds like a plan... man, I hope he can do this" said Haz "He sounded great on Jessie's song"

"Yeah, I know" said Papa as Momma sat down

"How do you feel Momma?" I said "You've stopped shaking, that's a good thing"

"So much better baby, Thank you" said Momma

"You're welcome" I said "We're all gonna help you stay calm & relaxed during the day and you & I are gonna do your calm place every night after dinner to help you relax so you can sleep... if you're at home during the day, I want you to take a nap, just to take the edge off for the next 5 days"

"Okay baby" said Momma "I'll relax after I talk to Travis and find out what happened to Betsy"

"Momma, don't get mad for what I'm about to say" I said

"I wont baby, go ahead" said Momma

"There's no way in Hell you'll be able to fly again if you don't get a handle on your fear & anxiety of being left alone" I said "Between yesterday's emergency landing and the events of today, you're an emotional wreck and your brain is one chaotic mess... until you're back to normal, you're grounded... no flying - period"

"Oh... okay baby" said Momma and looked at her hands as a tear ran down her face

"Hey, its not the end of the world Momma" I said softly "We just need to do a little 'spring cleaning' in there is all... once we get you better, you'll fly again, I promise"

"Spring cleaning?" said Momma

"Yeah.. we're gonna unlock all of the closets in your mind and clean them out" I said

"You can't... I can't go thru that again" said Momma

"Momma... what do you mean 'again'?" I said "Have you unlocked them before?"

"Yeah.. I had to see a shrink in order to get my pilot's license to determine if I was able to handle flying" said Momma "It was really bad"

"Do you trust me?" I asked

"Of course baby" said Momma

"Then let me help you clean out those closets" I said "There's nothing in there that is that bad and if there is, we'll get you the #1 best therapist in England to help you work thru it, I promise... okay?"

"Okay, when do we start?" said Momma

"Well, they're your closets Momma" I said "When do you want to start?"

"Can we do some now?" asked Momma

"Sure we can... All you have to do is say 'stop' and we'll stop, okay?" I said

"Okay" said Momma "What do we do?"

"We sit amd I enter your mind, just lkike I did with Haz and we open those doors one at a time, and see what's inside" I said 

"Okay and all I have to do is say stop, right?" said Momma

"Yep" I said as I moved my chair in front of Momma "Its just you & me in there, now keep your eyes open and go inside your mind and I'll be right there, I promise"

"Okay" said Momma and held Papa's hand "Here goes everything" and she was gone

I put my hands on either side of her head and touched our foreheads to gether.

"Hey Momma... How many closets are there?" I said and held her hand

"Just 3" said Momma

"Okay, lets start at the first one and work our way down each door" I said 

"Okay" said Momma and took a deep breath and opened the door. Out poured a cloud of anger & resentment

"What was in here?" I said

"The bullies from school" said Momma "What happened to them?"

"They died" I said "They couldn't feed off your anger so over time, this memory died... How do you feel about that?"

"I don't know... relieved, I guess" said momma "At least they're gone, right?"

"Exactly... lets go to door #2" I said 

"Okay" said Momma and opened the door... there was a man sitting in the corner 

"Who's that?" I asked and looked at Momma, she was shaking "Shh, its alright Momma, just breathe.. He's just a memory, he can't hurt you... tell me who he is"

"Its Billy Doogan… Daddy's best friend" said Momma

"Why is he here?" I asked "Its okay Momma, its just you & me here... Why is he here?"

"He tried to rape me" said momma "He was my baseball coach.. he had sex with all of the girls on the team"

"What did you do Momma?" I said softly

"I told him if he ever touched me or anyone else again, I'd tell Uncle Lou" said Momma "He was scared of Uncle Lou, bc he broke Billy's jaw when Billy went after Louis's girlfriend"

"Okay Momma, kick him to the curb and get him out of here" I said "Just tell him to go"

"Get out of here Billy" said Momma and the memory of Billy disappeared "Wow, that was easy"

"The last one wont be" I said "This one is the most recent and the reason you're a mental mess right now... keep a hold of my hand and just breathe Momma... I'm right here and you've already forgiven Grandpa... you can do this.. they can't hurt you, they're just triggered memories - be strong and tell them to go away & leave you alone"

"Okay" said Momma and opened the door as the memories came out "Go away and leave me alone" but they wouldn't leave

"You heard the lady, its time to go" I said

"But we just got here" said the memories

"But I don't want you here" said Momma "I can't sleep, I can't relax and I'm tired of your bullshit... go away"

"Fine, we'll go, but you better watch your temper or we'll be back" said the memories "And next time, we're not leaving so quickly" and disappeared

"Now, lets open the other doors and make sure they're empty" I said

"Okay baby" said Momma as the rest of the doors opened and released a cool breeze that smelled like rain, fresh cut grass and lilacs "I miss that smell"

"Its nice" I said "Are you ready to go back now?"

"Yeah, I'm ready... lets go baby" said momma as we headed back to reality

"Welcome back poppet" said Papa "How do you feel?"

"I feel amazing" said Momma "I feel like I could sleep for a week and for the first time, in a long time, my head is clear"

Haz handed me a banana, pain killer & a bottle of water "Thanks Haz" I said and pulled out my phone

TO: Louis  
FROM: Munchkin

What is Billy Doogan's full address?

TO: Munchkin  
FROM: Louis

1822 Pinewood Terrace  
Ann Arbor, Michigan  
Why?

TO: Louis  
FROM: Munchkin

You'll see, thanks

"What's going on Munchkin?" asked Louis

"Divine Retribution" I said "YO!! Goon Squad... Front & center guys"

"Oh shit" said Louis

"Hey, who the... Oh Hell" said Damian "Whatever you think I did, it wasn't me, I swear"

"Oh calm down and untwist your knickers Damian" I said and handed him my phone with Billy's address on it

"Ah okay... what's the reason?" asked Damian

"Divine Retribution" I said and touched his forehead

"You're kidding" said Damian

"Nope, you think the boss will let you do it?" I said 

"Hell, this is a favor for pissing you off" said Damian "Consider it done and we're even, okay?"

"Yep, we're even" I said "Be nice Damian... okay, maybe not so nice, have fun and tell him Pamela Williams says 'hello'.. he'll get the message... catch y'all later"

"Catch ya later boss lady" said Damian, gave me back my phone and disappeared

"What was that all about? And who is the message for?" asked Momma

"Divine Retribution... Billy Doogan" I said and put my phone away

"Jessica Renee Horan... What did you do?" said Momma

"I gave Damian Billy's address" I said "Damian is going to have a little chat with Billy and 'take him to church' "

"Holy shit" said Momma

"Momma, calm down... Billy will go to Hell eventually" I said "Damian is just going to show him what's waiting for him, that's all, I swear"

"You sure?" said Momma

"Yes Momma, I'm sure" I said "Only Lucifer can order a death... this is Billy's 'come to Jesus' moment and if he doesn't straighten up, he'll answer to Lucifer... and Lucifer doesn't forget or forgive"

"Oh okay" said Momma "So I take it Damian is the one you kicked?"

"Yeah and I didn't mean to do it either" I said "But you don't walk up behind someone, pick them up and expect to walk away unscathed... the other guy got a busted eye socket for putting his hand somewhere it didn't belong... the jackass deserved that and worse"

"I see... Marcus told us about the fight but not what caused it... just that you went off on them" said Momma

"Yeah... I never told Marcus that part" I said "He would've killed them permanently"

"I see... Are you ever going to tell him?" asked Momma

"Yeah, eventually" I said "He's only been here 24 hours... it can wait"

"Okay baby" said Momma "Okay Mom, what's got you smiling so big?"

"We picked out names for the baby" said Mary "while you two were busy"

"Wow... so what are the names?" said Momma

"Steven Andrew & Samantha Anne" said Mary

"Oh wow... I love them" said Momma "I see you've finally relaxed.. Are you ready to do this again?"

"Yeah I am" said Mary

"I'm glad to hear you say that Mom" said Momma "How about you Haz… Are you ready to be a Daddy?"

"Oh yeah" said Haz "This is gonna be amazing"

"Yeah... You let me know how amazing it is at 3am when the baby needs to be fed for the second time, you have to be at school at 8am and you need to shower for the second time bc the baby puked on you, and you only got 4 hours of sleep and the coffee isn't working to wake you up" said Louis "Been there, done that, got the t-shirt"

"He's joking... right?" said Gem

"No, he's not joking" said Mary "John, Louis & I tried to do a rotation schedule, but it didn't work, so we worked out a schedule where we each took a day... I took Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays... Louis took Tuesdays and Thursdays... and John took Saturdays & Sundays so that I could go get groceries & do laundry and so Louis could do homework and hang out with friends"

"I will say this tho" said Louis "Helping raise a baby at 13 years old made me realize how much Mom & Dad had to deal with... Liam & I put them thru Hell more than once... but raising Pamela was a breeze... till her temper showed up"

"Girls are definitely easier to raise than boys" said Mary ""Liam & Louis... Oh, where do I start?... skipping school, destroying fountains, egging cars, vandalizing cemetaries, breaking windows, breaking bones, constant fist fights, 3 totaled cars, 15 mangled dirt bikes, 1 damaged washing machine and 1 garage fire"

"Oh my God" said Gem "You were a Holy terror"

"We put them thru Hell... I wasn't lying" said Louis ""Yeah I skipped school, broke some windows, broke my left arm & leg, knocked Liam's front teeth out, wrecked 1 car and trashed several dirt bikes.... but not once did I EVER break a fountain, vandalize a cemetary, break the washing machine or set the garage on fire - those were Liam & Billy Doogan"

"Hmm... it seems Billy is a rotten egg and feeds off of causing trouble... like a parasite" I said

"Yeah, you got him pegged" said Louis "I never liked Billy... especially when he hit on my girlfriend and said that she was hitting on him... that sent me over the edge so I broke his jaw and he never came around after that"

"That's why I hope this baby is a girl" said Mary "There's less headaches & worry... at least till they start dating anyway"

"I never dated... Becca & I just hung out with friends" said Momma "Our classes kept us pretty busy"

"You never had a boyfriend?" said Gem

"Nope" said Momma "I was 16 when I started at University of Michigan and at that age, the college guys stayed away bc to date a 16 year old could land you in prison so they all became like older brothers and kept the guys outside of our circle of friends away till I was 18"

"And even then, you didn't date?" said Gem

"No Gem, I didn't date anyone... Why are you so shocked?" chuckled Momma

"Girl, you missed out" said Gem

"What did I miss?" asked Momma "Getting my heart broken after a one-night stand?... Meeting some guy, thinking he was the one, only to find out he already had a girlfriend?... No Thanks"

"Good point... I'll shut up now" said Gem

"Besides, I promised Dad & Pops that I wouldn't date till they met the guy first and no sex till I was married... and I blew that last one right out of the water"

"Oh please.. nowadays parents don't expect their children to be virgins till they're married" said Gem "And any Dad who thinks his daughter is still a virgin on her Wedding Day, has his head in the sand"

"Yeah, well lets keep that last part between us" said Momma "I don't want Dad killing Ni before we're married"

"Momma, you told me to get you a pregnancy test in front of Grandpa" I said "Trust me, he knows you're not a virgin"

"Crap... I forgot about that" said Momma "damn, damn, damn"

"Its alright poppet" said Papa "Considering I asked them if I could marry you, I think we can let this little oversight slide without worrying about me dying anytime soon" and kissed her knuckles

"That's true" said Momma "Okay sunshine"

"So wait a sec" said Gem "Ni was your first date and your first?"

"Yes" said Momma

"Damn girl, you work fast" said Gem

"Gemma! Seriously? You had to go there? Now?" said Momma "In front of my Mom AND my daughter?"

"Oops... sorry Pamela" said Gem

"Oops?... that's an understatement Gem" said Momma "Gee whiz"

"I knew Pamela & Ni were going to end up together" said Mary "just by how they fell asleep on the couch our first night home... call it 'Mother's Intuition' "

"Really" said Momma "And you didn't think to tell me?"

"Sweetie... there are some things that just need to happen on their own and at their own pace... Had I told you, you would've looked at me like I was crazy" said Mary

"Yeah Momma.. you DO NOT mess with Mother's Intuition" I said "sorry Papa... that's like telling Fate to fuck with your mojo - you just don't do it... My friend Stacey ignored her Momma when she 'had a bad feeling' and ended up dead in a field behind our church" and crossed myself

"Oh God... Did the police ever find her killer?" asked Momma

"Yeah they found him with help from the FBI" I said "I heard he had killed 5 other girls in different states so when he was caught, his case went to the federal courts... he plead guilty & the judge gave him the death penalty... they sent him to the Federal prison in Terre Haute Indiana"

"How old was she?" asked Gem

"She was 14" I said "Stacey was an only child... her Momma committed suicide 6 months later.... It was a mess"

"You know a lot about it" said Momma

"That's bc Daddy worked the case with the FBI when she went missing" I said "Daddy's search group found her and called the Chief"

"How long was she missing?" asked Mary

"4 days when Daddy found her" I said "Our Momma's were good friends and did a lot of church events together... Me, Momma, Grandpa & Grandma were at their house cooking & cleaning when Daddy & the Chief showed up and all Hell broke loose... Ms. Julie locked herself in Stacey's room and Mr. Justin, he lost it and was out for blood... Grandpa & Daddy had to call Doc Matthews and have them both sedated"

"No wonder you know everything about it" said Louis "You were right smack in the middle of it"

"Yeah... Mack & Jimmy stayed with me while everyone was at the funeral" I said "Grandma & Grandpa made all of the arrangements for the family... it was a closed casket service"

"Why didn't you go to the funeral? She was your friend" asked Gem

"Because I was having nightmares... I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat & I didn't talk to anyone... except Mack, so I stayed home" I said "Mack had tea parties with me, played dressup, raided Momma's make-up & jewelry box and made me soup - chicken & stars... Mack said I was the prettiest princess in Georgia and that if I ate all of my soup, I could give him a nickname... so I ate my soup and called him Pooh bear bc Winnie the Pooh is his favorite Disney character"

"Mack's pretty special to you" said Momma

"Yeah Mack's the best" I said "Mack sang 'You are my sunshine' to me and got the nightmares to stop"

"I can't wait to meet him" said Momma

"You're gonna love him Momma" I said "All 6' 4" of him"

"Wow, he's tall" said Gem

"Yeah, he is" I said & giggled "He's built like a line backer too with long hair that would make a woman swoon and the prettiest chocolate brown eyes you've ever seen"

"You're in Love with him" said Gem

"No I'm not" I said "Mack is more like a bff that just happens to be hot as Hell and 100% gay"

"Mhm... whatever you say munchkin" said Gem "You didn't see your eyes go all dreamy when you described him"

"Oh be quiet Gem" I said and rolled my eyes

"Gem's just teasing you baby" chuckled Momma "We all know Marcus has your heart and you have his"


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter 65

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

I walked over to the nursery window.. Marcus was painting the Unicorns.

"Gem come see the mural" I whispered "all of you, come see it" as everyone walked over

"Oh wow" said Momma & Gem

"Look at the flowers around the door" said Mary "He's got all of the roses from the yard on it and they look so real"

"Look at the trees" said Haz "He even put a birds nest in it and an owl"

"He made an apple tree" I said "Just like the one behind our cabin and the pond with the swans & the tall grass"

"Hey llok beyond the pond - snow capped mountains" said Papa "Just like the ones Jessie talked about"

"A pair of Unicorns with 3 babies" said Louis "Zayn is gonna cry when he sees them"

"A birdbath... oh wow faeries that look like Pamela, Gem, Anne, Mary & Jessie" said Papa "Look by the apple tree.. its Dutchess & Charlie with puppies"

"Oh wow" said Haz "just like 'Lady & the Tramp' "

Marcus stopped and took his shirt off.

"Oh Holy shit" I said "Okay that's it... shows over - everyone back to your seat" and shooed them away from the window

"Holy shit?" said Gem "That's not the expression I would've chosen, but - "

"Yes, I'm aware of the expression you would've chosen Gem" I said "Can you not say it in front of Papa, please"

"Okay munchkin" said Gem and looked at Momma & Mary

"Y'all keep it up" I said and crossed my arms "Y'all know what they say about paybacks - they're a bitch... don't make me pull out the heavy artillery"

"Sorry baby" said Momma

"Sorry munchkin" said Gem

"I have no comment" said Mary and shook her head "Nope, not a single comment"

"Thanks Izzie" I said

"Well I do" said Louis "But I want to live so I'll keep my brain & mouth shut"

"Wow... its a miracle" I said "Thanks Louis"

"Yup... no problem munchkin" said Louis "You do know he did that bc we were watching thru the window... right?"

"Yeah, I know" I said "Marcus is in there laughing his ass off... He has a wicked sense of humor"

"Gee, ya think?" said Louis "I was serious tho… Zayn is gonna cry when he sees it and you may want to warn Marcus bc Zayn is gonna give him the biggest hug in history"

"Oh okay" I said "or maybe I wont as payback for that little stunt... yeah, I ain't saying squat and see how he likes getting shocked out of his gourd"

"Jessie, that's not nice" said Mary

"Neither was Marcus by taking his shirt off" I said "Two can play this game... next time he'll think twice before he does that again"

"Just be careful and don't go too far Jessie" said Momma

"I wont... I know Marcus's limits" I said "The worst that could happen is that one of us gets a bucket of water poured over our heads"

"Oh okay" said Momma

"Which reminds me, I need artillery" I said and pulled out my phone "I need balloons, vanilla pudding, corn syrup, plastic wrap, silly string, feathers & lots of glitter... oh yeah, this is gonna frost his cookies" and set my phone down

"No... Not glitter... that's cruel" said Louis "You can't get rid of it... ever"

"Yeah well, he should have thought of that and left his shirt on... shouldn't he?" I said "I didn't start this Louis... he did"

"Jessie, I'm begging you, pleeease don't use glitter" said Louis "Use confetti... Hell use uncooked rice... just PLEASE DON'T USE GLITTER"

"I'll think about it Lou, but as of right now, the glitter stays" I said

"Mom.. you gotta talk her out of the glitter battle" said Louis "You remember Pamela's 'glitter phase'... it went thru the whole house for a year and clogged the shower drain 3 times"

"I remember Louis, calm down sweetie" said Mary "Jessie, if you use glitter, you'll be on vacuum duty 3 times a day for the next year... so think about how bad you want to get Marcus back"

"Yes ma'am" I said "Okay Louis, you win... confetti it is - no glitter"

"Oh thank God" said Louis and slumped in his chair

I grabbed my phone "Then I'm gonna need lots of glue, more balloons, and a confetti cannon" I said as I took glitter off the list and added the new items

"Christ.. Are you gearing up for world War III ?" said Louis

"Yeah, pretty much" I said "Pudding bombs are the first wave... then glue bombs with confetti shrapnel... after that there's usually a white flag waving - war over"

"What happens if there's no white flag?" asked Gem

"A massive water balloon fight till someone surrenders" I said "We've had this war twice before - Marcus usually surrenders - but something tells me he's not gonna surrender this time"

"How does the first wave start?" asked Gem

"Sneak attack" I said "Usually as Marcus is coming out of the bathhouse after his shower... the first war, I hid in the tall grass and hit Marcus square in the chest as he was getting out of the pond... the second war, I doused him with a bucket of molasses & honey water as he opened the bath house door and threw a ripped feather pillow at him - he looked like a human chicken"

"Damn what did he do?" asked Haz

"Flour bombs in the bedroom & kitchen - all over my freshly mopped floors" I said "Then it was a 2 day water fight - I won"

"Oh God" said Mary and looked at Haz "Is it too late to elope and move back to Michigan?"

"Yep" I said "But I promise Izzie - all attacks will be kept out of the house as much as possible"

"Alright... whatever mess you two make, you'll clean up... understood?" said Mary

"Yes ma'am" I said 

"I may have to enlist in the water fight to ensure Marcus's victory" said Louis 

"Me too" said Papa & Haz in unison

"Oh really" said Momma & Gem

"Well then we may have to help Jessie whip your butts" said Momma

"Oh... an epic battle of the sexes - Men vs. Women" I said "I like it - we need a 4th lady... sorry Izzie, you're out, I don't want you to get hurt"

"Gran will be your 4th... you watch, the minute she knows Haz is in, she'll volunteer" said Papa

"Oh, this is gonna be good" I said "Battle will commence a week from Sunday at the lake... the loosing team cooks dinner"

"Oh its on" said Louis

I grabbed my phone and called Simon.

SIMON: Hey NeeNee… What did I do now?

JESSIE: Nothing, but I need your help and a super mega-huge favor

SIMON: Ooo this sounds good... Lay it on me Tigger

JESSIE: I need 4 cases of water balloons and 8 Mega Super Soaker squirt guns

SIMON: Holy shit - done,,, anything else?

JESSIE: I don't think so... I think that's all we need for our epic Men vs. Women water fight, but I'll call if I think of anything else

SIMON: Okay... I'll get them on my way home and you'll have them by Saturday... what's the address?

JESSIE: 4132 Apple Grove Lane - Holmes Chapel, England

SIMON: Got it... Men, good luck... Ladies, show no mercy and make them sorry

JESSIE: Love you too Simon and thanks a bunch

SIMON: Love you too NeeNee… Let me know who wins

and hung up "Now we have an equal playing field" I said "Does Gran have a bathing suit?"

"I have no idea" said Papa "You can ask her tomorrow"

"Okay" I said " You got one Momma?"

"Yes baby, I have 4" said Momma

"Awesome sauce" I said "Gemma?"

"Yes munchkin, I have 2" said Gem

"Ooo this is gonna be fun and I finally get to wear my bathing suit" I said "And Papa, don't flip out when you see it... I don't want to have to box your ears"

"Oh God" said Papa

"Momma, you may have to do CPR on Marcus tho" I said "just so you're aware"

"Okay baby" chuckled Momma "You may want to go tell Marcus about the war"

"Okay, be right back" I said and ran inside "Hey babykins"

"Hey angel" said Marcus "What's churning in your head"

"We're doing the water fight a week from Sunday at the lake... Men vs. Women" I said "You, Louis, Papa & Haz against Gran, Gem, Momma & I... I just thought you should know"

"And in the meantime?" asked Marcus

"A cease fire" I said "Mary doesn't want us destroying the house"

"Okay angel" said Marcus "Tell Mary no battles till next Sunday... I promise"

"Okay... its looking good baby" I said "We'll be wearing bathing suits so be prepared to get wet" and walked away

"Wait... what?" said Marcus and ran after me as I sat down

"I said we'll be wearing our bathing suits" I said "Not birthday suits... get your mind out of the gutter"

"Oh… sorry" said Marcus "Um... I'm gonna go back to painting now" and went back inside

"That was a low blow munchkin" said Louis

"That was subterfuge" I said "Throw your opponent off guard so they don't know what's coming next"

"What if I tell him it was a ploy to throw him off his game?" asked Louis

"Go ahead... he already agreed to a cease fire and promised no attacks till Sunday at the lake" I said "If he breaks his promise, he has to deal with Izzie... not me"

"And you told him that last part?" asked Gem

"Nope" I said and went thru the rules

RULE #1: Never give away the home court advantage

RULE #2: ALL strategy meetings are done in private

RULE #3: Kick ass, take names, ask no questions

"Oh Damn" said Louis

RULE #4: You get hit in the face and you're dead - no exceptions

RULE #5: Each team gets 3 time outs to refuel their guns so don't waste them... I'll go back over the rules on game day

"Ni... we're toast" said Haz "You know Gran's gonna take us out 30 seconds in"

"Yeah, I know" said Papa "But not if we take her out first... Good luck Louis"

"No way Dude.. that's just asking for bad Karma for life" said Louis "No way in Hell am I taking your Gran out"

"You gotta do it Ni" said Haz "There's no other choice"

"No way mate, I'm her favorite" said Papa "You do it Haz, she's already gonna kill you for decapitating her snowman, take one for the team"

"It seems RULE #2 just went out the window" said Momma softly

"Yeah, I know" I said softly "That's okay, let them get it out of their system bc on game day, they wont know what hit them"

"Okay baby" said Momma "strategy meeting tomorrow?"

"Oh yeah... big time" I said "High-five Momma" and smacked our hands together

"What?" said Papa

"Nothing sunshine" said Momma

"Oh okay" said Papa "So who's gonna keep score?"

"There is no score Papa, the whole objective is to obliterate the competition and have fun" I said "You boys do stand a chance of winning... its that simple"

"Oh Yeah?" said Louis "I got $50 bucks that says you ladies wont last 5 minutes"

"Yeah? Well I've got $25.8 Million that says Papa, Haz & Marcus go down in 1.5 minutes... you better think long and hard about the next thing I say before you answer"

"Okay, say your peace... I'm listening" said Louis

"We have a secret weapon, besides Gran, and once its in play, the Korean War, World War I, D-Day, World War II, the bombing of Pearl Harbor & Vietnam will look like a game of soldiers in the sandbox when we're thru" I said "Now, do you REALLY want to put a wager on this battle or just go with 'loser makes dinner'?"

"We're good... loser makes dinner is fine with us" said Haz "Shut up Louis, just shut up"

"Yeah Louis, be quiet... the gears are spinning in her head a mile a minute" said Papa "You're gonna make it 10 times worse mate"

"Louis" said Marcus "stop... for the love of Christ, just stop" and sat down "Break time"

"Louis... I'm waiting" I said 

"Fine... loser makes dinner - no wager" said Louis "Dude, you guys are pansies"

"We're not pansies or are you forgetting about the tattoo incident bc she can get you back double next time" said Haz "You seriously need to watch what you say to Jessie or you'll end up with a shaved head"

"Hey now, that's not a bad idea" I said 

"No way in Hell am I shaving my hair off" said Louis "Shut up Haz… its bad enough Pamela put hair remover on my eyebrows... anyone comes near me with a pair of clippers and they die... Think I'm kidding? try it"

"I'm willing to take that chance" I said with no emotion on my face "Are you?"

"Louis, its subterfuge.. she's trying to get in your head" said Marcus "Don't listen to her"

"Oh really... I know where you sleep Marcus... you better watch what you say or you're next" I said 

"Oh bring it angel" said Marcus "I know where Mary keeps the scissors and I know where you sleep too"

"Oh its on my love... cease fire is off" I said "No attacks in the house - outside attacks only"

"Gladly" said Marcus "give it your best shot bc I've got a few new tactics since our last battle angel"

"Oh shit... we should just forfeit now" said Louis

"No way.. we quit now and she'll kill us all and I have a baby & fiancé to think about" said Haz

"That's the spirit Haz… Niall, Louis, you still with me?" said Marcus

"Yeah, but just for the water fight" said Louis

"Yeah, we're not getting in on the lead up - you're on your own there mate" said Papa

"Fair enough" said Marcus

"Seeing as you started this, I will be nice and not launch my attack until you're done with the nursery" I said "You're on a deadline"

"Thank you angel" said Marcus "So what did everyone think of the nursery so far?"

"I love the roses around the door" said Mary "They're amazing"

"Thank you Mary" said Marcus "I still have to add the leaves, but the flowers are done"

"I like the owl and faeries" said Haz "I can't wait for Mum to see it"

"What did you notice about the Unicorns?" asked Marcus

"You gave them purple eyes Like Momma's and you put apple blossoms in their manes" I said 

"Yes!!" said Marcus "I knew you'd see that"

"Hey Marcus.. Jessie is letting us sing her song at the music festival next Saturday" said Haz

"Oh really" said Marcus

"Yeah, I told them if Izzie let them sing her song Haz wrote, then they could sing the one you wrote for me" I said "I figured I shouldn't be the only one crying that night"

"Oh angel, I'm sorry it made you cry" said Marcus

"The song I wrote made you cry, so we're even" I said "No Haz, I am not getting on stage and singing that song so don't even ask"

"I wont.. it was just a thought" said Haz "Besides, its not done"

"What do you mean its not done?" I said "Yes, it is... the way I wrote and sang it is done"

"Oh" said Haz

"Harold Edward Styles... What did you do to my song?" I said 

"Um... well... I may have tweaked it... a lot" said Haz 

"You may have tweaked it... a lot" I said slowly "You... tweaked... it" I closed my eyes "Okay Jessica... this isn't as bad as it sounds... hear him out before you decide to kill him" and opened myh eyes and took a deep breath "Why?"

"Because its a great song, it just needed a few things, so I thought I'd polish it up a bit, without loosing the emotion of the song" said Haz "Then I was going to show it to you to see if you like it as it was or with the polish"

"Okay, I see your point... sort of" I said "Show me what you did and I'll think about not killing you"

"Okay" said Haz and ran inside and came back out with his phone & song journal "I recorded you on my phone and put it down on paper, but I wrote the words in my book so I could work on it... I can play the audio file of the revised version, if you want to hear it"

"No, just the words" I said as Haz handed me his book and read me words and his "Okay, its not bad, but it doesn't sound like me anymore... the emotion is there, but the feelings of heartbreak & loss are gone... they're just words now"

"I'm sorry peanut" said Haz

"Hey, its okay, not everyone can relate to that till they've lived it" I said "Now this is not a criticism of any kind, but I think you should read & look at Izzie's scrapbook and then go back and read the words of my song as I wrote it... you'll see what I mean and may be then you'll understand it better"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz 

"See Haz?... Sarah told you don't do it" said Papa "She said Jessie would either kill you or kick your manhood into your chest cavity... but did you listen? Nope, you went ahead and did it anyway... ya dork"

"Gem... if you could?" I said and gave her the look

"Sorry bug" said Gem and smacked the back of Haz's head

"Hey... what was that for?" said Haz and looked at Gem

"That was for not listening to Sarah" I said "How is it that Sarah met me 1 time and in 4 hours, knows me better then you do?... and you live here"

"Oh" said Haz

"Like I said, aske me first and if you tell your idea to someone before you ask me, and they say 'don't do it' " I said "Then... don't... do... it or this baby will grow up an only child... got it?"

"Got it" said Haz

"Good" I said 

"Angel... Damian's back" said Marcus

"Hey Damian... How did it go?" I asked

"Its done... He wont be doing that again" said Damian "When we left, he was crying like a baby"

"Thank you Damian" I said 

"You're welcome boss lady" said Damian "But next time you need a favor go thru the big boss bc I so wanted to punch his ticket for you"

"I'll keep that in mind" I said "You have a good night Damian"

"You too boss lady... sir" said Damian and vanished

"So why did Billy need a 'come to Jesus' moment?" asked Louis

"Its not my place to say" I said "Just know it was a long time coming... What I call 'Divine Retribution' others may call 'a day of reckoning' "


	66. Chapter 66

Chapter 66

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Oh shit" said Louis and looked at Momma "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I handled it" said Momma You & I weren't exactly on the best of terms at the time"

"You still should've told me" said Louis

"Why?... so you could go to prison for first-degree murder? Serve a life in prison without parole?" said Momma "And watch Mom die slowly... No Louis, I handled it - end of discussion"

"Come with me" said Louis and walked towards the gate "Come on"

"Go ahead Momma" I said softly "Its all good"

"Okay baby" said Momma and followed Louis into Anne's yard

"Let the healing begin" I said "Momma still had one more door to unlock, but it wasn't in her head - it was in her heart... Momma told Liam & Zayn not to walk her down the aisle"

"Why?" said Mary

"Because she wants Louis to do it" I said "She didn't want them to be mad and rather than hurt them, she decided to walk alone"

"I'll talk to them & Louis" said Mary "If Pamela wants Louis to walk her down the aisle, then by God, he's going to do it"

"Why Louis?" said Haz

"Because he helped raise her... and she thinks of him more as her Dad than an Uncle 75% of the time" I said "Those two are closer than Momma & Grandpa are... Momma's a lot like Louis too and Louis remembers everything about Momma - like the blue carnations, when Momma hit a home run at the little league state championship game, when Momma had to get braces, and when momma went off to school he went to all of her games - even the out-of-town games and acted surprised when she'd tell him about them... just like a Dad should"

"He always said he couldn't go bc he had work out of town" said Mary

"No, he was there Izzie" I said "He got Becca's number out of her phone and called her to find out when & where they were and made Becca promise to never tell Momma... Momma's right tho, if she had told him about Billy, he would've killed him"

"What did Billy do Jessie?... tell me, please" said Papa

"Papa, let Momma tell you... privately" I said "Right now, she's telling Louis and he's trying really hard to stay calm and not scare her"

"Okay poppet" said Papa as Louis waved him over

"You're turn Papa... just listen, you'll know what to say and do" I said 

"Okay poppet" said Papa as he went to Anne's yard and Louis came back and sat down

"Do I have gray hair?" asked Louis "I feel like I just aged 20 years"

"No, not yet" I chuckled "Great job Louis, you handled that very well"

"Thanks munchkin" said Louis "at least I did something right for once"

"You're welcome" I said "You've done a lot of things right Louis, it just took you a while to realize it"

"Jessie's right Louis" said Mary "You have done a lot of things right - especially with Pamela"

"Um... thanks Mom" said Louis

"Tomorrow when you have a few minutes, I need to talk to you, Liam & Zayn, privately" said Mary

"Okay Mom" said Louis "We can talk after Ni & Pamela go to their Wedding appointment"

"Okay, sounds good" said Mary "and then you'll tell me what that was all about"

"Okay... but you're not gonna like it" said Louis "and that's all I'm gonna say for now"

"Duly noted" said Mary

"Yes! Way to go Papa" I said "and he knocked it out of the ballpark... OKAY PAPA - GET A ROOM"

Everyone laughed as Momma & Papa came back and sat down.

"Oh hush up lemur monkey" chuckled Papa

"How do you feel now Momma?" I said 

"Better, but confused" said Momma

"About what?" I asked

"Why was it so easy to say it now than before?" asked Momma

"Time.. You needed time to work it thru, if you rush it too soon, parts of your brain shut down and you get sent to the 'crazy house'... your brain had to rebuild bridges and roads to circumvent the flow of emotional traffic to avoid 'crazy town' and gety to 'happily ever after' " I said "Our lives are full of broken bridges, detours & washed out back roads that we have to maneuver to get to 'happily ever after'... each bump in the road defines us - sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst, but its what you learned from it that helps you move further down the road that counts"

"Ah, okay" said Momma "So now what?"

"Now you get to relax at Hotel Happy-time and plan the rest of your happily ever after" I said "Deal with the little hiccups that pop upo from time to time and have fun"

"That's it?" said Momma

"That's it?... Momma, that's everything" I said "without fun, life is like beige carpet - no color, dull, lifeless and boring as Hell... Have fun, paint the walls wild colors, try new things, and make new & outrageous memories so one day you can look back and say 'Damn that was wild, lets do it again' "

"I like the sound of that" said Papa "You ready to start having fun poppet?"

"Sure sunshine" said Momma

"Then come on" said Papa "Lets go... Haz we'll see you in the morning"

"Where are we going?" asked Momma

"You'll see" said Papa "Be good poppet, we'll be back by 8am"

"WOOHOO!! GO PAPA!!" I said loudly "Don't traumatize the fishes"

"Oh shut up" laughed Papa as he dragged Momma in the house

"Where are they going?" asked Louis

"To the lake" I said "Papa's got a doozie of a plan for Momma... they should've done this way before now... you see? this is way I said the married couples need a date night... y'all seriously need to get out and have some fun and there's way too many people in this house to have any quality alone time"

"What do you suggest?" said Mary "Because by the time October gets here, Zayn & I wont be doing too much"

"Oh lets see... a late night picnic under the stars, go see a movie, go for a drive, take Charlie to a dog park and relax - anything fun & relaxing" I said "I'll even book a weekend getaway with the works - couple's massage, swimming, room service, a shopping trip, theatre tickets - wherever you want to go... I have a private plane"

"That's a little much, but I get your point" said Mary "I like the idea of a late night picnic under the stars or even a weekend camping trip"

"There you go Izzie" I said "fun & relaxing and out of the house"

"Sounds like you want some alone time too" said Gem

"No, I have rules" I said "But living in a house with 4 couples in residence - 3 of which are & will be married, is not ideal for privacy, so what's the alternative?... 1) we all stay here 24/7 and drive each other mad - OR - 2) the married couples go on a date night/weekend getaway... take your pick"

"Option 2" said Haz & Mary

"There's your answer" I said 

"And once a month we have a guys/girls night" said Gem

"There ya go, now you're catching on" I said "We can go out or stay in, we can plan scavenger hunts, game nights... the whole point is to have fun"

"Okay Mom, seeing as Pamela & Ni aren't here, what is it you want to talk to us about?" said :Louis

"Pamela told Liam & Zayn she doesn't want them to walk her down the aisle" said Mary

"Why?" asked Louis

"Because she wants you to walk with her and doesn't want to hurt them" said Mary

"But that's Liam's job as Father of the bride" said Louis "I'm not her Dad"

"Tradition says the bride's father is supposed to 'give her away' to the groom" I said "Liam & Zayn will say 'we do' when the preacher asks, you'll just be walking with her and then you'll take your place next to Haz"

"Louis, you helped raise her, you're as much her Dad as Liam is" said Mary "Liam doesn't know she was over the moon for blue carnations, you do and when she needed braces, you took her, not Liam"

"You also went to all of her sports games, even the out of state ones and didn't tell then acted surprised when she'd tell you about them" I said "You noticed her eyes turn red when she gets angry and who did she call when Des hit me in the head bc it wasn't Liam"

"I don't know about this Mom" said Louis "Liam's gonna go ape-shit all over my ass"

"You let me handle Liam" said Mary "Walk with Pamela Louis, its her Wedding"

"Alright Mom, I'll do it" said Louis "Haz, you better be close by bc when Liam finds out about this, its not going to end well"

"I got your back Louis" said Haz

"Izzie, you may want to remind Liam of who walked Zayn down the aisle" I said "Bc it wasn't his Mom"

"Good point Jessie" said Mary

"Yeah, but that's totally different Jessie" said Louis "LIam is here, Zayn's Mom chose not to be... big difference"

"That's true, but it still doesn't change the fact that unless you do this, Pamela WILL walk down the aisle alone" said Mary "and bc the Wedding is already paid for, you can damn well do this one thing bc its what Pamela wants most"

"Okay, okay I'll do it" said Louis "Damn Mom, guilt trip much?"

"Every chance I get" said Mary "Especially if its for a good reason... thank you Louis... Pamela is gonna cry - be prepared"

"I hate it when she cries... it makes me feel useless" said Louis

"Well this time it will be bc you made her happy" said Mary "so suck it up buttercup"

"And on that note, I'm going to bed" I said "and you need to get back to the nursery"

"Yes ma'am" said Marcus "I'll see everyone tomorrow" and went inside

I gave everyone a kiss goodnight and went upstairs. I brushed my teeth and set my alarm for 6am so I could get in my workout & shower before Momma & Papa got home and went to sleep.

IN THE MORNING....

I woke up and turned my alarm off and put on my workout gear, grabbed my Ipod and went to the kitchen. I fed the dogs, started the coffee and made an egg & a piece of toast. I took my vitamin and made Marcus a cup of coffee.

"Good Morning babykins" I said and gave Marcus his coffee

"Good Morning angel" said Marcus "Thanks" and took a drink "Oh God I needed this" and sat down on the floor "Going for a run?"

"Yeah, I'll be going in a few" I said "How is it going?"

"I'm almost done, I figure a few more hours" said Marcus "I added a few more mountains, Fitzy and the leaves around the door... I just need to do the gnomes, rabbits, deers, and touch up the Unicorns"

"You forgot the birds" I said 

"Damn.. and the birds" said Marcus "but it should be done by the time you get back from the Wedding appointment"

"Awesome" I said "save the reveal for when I get back... I want to see Zayn's reaction"

"I will" said Marcus "Louis & Gem brought the curtains & rods over last night before they left so when I finish, I'll hang them up so the windows are covered and get some rest"

"When you pack up your paints & stuff, put them in our closet on the floor and we'll find a place to store them later" I said 

"Okay angel" said Marcus "How did you sleep?"

"I slept okay, but that's only bc you weren't in bed with me" I said "I'll sleep better tomorrow night"

"Okay angel" said Marcus

"I'm expecting a couple of deliveries today or tomorrow" I said "If I'm not here, can you make sure they get put in our room by the desk please"

"Sure angel... what are they of?" said Marcus 

"Things we need for the water fight & film for my cameras" I said "I called Simon and had him get them for us and Jimmy ordered the film before he left Georgia"

"Ah okay" said Marcus "well don't worry, I'll make sure they get put in our room"

"Thanks... I better get going" I said and kissed him before leaving

"Have a good run angel... Do you want me to make breakfast when you get back?" asked Marcus

"I already ate, but you can if you want" I said "Its up to you"

"Okay angel" said Marcus and went back to work

I let Charlie outside, hooked up Dutchess's leash and headed to the track. We did 7 laps around the track and headed home. I had to stop at the park so Dutchess could pee and then continued on our way. We were almost home when Momma & Papa pulled into the driveway.

"Hey strangers... How was your night?" I said as they got out of the truck

"It was the best ever baby" said Momma "We danced, went swimming and watched the sun come up... it was amazing"

"Wow.. well I'm glad you had a good time" I said "Why don't you take Dutchess and your things inside and I'll help Papa with the mattress"

"Okay baby... Come on Dutchess, lets go in the house" said Momma as Dutchess followed her inside

We got the mattress out of the truck bed and carried it into the house and up to their room.

"Way to go Papa" I said "I've never seen Momma so blissed out and relaxed... great plan - A+"

"Thanks poppet" said Papa "And thanks for the idea, I had been trying to think of something for us to do to get her to relax after you told her she wouldn't be able to fly till she got better and then it hit me and we had a great time"

"So are you and Momma gonna go on another date?" I asked

"Yeah... we're gonna try for twice a week" said Papa

"That's great Papa" I said "If you need any help planning something, let me know"

"Okay poppet" said Papa "lets go.. I need coffee"

"You go ahead, I need a shower" I said "I'll be down in 20 minutes"

"Okay poppet... let me know when you're done so your Momma can take hers, then mine" said Papa

"Okay Papa" I said and went to my room

I grabbed my robe & shower caddie and hit the bathroom. I showered quickly, toweled off, wrapped my hair and put my robe on and headed back to my room.

"PAPA... SHOWERS FREE" I yelled from the stairs

"THANKS POPPET" yelled Papa and I headed back to my room to get dressed

I did my hair & make-up and put on a blue baby-doll top, a pair of blue skinny jeans and Momma's denim heels. I grabbed my backpack and put the money for the Wedding appointment in it (in case we went over the budget), money for the church from Haz & Izzie, pocket money for the grocery store, 3 prayer veils, my passport and phone and went downstairs.

"Angel.. wow, you're as stunning as always" said Marcus

"Thank you" I said "Where's Momma?"

"In the shower... with Niall" said Marcus and blushed

"Papa, you sly dawg" I said "Oh well... they're adults, let them have their fun"

"IK take it they had a good time?" said Marcus

"Yeah... Momma said 'it was amazing' " I said "I've never seen Momma so blissed out & happy - she was so relaxed her eyes sparkled"

"Wow... no wonder she was singing" said Marcus "at first I thought someone turned on a radio so I went to the nursery door to see and Pamela was singing... she sounds like an angel when she sings"

"Yeah I know.. I could listen to Momma sing all day" I said "She doesn't sing a lot.... so when are we going to start making new memories?" and wrapped my arms around Marcus's neck "bc I think this should be our first one" and kissed his lips.. he tangled his hands in my hair as he deepened the kiss - I was in Heaven

"AHEM"

We pulled apart and looked around. Louis and Gem were standing by the nursery door.

"Um... Morning?" I said

"Yeah.. Morning" said Louis "we came to put the curtains up before Mom & I talk to Liam & Zayn"

"Oh Okay" I said "They're all still sleeping and Momma & Papa are... in the shower"

"They're back?" said Gem "How did it go?"

"Yeah, Momma said 'it was amazing' " I said "Get yourselves some coffee while you wait"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis and poured 2 cups of coffee and made another pot "How did the painting go after we dropped off the curtains?"

"It went good" said Marcus "I still have a few more animals to pain, add some gnomes and touch up the Unicorns but I figure I should be done around Noon or 1o'clock today"

"Oh wow, that's way ahead of schedule" said Louis "You're good Marcus"

"Thanks Louis... the fans helped a lot and cut down on the wait time for the paint to dry" said Marcus "You can go look if you want"

"That's okay, we'll wait and see it when we hang the curtains" said Gem "I love your outfit Jessie"

"Thanks" I said "I hope Momma doesn't mind me borrowing her denim heels... they're really comfortable and they go with my jeans"

"I don't think she'll mind, she borrowed them from Mary a few weeks ago when we went dress shopping bc all of her clothes were still packed in boxes" said Gem "Your Momma was rocking the 80s look that day, she wore a white dress shirt, denim mini-skirt and those denim heels... when Ni saw her his jaw dropped... I think he decided to propose that day bc he did the night you saw us in our dresses"

"Oh wow... its only been a week since they got engaged?" I said "They act like they've been together for years"

"Nope, they met about 3 weeks ago" said Louis "When we came back with Mom"

"But Ni was hooked nonetheless" said Gem "Your Momma showed Ni how to make a 'garbage burger' and asked her to marry him... she was so shocked she almost choked on her burger"

"Yeah then your Mom made Fajitas & Taco salad and he asked her again" said Louis "she had an incident with some grease that popped and hit her in the eye"

"That was the grease incident?" I said 

"Yeah.. she was cooking and some grease popped and hir her in the eye" said Louis "Thank God she was wearing her contacts or she would've been blinded - the grease melted the contact lens and protected her eye... she had to wear her glasses for a few days... Ni moved in that night and never left"

"That explains why they're so close" I said "But why would they be surprised when I told them Momma was gonna have twins?"

"Because at the time of the grease incident, your Momma was taking medication for migraines" said Louis "Zayn looked it up and found out that the pills had ingredients that could be addictive and she had been taking them for almost 4 years... they were both worried that the pills may have done some damage to her body... Ni gave them to the General and he had the military doctor test them and he said that there was nothing in them that would cause any damage to her body or organs, but they were still concerned - till you told them about the twins, then they were relieved and stopped worrying"

"Ah okay, well thanks for telling me" I said "Momma wouldn't tell me and avoided thinking about it so I wouldn't know"


	67. Chapter 67

Chapter 67

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"You're welcome" said Louis "The one thing you need to know about your Mom, is she hates making people worry about her as if she were to fragile to handle things on her own... unless its something astronomical, she wont talk about it or ask for help"

"Okay" I said "I'll remember that" there was a knock on the door "I'll get it, its Gran" and went to the door "Morning Gran"

"Morning sweetie" said Gran "How did everything go last night?"

"It was good" I said "Liam & Zayn came home and went right to bed and we all stayed up talking... hey, do you have a bathing suit with you at Grandma's house?"

"Yes I do, why?" said Gran

"Because we're having a major water fight the Sunday after the Wedding at the lake - guys vs. girls... Marcus, Papa, Haz & Louis against Me, Momma, Gem, & you... you in?"

"Absolutely, I'm in" said Gran "What brought this on?"

"Marcus started this little war he & I have sometimes" I said "2 or 3 little attacks that lead up to a major water fight"

"Ah, I see" said Gran "What's the wager?"

"Loosing team cooks dinner" I said "the guys don't stand a chance of winning"

"I like it" said Gran "Oh, I can't wait... Haz is going down"

"We'll talk about it tonight at Anne's... shh" I whispered "don't say anything more - Marcus is listening"

"I wont say a word dear... lets go" whispered Gran then talked normal " I need a small cup of coffee to get thru today awake... I didn't sleep well, I kept thinking about Zayn & the babies and how he was handling everything that happened last night"

"Zayn's fine Gran" I said "I got him to relax before we left the hospital and , like I said, they went right to bed when we got home"

"Oh good... sorry, my brain isn't firing right but it will adter I drink some coffee" said Gran "How is the nursery coming Marcus?"

"Its almost done... I just have a few more things to add and touch up" said Marcus "would you like to see it?"

"I'd love to" said Gran and followed Marcus into the nursery "Oh Marcus, its beautiful... absolutely beautiful"

"Thank you Beth" said Marcus as Gran took in the details

"Oh, I love the flowers around the door and you put your cabin with the pond & mountains in it too - it all look so life-like... You're so truly welcome Marcus... Have you given any thought about doing this for work?"

"Yeah, I did as you suggested and made a mental list and I'm going to wait till next year to talk to Theresa... If Jessie's plans become a reality, we're gonna have a lot going on around here and I don't want to be away from home with Zayn & Mary being pregnant" said Marcus "With Jessie, Niall & Haz being in school, and everyone else working, that leaves me to help out around here till Zayn & Mary have their babies"

"Well that's a sensible plan Marcus" said Gran "That will also give you time to get a drivers license and a vehicle"

"Yes, it will" said Marcus "In fact, I need to talk to Louis about that" and walked into the kitchen "Louis, I need a favor"

"Sure Marcus, what do you need?" said Louis

"I need to learn how to drive" said Marcus "Could you teach me?"

"Sure... we'll start tomorrow while the girls are out shopping" said Louis

"Thanks Louis" said Marcus "I've never driven a car before... this should be interesting"

"Wait... Never?" said Louis

"No... I died before cars were invented" said Marcus "I can ride a horse and drive a buggy"

"Oh damn... okay, then you'll learn in the truck bc its an automatic transmission and if you break it, I can fix it" said Louis "stick shifts are a little more complicated to fix - especially these new digital engines without the proper tools"

"Grandpa has a couple of pick-up trucks I could have Jimmy ship over if Marcus breaks it too bad" I said "I'm not saying he will, but the offer is there if you need it"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis "We'll see how Marcus does first before we go down that road"

"Okay, let me know" I said "Good luck babykins… just listen to Louis and breathe and you'll do just fine, I know you will"

"Okay... Thanks angel" said Marcus

"I'll look at Mom's house for Haz's driving book" said Gem "It will help you learn the rules of driving and help you learn the roads better"

"Thanks Gemma" said Louis & Marcus

"You're welcome" said Gem "Don't worry Marcus, driving is fairly easy.. Haz & I both got our licenses when we turned 16 and neither of us has been in an accident or gotten a ticket"

"I've never had a ticket but I have been in an accident" said Louis "I was driving in a snow storm and hit a patch of ice on the road and took out a telephone pole... the car was totaled , the pole broke in half and I lived to tyell the tale"

"What were you driving? A tank?" I said 

"No, I was driving Dad's 1957 Chevy pick-up truck" said Louis

"Well that explains how you walked away from the accident" I said "Cars back then were made entirely made of metal.. you could wrap a car around a tree and walk away uninjured... was it able to be fixed?"

"Yeah but Dad never let me drive it again" said Louis "after that I bought my first car... a 1987 Ford Mustang GT convertible - cherry red.. she was my baby and no one worked on her but me... she got me thru college and to every one of Pamela's games"

"I'm going to make some breakfast" said Gran "everyone should be getting up soon... Jessie go knock on doors and let them know pancakes will be ready in 45 minutes please"

"Yes ma'am" I said and ran upstairs and knocked on Mary's door "Come in" and opened the door "Gran's making pancakes... they'll be ready in 45 minutes"

"Thanks sweetie" said Mary

"No problem" I said and knocked on Zayn's door 'Come in' and opened the door "Gran's making pancakes, they'll be ready in 45 minutes"

"Thanks princess" said Zayn

"Yep" I said and went to Momma's door and banged on it "BREAK IT UP YOU TWO... GRAN'S MAKING PANCAKES - YOU'VE GOT 45 MINUTES" I yelled thru the door

"Thank you baby" said Momma and started laughing "We'll be down soon" and went back to the kitchen

"Everyone has been told and will be down soon" I said "even Momma & Papa"

"They're back?" said Louis

"Yes Louis... weren't you paying attention when Gem and I were talking about?" I said "remember? you told me about the grease incident?"

"Oh yeah.. sorry, my coffee hadn't kicked in yet" said Louis

"Did Niall & Pamela go out last night?" asked Gran

"Yeah, they spent the night at the lake" I said "They took their mattress and slept in the back of the truck"

"Oh good for them" said Gran

"Pamela was singing" said Marcus

"Whoa.. she was singing?" said Louis

"Yeah, at first I thought someone had turned on a radio but it was Pamela" said Marcus

"What song?" asked L:ouis

"Seven Bridges Road?" said Marcus "she said it a few times so I'm guessing that's the title"

"Wow... she was in a good mood" said Louis "When Pamela cooks, she plays Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons - don't go anywhere near the kitchen if you want to live... when she sings an Eagles song, she's in a good mood... if you hear 1980s Heavy Metal playing, DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT talk to her or bother her bc you could either get yelled at or you could get hurt"

"Duly noted" I said as Haz & Izzie came into the kitchen

"Morning Mom" said Louis "Morning Haz"

"Morning" said Haz & Mary

"Are Ni & Pamela back yet?" said Mary

"Yeah they got back a little after 7am" I said as Momma & Papa came into the kitchen "Speak of the devil... the lovebirds have finally left their love den"

"Oh sush" laughed Momma as she poured 2 cups of coffee and smacked Papa's butt as she sat down

"Hey" said Papa "What was that for?"

"For having the cutest butt in England"chuckled Momma

"Oh.. well.. yours is pretty cute too" said Papa

"I think I got a cavity from all the sweet talk" I said "ease up you two"

"Sorry baby" said Momma & giggled "I'm just really happy this morning"

"I can see that... your eyes are sparkling" I said as Papa kissed Momma's hand "Marcus said you were singing this morning"

"She's been singing since 3am" said Papa "The entire Eagles catalogue... she's amazing"

"I thought someone had turned on a radio" said Marcus "till I went to the nursery door and saw Pamela singing.... you sound like an angel Pamela"

"Oh gosh.. Thanks" said Momma "We went swimming, we turned on the truck's radio and danced all night then watched the sun come up over the lake... Oh, it was so beautiful all pink, orange & yellow and it was so quiet.. then the birds started chirping and we saw some baby bunnies hopping around all over & drinking water from the lake... it was amazing and we just sat there and watched them"

"We came home when we realized my phone was dead" said Papa

"Next time, check the glove box Ni" said Haz "There's a phone charger in there for the truck... it plugs into the cigarette lighter... I'll show you later"

"Now you tell me" chuckled Papa "so how was it after we left?"

"It was good" I said "Marcus is almost done with the nursery, I got in my run with Dutchess - we did 10 miles, Grandpa Li & Grandpa Zayn slept all night so it was pretty quiet around here"

"Yeah and I should be done around noon, 1 o'clock today" said Marcus "I still have a few animals left to paint & touch up, bit other than that, its done"

"Wow" said Momma "I'll see it when its totally done and Dad & Pops gets to see it"

"Yeah, me too" said Papa

"Has Dutchess & Charlie been fed yet?" asked Mary

"Yeah, I fed them when I got up" I said "I let Charlie out before Dutchess & I ledft"

"Okay" said Mary

"Pancakes are ready" said Gran "I put some in the microwave for Liam & Zayn... there's enough for everyone to have 4 to start with"

"Oh Cinnamon Pancakes... you're the best Gran" said Papa

"I know" chuckled Gran as Zayn came into the kitchen

"Morning " said Zayn

"Morning Pops" said Momma "Where's Dad?"

"He's in the shower" said Zayn "He had a hard time sleeping last night... his ribs hurt and couldn't get comfortable"

"You should've said something Zayn, I have some Ibuprofen in my room I could've given you for him" said Mary "I'll go get them and he can take them with breakfast"

"Thanks Mom" said Zayn as Mary went upstairs

"Zayn, there's pancakes in the microwave for you & Liam dear" said Gran

"Thanks Gran" said Zayn and took his vitamin

"Are you okay dear?" asked Gran

"I'm fine, just tired" said Zayn and made a cup of tea

"Well have some pancakes and then lie down on the couch for a bit dear, you'll feel better soon" said Gran

"Yes ma'am" said Zayn "now I know how Liam felt when I broke my collar bone... God I put him thru Hell with worry, didn't I?"

"Zayn, that's in the past now sweetie" said Mary "just be there for each other and take care of yourself & your babies... that's all you can do for now"

"Okay Mom" said Zayn "wow these pancakes are really good... Is there cinnamon in them?"

"Yes there is" said Gran "I used to make them when Niall & Greg would come stay with Gramps & I … I thought after what happened yesterday, we could all use some calming pancakes"

"Morning Mom" said Liam as he came into the kitchen

"Morning sweetie" said Mary "There's some pancakes in the microwave for you... Gran made breakfast"

"Oh wow... Thanks Gran" said Liam and poured some coffee & got his plate and sat down

"You're welcome dear" said Gran

"Zayn said that your ribs still hurt so I got you some Ibuprofen"said Mary "They'll help ease the pain sweetie"

"Thanks Mom" said Liam and took the pills with some coffee "I'm fine when I sit up, but laying down hurts"

"Thanks for the pancakes Beth" said Marcus " I hate to eat & run, but I need to get back to the nursery... I'll see you later angel, have fun" and kissed my hair

"You're welcome Marcus" said Gran

"We will" I said "and yes, I wont forget to get the food for dinner - promise"

"Okay angel" said Marcus and went into the nursery

"Marcus looks tired" said Zayn "did he sleep at all last night?"

"No, he painted all night" I said "He's fine, he promised he would sleep when it was done"

"Oh okay" said Zayn "I can't wait to see it.. but I promised that I wouldn't go back in there till it was done, so I'll wait"

"I saw what was done when I took Marcus his coffee this morning" I said "You're gonna Love it... He should be done by this afternoon"

"This afternoon?" said Zayn in shock "I thought he said it would take him 3 days?"

"It probably would have but Marcus has been using the fans to help dry the paint so its going a little faster than he thought" I said "that also gives the paint more time to dry till we get the furniture in there"

"Wow... okay, no touching the walls" said Zayn

"Speaking of the furniture" I said "When we do finally get it in there, we may need to change the layout of the crib"

"Oh? Why?" asked Zayn

"Because the baby webcam monitor needs to be plugged in and attached to the crib and the only outlets are on the door wall, main wall & the far wall" I said 

"Ah okay" said Zayn "then we'll figure out where to set it up when we get it... its not a problem princess"

"Okay, I was a little worried bc you had said that you wanted it between the windows"

"Well yeah, but if there's no outlet there, then it needs to be moved" said Zayn "I'd rather know now then be mad later princess, at least now I can see which wall to put it so that it works right"

"Okay Grandpa... Papa, its 9:15" I said "we had better get going so we're not late"

"Okay poppet" said Papa

"Momma get your wish book so Mr. Thompson can take a look at it and maybe work some of your ideas into the reception" I said

"Okay baby" said Momma "Mom, where's my book?"

"Its on the shelf under the coffee table along with Gemma's sweetie" said Mary

"Oh okay" said Momma "there it is... I'll go get my purse"

"Grab my phone & wallet please poppet" said Papa

"Okay sunshine" said Momma and went upstairs 

I checked my back pack to make sure I had everything and got the money for Izzie.

"Give this to Ellie to cover the cost of the food and to let you know if she needs more" I said "its alright Izzie, take it"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "Thank you" and kissed my cheek

"You're welcome" I said "I feel like the fairy Godmother in 'Cinderella'... but I ain't singing 'Bibbity Bobbity Boo' and this fairy tale doesn't end at midnight"

That made everyone laugh "Niall, take my car" said Mary "so Haz can fill the tank in the truck"

"I filled it last night Mary, its all set" said Papa "We'll be back soon and I'll have Pamela drop me off at work Haz"

"Didn't you check your phone?" said Haz "Linda sent us a text... Brian broke his leg so we don't need to come in till Monday... we've got the weekend off mate"

"No, my phone died last night...its been charging since we got home" said Papa "I hope he didn't break it too bad" 

"Oh no" I said "Are Sarah & Linda still gonna be able to come to our girls night?"

"I'll text her and see peanut, then I'll text you when I find out" said Haz

"Okay, thanks Haz" I said "Are you ready Momma?"

"All set baby" said Momma and handed Papa his phone & wallet

"Then lets go" I said "We'll be back in a few hours Izzie"

"Okay sweetie... Have fun" said Mary as we left the house


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter 68

MARY'S POV

"Okay, they're gone" said Haz

"Okay boys... we need to talk" I said 

"About what Mom?" asked Liam

"About Pamela & the Wedding" I said "I know Pamela told you that she wants to walk down the aisle alone, but that's not entirely true"

"She wants Louis to walk with her, doesn't she?" said Liam

"Yes, she does... How did you guess?" I said 

"I can tell when Pamela doesn't tell the whole story" said Liam "She gets this slight shake in her voice... eventually she spills it, so I've learned to wait till she's ready to talk"

"How do you feel about that?" I asked

"I don't mind" said Liam "Zayn & I are still giving her away, so if Pamela wants Louis to walk her down the aisle, that's fine, he did help raise her for the first 6 months and its her day - she can have whatever she wants"

"Are you sure Li?" said Louis

"Yeah, I'm sure... make our baby girl happy and walk with her Lou" said Liam

"Okay Li" said Louis "I thought for sure you were gonna go ape-shit"

"Nope... I always thought this was a possibility when Pamela was 2 and said she was gonna marry you" said Liam "I knew then that you were more her Dad than I was, but you never interfered in how she was raised... yeah, we don't have as close of a relationship as you two do, but I know she loves me and sees me as her Dad"

Haz's phone buzzed "Linda says they'll be here tonight... Brian is insisting that they come and have some fun"

"Oh good" I said 

"I'll text Jessie" said Haz

TO: peanut  
FROM: Haz

Linda says that she & Sarah will be there tonight. Brian says they should go and have some fun  
H xx

TO: Haz  
FROM: Peanut

Awesome sauce... Who's Brian?  
xx

TO: peanut  
FROM: Haz

Brian is Sarah's brother  
H xx

TO: Haz  
FROM: Peanut

Ah okay.. well we just reached the hotel.. Talk atcha later  
xx

TO: peanut  
FROM: Haz

Okay and tell Pamela that Louis is walking her down the aisle with Liam's blessing.. Later  
H xx

"Okay, that's done" said Haz "and I told Jessie she could tell Pamela that Louis is gonna walk her down the aisle"

"Oh good" said Liam "now she can relax and focus on their appointment"

JESSIE'S POV

"Momma.. Haz just texted me with some good news" I said 

"What did he say baby?" said Momma

"Louis is gonna walk you down the aisle" I said "Grandpa gave his blessing"

"What?" said Momma in shock "He did? Are you sure?"

"Yep, I'm sure" I said "I told Izzie last night after you & Papa left and she said that she would talk to Liam after we left this morning so now you can relax and have fun with the appointment"

"Oh gosh... Thank you baby" said Momma and hugged me

"You're welcome Momma" I said and walked into the hotel and to the front desk

"Can I help you?" asked the desk clerk

"Yes ma'am, we have a 10 o'clock appointment with Mr. Thompson" I said 

"You name?" asked the desk clerk

"Jessie Horan" I said 

"Mr. Thompson is in the ballroom... down the corridor, second door on the left across from the lifts" said the desk clerk

"Thank you ma'am" I said and headed to the ballroom and went inside

"Oh Ni, its beautiful" said Momma

"Jessie, its nice to see you again" said Mr. Thompson

"Thank you Mr. Thompson, its nice to see you too" I said "These are my parents, Pamela & Niall and this is my grandmother, Beth"

"Its nice to meet you all" said Mr. Thompson "I've put together a selection of flowers, table settings, dishes to try as well as cake samples and our chef, bakery staff and florist are here to assist in anything you want & need"

"Thank you Mr. Thompson" said Momma "I have a Wedding idea book that Jessie said I should bring to see if there's anything you could work into our wedding & reception"

"Of course Pamela" said Mr. Thompson "Ms. Jessie said to help you in any way and I'm happy to make this as special & personal as possible... please have a seat and we'll get started... lets start with what Ms. Jessie requested so we can make any changes as needed"

"Sounds good" said Papa

"Flowers: 3 bouquets, 8 boutineers, 5 wrist corsages & 1 flower girl basket with pink rose petals" said Mr. Thompson

"12 boutineers" said Momma

"Who did I forget?" I said 

"Marcus, Mack, Simon & Jimmy" said Momma

"Oh my gosh.. I did, sorry" I said

"That's alright" said Mr. Thompson and made the changes "Is that the only change on the flowers, so far?"

"Yes sir" said Momma

"Okay, then lets look at the bouquets our florist put together" said Mr. Thompson "There's wildflowers & roses in 3 different styles to choose from"

Momma walked over to the table where the bouquets were displayed.

"Oh, I like this one for my bridesmaids and this one for me to carry" said Momma

"Hmm... there's something missing poppet" said Papa

"What's missing Ni?" said Momma and looked at them again

"Blue carnations" said Papa "Like the ones John got you for your birthday"

"Oh Ni" said Momma "you're right... can we add a few blue carnations to the bouquets?"

"Of course ma'am" said the florist "Would you like blue carnations with sprigs of wildflowers for the boutineers & wrist corsages as well?"

"Yes please" said Momma "and can you make a bouquet like this one only smaller as centerpieces for the tables?"

"Yes ma'am" said the florist "We'll also make them for the church as well"

"Thank you" said Momma

"You're welcome ma'am" said the florist

"The wrist corsages need to be a little fuller than the boutineers" said Momma "and that's it for the flowers... right Jessie?"

"Yes Momma, that's all for the flowers" I said 

"Okay... next is the table settings" said Mr. Thompson "All white linens & plates were requested bc a color had not yet been picked... Do you wish to choose a color or stay with white?"

"A light silvery-blue" said Momma "with white napkins & plates"

"Alright... would you like a seating arrangement?" asked Mr. Thompson

"No, thank you" said Papa "Our family & friends will be meeting each other at the rehearsal dinner so I think we'll be alright"

"Okay, next is the menu for the rehearsal dinner, reception & Wedding brunch the day after" said Mr. Thompson "Our Chef has made a list of his best dishes and if you aren't sure what you want, he would love to make it for you to try"

"Okay... Jessie & Gran, you pick the menu for the rehearsal dinner... I'll pick the menu for the reception and Ni, you pick the menu for the brunch" said Momma "How does that sound?"

"Sounds great to me poppet" said Papa

"Lets do the garlic & herb baked chicken with wild rice & baby carrots" said Gran

"Excellent choice" said Mr. Thompson

"For the reception we'll have the Chicken Alfredo with steamed broccoli" said Momma

"Excellent" said Mr. Thompson

"And for the brunch, we'll have a 'Full English' " said Papa "Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fried potatoes, & pancakes served buffet style so we can serve ourselves, along with coffee, tea, and milk & juice for the kids"

"Excellent" said Mr. Thompson "next is the cake... How big of a cake do you want?"

"4 tiers" I said "Momma, you & Papa pick the style and what flavor cake you want"

"Okay baby" said Momma

"I'll be back in a bit" I said I need to make a phone call and place Izzie's orders for Friday"

"Okay poppet" said Papa

NIALL'S POV

"This is a lemon chiffon with a light lemon flavor" said the pastry chef

Pamela & I took a bite "What do you think Ni?" said Pamela

its good, but not for a wedding cake" I said 

"Yeah, I agree" said Pamela as the next sample was given to us

"This is a traditional white cake with raspberry flavoring added to it" said the pastry chef

Pamela took a bite "Oh wow, I love it" said Pamela "its perfect for a wedding cake Ni"

I took a bite "Wow, I agree" I said "Do we want this one for all 4 tiers? or a different flavor for each tiers?"

"I think this is good for all of the tiers" said Pamela "I think if I eat any more cake, my teeth are going to start hurting"

"I agree" I said and chuckled "okay poppet... drink some water it will help"

"Excellent" said Mr. Thompson

"I like this style of Wedding cake" said Pamela "Which cake topper do you think we should have Ni?"

"I like the crystal rose or the crystal swans" I said "but you should pick that poppet... I'll like whichever one you want"

"Okay... we'll have the crystal swans cake topper and I want our flowers in between each tier" said Pamela

"Yes ma'am" said the pastry chef

"Next it the music" said Mr. Thompson " This Michael Scott, Michael, this is our happy couple Niall & Pamela"

"Nice to meet you" said Michael and shook our hands "What kind of music are you into?"

"All kinds" I said 

"70s Classic Rock - The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Th Rolling Stones... some 50s & 60s singer & groups - Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, The Mamas & the Papas, Peter, Paul & Mary, The Kingston Trio, Jefferson Airplane, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, Louis Armstrong... and some country music - Garth Brooks, George Strait, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntyre, Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Brooks & Dunn" said Pamela

"Wow, this is a great line up" said Michael "and do you have a song for your first dance?"

"Wonderful World" I said 

"Excellent choice" said Michael

"There will also be children at the reception so we'll need some kids songs" I said "like the hokey-pokey & the funky chicken and any other kids songs you may have"

"I have those as well as other songs for kids" said Michael "Do you have a song for your dances with your parents?"

"No, not yet" said Pamela & I

"I have a song list" said Michael "You can listen to these songs on Spotify and when you pick one, you can call Mr. Thompson and he'll put it in your file and we'll go over it the week before the wedding"

"That sounds great... Thank you" said Pamela

"Your welcome" said Michael

"We also need a piano" said Gran

"Yes ma'am" said Mr. Thompson

"The Wedding is at 5 o'clock" I said "What time do we need to shut down the reception?"

"2am" said Mr. Thompson

"We don't need 8 hours Mr. Thompson" said Pamela "Midnight will do... we have some pregnant family members who will probably head to their rooms early, as well as the kids"

"We schedule our events for 8 hours do to photos being taken and things like that" said Mr. Thompson "and don't worry about the noise, the ballroom is soundproof so as to not disturb the guests"

"Oh okay.. 2 am it is then" said Pamela

"The last item on our list is the décor" said Mr. Thompson "How would you like it decorated?"

"Okay poppet, get your book and make it beautiful" I said 

"Okay sunshine" said Pamela and opened her book "I was thinking potted trees with faerie lights... soft lighting to resemble candles, but no actual candles... a flowered archway at the door>>"

"So you want to bring the outdoors inside" said Mr. Thompson

"Yes exactly" said Pamela

"We can do that" said Mr. Thompson as Jessie came back and grabbed her backpack

"Where are you going dear?" said Gran

"I forgot my bag" said Jessie "I still have to place the orders for Izzie... I'll be back in 20 minutes"

"Oh okay... we'll wait for you here" said Gran

"Okay Gran" said Jessie and went over to the florist & pastry chef and then left with them

"Jessie has done an amazing job so far" said Gran "I still can't get over how much she put in place for the Wedding" 

"I know" I said "What amazes me is how fun and relaxing this has all been.. We should all do something special for Jessie - make it a groups surprise... what do you think?"

"I think it sounds perfect dear" said Gran "What do you think we should do?"

"I don't know yet" I said "But it needs to be good... like Jessie always says 'go big or go home' "

"I agree and we need to keep it totally quiet" said Gran "And that's not going to be easy, she's constantly reading... except when it comes to you & Pamela - she doesn't like to you two too much"

"I know and that could work to advantage" I said "If we can keep the details confined to just Pamela & I, we could pull this off"

"Well clue in Jimmy & Marcus - they know her best" said Gran "If anyone can give you an idea of how to surprise her, they would know"

"Okay Gran" I said as Jessie came thru the door

"How did the decorating go?" asked Jessie as Pamela & Mr. Thompson came over to us

"It was great" said Pamela "Its all done... How was you phone call?"

"It was good... Simon said I seriously need to stop calling him - I woke him up... again"

"Poor Simon" said Gran

"Did we go over the budget?" asked Jessie

"No, surprisingly" said Mr. Thompson "We have everything in our store house... I'll keep you updated and I'll call if there are any problems"

"Sounds good" said Jessie "Thank you so much Mr. Thompson, you & your staff are truly amazing" and shook his hand

"You're very welcome Jessie" said Mr. Thompson "and thank you for letting us make this special for your parents"

"You're welcome" said Jessie "Well we had better go... Father Donnelly is expecting us"

"Okay baby" said Pamela ""Thank you Mr. Thompson... for all of your help"

"It has been my absolute pleasure Pamela" said Mr. Thompson "Niall, Beth, it was so nice to meet you both.. if you have any questions or have any other requests, please call me, any time and you have a great day"

"Thank you Mr. Thompson... you as well" I said "Ladies, after you" and walked out to the parking lot "Where to next?"

"The grocery store and then the church" said Jessie and giggled "calm down Momma... your aura is shaking"

"I'm just so excited, I can't wait to get married" said Pamela "I can't get over how beautiful the ballroom is"

"I know" said Jessie "wait till you see the church Momma, its breathtaking"

"Oh gosh... I don't know how much more excitement I can take" said Pamela "I feel like I'm buzzing"

"Just breathe Momma, slow and easy... I don't want you passing out" said Jessie as we got in the car "That's it... slow & easy... close your eyes and go to your calm place...slow your heart rate - there you go, now stay just like for a few minutes and then slowly open your eyes, okay?" Pamela nodded

I started the car and headed for the grocery store. When we got there and parked, Pamela opened her eyes.

"Feel better Momma?" asked Jessie

"Yes baby, Thank you" said Pamela

"You're welcome Momma" said Jessie as we got out of the car and pulled out her phone and brought up her list "Okay, we need 8 steaks, barbecue sauce, enough chicken for 8 people, potatoes, broccoli & brussel sprouts, popcorn, chocolate chips, peanuts, tortilla chips, refried beans, salsa, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, sodas and ice cream - strawberry & mint chocolate chip"

"And maybe a bottle of wine" said Pamela

"Oh most definitely" said Gran "Wine sounds good... and a bottle of Irish whiskey as well"

"Gran go easy on the whiskey please" I said "just get a small bottle"

"Yes dear" said Gran "You sound just like your Mother"

"Thank you" I said "I don't know how you can drink that stuff... it smells like dirty socks"

"Its an acquired taste dear" said Gran "I swear... sometimes I think you're not a true Irishman"

"That hurts Gran" I said "I may not drink, but I've got Derby County running in my veins and my heart breaths Ireland... always"

"I know it does dear" said Gran "Its my job to give you a hard time every now and again"

"Gee thanks Gran" I said 

"You're welcome" said Gran

JESSIE'S POV

"Oh she's good" said Momma

"I know, right?" I said "They really don't stand a chance"

"How much broccoli & brussel sprouts do you want Jessie?" asked Papa

"2 pounds each please" I said 

"This scale is in ounces" said Papa

"32 ounces each" I said "Didn't you learn the conversion table in math?"

"Not really" said Papa

"Oh God... no wonder you don't cook" I said "You'd burn water"

"I would not" said Papa "I can make tea"

"Okay Papa" I said "If you can answer this math question correctly, I wont say another word about why you can't cook"

"Oh God.. okay, go ahead" said Papa

"You have a cup and an empty gallon jug" I said "How many cups will it take to fill the jug?"

"Oh Christ" said Papa "How big is the cup?"

"4 ounces" I said 

"Hmm" said Papa and closed his eyes, doing the math in his head "13.5 cups"

"Very good Papa... there's hope for you yet" I said

"He still can't cook tho" whispered Gran

"I heard that" said Papa and looked at me

"I didn't say that Papa" I said and looked him in the eye "I swear, that wasn't me"

"Okay.. broccoli & brussel sprouts are done" said Papa "How much potatoes?"

"Hmm" I said, looking at the potatoes "20 of these and 2 bags of the baby red potatoes"

"okay poppet" said Papa and started coun ting the potatoes as he put them in a bag "Done"

"Okay... steaks, chicken & barbecue sauce" I said 

"I'll get the meat" said Momma and walked away

"What kind of barbecue sauce?" asked Papa

"I don't remember the brand, but it was Memphis style" I said "Its what I used on the pizza"

"Okay, 1 bottle or two?" asked Papa

"Two please" I said 

"Here's the steaks and chicken baby" said Momma

"Thanks Momma" I said

"Okay then all we need is the popcorn stuff, the stuff for Zayn's Mexican dip, sodas & Ice cream" I said

"I'll get the stuff for Pops" said Momma and walked away

"I'll get the ice cream" said Gran "strawberry and what was the other flavor?"

Mint chocolate chip" I said as Gran walked away "I'll get the popcorn stuff"

"I'll get the sodas" said Papa and walked away

Once we had everything, we went to the checkout and then headed for the car

"Lets drop this off at home before we go to the church" said Papa

"Works for me Papa" I said "I need to drop off my backpack before we go to the church anyway"

"Okay poppet" said Papa "Why did you bring it?"

"JUst in case we went over the budget" I said

"Ah okay" said Papa as we pulled into the driveway and unloaded the car

"We'll put this away baby, why don't you go take care of your bag" said Momma

"Okay Momma" I said and ran upstairs. I swaped out my backpack for my purse and put the donation, my passplort and prayer veils in it and went back downstairs "I'm all set"

"We'll be done in a minute baby" said Momma

"Okay, I'm gonna go see Marcus" I said 

"Okay baby" said Momma as I walked into the nursery

"Hey babykins" I said 

"Hey angel" said Marcus "Done already?"

"No, we're just dropping off the groceries... we got some ice cream and didn't want it to melt" I said

"I see" said Marcus "How did the appointment go?"

"It went great" I said "Momma & Papa got everything done, we didn't go over the budget and I got the orders placed for Izzie too"

"Oh good" said Marcus

"Has Ellie been by yet?" I asked

"Yes, in fact, she's out on the patio with Mary right now" said Marcus "Go see her"

"Oh yay!!" I said "We'll talk later babykins" and ran outside "Ellie!!"

"Jessie" said Ellie "Oh, I thought I was going to miss seeing you"

"I know, I'm sorry, I had an appointment with my parents for their Wedding" I said


	69. Chapter 69

Chapter 69

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"That's okay dear" said Ellie "Mary was just telling me about her Wedding next week... how exciting"

"Did you tell Ellie the other think?" I said 

"I was just about to" said Mary "Ellie, would you & the sisters mind making the food for our reception?"

"We would love to Mary" said Ellie "After all you've done for us, consider this our gift to you"

"Thank you Ellie" said Mary "There's one more bit of news I need to tell you"

"Oh gosh... What is it?" asked Ellie

"Haz & I are going to have a baby" said Mary

"Oh blessed be" said Ellie "Congratulations!! Oh I'm so happy for you" sand hugged Mary "When?"

"We haven't been to the doctor yet, but I'm guessing sometime in April" said Mary "We have an appointment on Monday morning"

"Will you be able to help us make bread this year?" asked Ellie

"I don't know yet" said Mary "but either way, I'll be there"

"We all will" I said "Momma, Gran, Anne, Grandma Maura, Papa, Haz, Marcus, Aunt Gemma, Uncle Louis & I... I promise"

"Oh gosh" said Ellie as I ran to the door

"Hey y'all, come out and meet Ellie" I yelled thru the door

"Be right out baby" said Momma

A minute later everyone came out to the patio

"Ellie, this is my parents, Pamela & Niall, my grandma Beth and my boyfriend Marcus" I said "Y'all, this is Ellie"

"Oh, its so nice to finally meet you Ellie" said Momma "How are you feeling?"

"Its nice to meet you too Pamela" said Ellie "A few aches & pains, but I'm fine dear... I'm just happy to be out of the hospital... I missed the sisters and the rectory"

"I'm sorry, Ellie, I don't mean to be rude, but we should be going, Father Donnelly is waiting for us poppet" said Papa

"Okay Papa" I said "We'll be back soon Izzie"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"Take your time dear" said Ellie

"Marcus, be sure to show Ellie the nursery before she has to go" I said and kissed his cheek

"I will angel" said Marcus and kissed my hair "Hurry back"

"I will" I said and hugged Ellie "I'm so glad I got to see you today... Welcome Home Ellie"

"Me too dear and thank you" said Ellie "now go"

"Yes ma'am" I said and followed Momma, Papa & Gran out to the car

"How did you & Ellie meet Jessie?" asked Gran

"My Dad hit Ellie's car the night of the accident" I said "Louis & Gem took me to visit her last weekend.. that's when I found out Ellie is a Num"

"Oh gosh" said Gran "I'm sorry Jessie"

"Its okay Gran" I said 

"Ellie was on her way to Mary's at the time of the accident to keep Charlie company while we went to the summer formal" said Papa "The police called Haz bc his number was the only one in her phone and was told about the accident and about Jessie... we left the dance a few hours later when Haz called and said that he & Mary were bringing Jessie home and for us to meet them there"

"You should have seen them Gran... Momma, Gem & Anne looked like the Disney princesses come to life" I said 

"I remember... Niall sent me a photo" said Gran "Pamela was absolutely stunning in her dress"

We pulled into the church parking lot and headed towards the church. As we walked, I handed Momma & Gran a prayer veil.

"What's this for baby?" asked Momma

"To cover your hair as a sign of respect for your faith... just do what I do" I said 

"Okay baby" said Momma

We walked inside and put our veils on and walked down the aisle. I knelt for a small prayer, crossed myself and stood up as Momma, Papa & Gran did the same. Father Donnelly came towards us.

"Jessie, its so nice to see you again" said Father Donnelly

"Its good to see you too Father" I said "these are my parents, Niall & Pamela and my Grandma Beth"

"Its nice to finally meet the happy couple" said Father Donnelly "Niall, Pamela" and shook their hands

"Nice to meet you as well Father" said Papa "Jessie thought we should meet you and we had some time today"

"Have a seat, please" said Father Donnelly "I'm glad you came in... Jessie mentioned that a friend of the family will be performing the ceremony... what type of service would you like? A traditional Wedding or something a little different?"

"We want a traditional Wedding, but we'll be writing our own vows" said Momma

"That's wonderful" said Father Donnelly "Is there anything special you want for your Wedding?"

"We'd like to include Mary & Jessie's dogs" said Papa "Pamela wants Charlie to escort our flower girl down the aisle, but we're not sure who will be escorting Dutchess down the aisle just yet"

"Its unique to your Wedding" said Father Donnelly "I've met Charlie and I don't have a problem with the dogs being in the church... Jessie requested a piano - Is there a song to be played?"

"The Cannon" said Momma "Jessie will be playing it as I come down the aisle"

"Jessie. would you like it play it? To see how it sounds?" said Father Donnelly

"Oh, I'd love to" I said

IK went to the piano and sat down. I cracked my knuckles & neck, took a deep breath and started playing. As I played, the sun shone thru the stained glass windows and made them sparkle.  
When I finished playing, there was a lot of clapping. I looked around and saw the Sisters, parishioners, my family & Father Donnelly all clapping. I stood up and took a bow.

"Thank you" I said and went back to sit next to Gran

"That was amazing Jessie" said Father Donnelly "Any time you want to come here and play the piano, you're more than welcome to do so"

"Thank you Father" I said "I was thinking that Marcus could escort Dutchess down the aisle... She listens to him and he'll keep her quiet"

"Okay poppet" said Papa "Are you sure? bc I can escort her"

"I'm sure Papa" I said 

"Okay poppet" said Papa "Is it possible to do a wedding rehearsal the day before Father?"

"Of course Niall" said Father Donnelly and pulled out his calendar "September 22nd... at 3 o'clock?"

"That's perfect" said Momma and pulled out her phone "Wedding rehearsal, Sept. 22nd at 3pm... the Rehearsal dinner is at 5 pm, so that gives us 2 hours tlo work out any hiccups"

"Wonderful" said Father Donnelly and penciled in the rehearsal

"While you have your calendar out Father, are you free for next Friday?" I said

"Let me see" said Father Donnelly "Next Friday - that's July 29th... yes, I am... why?"

"Because Mary is getting married that day at her house and would like for you to perform the ceremony at 3 o'clock please" I said 

"Oh blessed be" said Father Donnelly and penciled it in "Tell Mary I'll be there at 3 o'clock sharp"

"Thank you Father" I said "Its and outdoor Wedding, very relaxed & casual"

"Ah.. no robes" said Father Donnelly "Understood" and smiled "So how did you two meet?"

"Ni and his friend Harry picked up my family & I at the airport" said Momma "Mary is my Grandmother & surrogate Mother - she helped raise me"

"The minute Pamela smiled, I was in love" said Papa "We had our first date 2 weeks later and that's when I asked her to marry me - on our first date"

"I thought you fell in love with my cooking" chuckled Momma "bc you kept saying 'marry me' "

"Um.. partly... your smile took my breath away" said Papa "Your cooking stole my heart"

"Ah.. I see" said Momma

"What made you fall in love with Papa?" I said

"His cute butt, his sense of humor, his honesty, his protective mature and that he asked my parents for permission to marry me before he asked me" said Momma "He's a true gentleman"

"So what do you do Niall?" asked Father Donnelly

"I teach guitar lessons and I start my last year of high school this fall" said Papa

"And what do you do Pamela?" asked Father Donnelly

"I'm a helicopter pilot for now and hope to be a Physical Education Teacher & Coach this fall" said Momma "We'll be living with my family while Ni finishes school and then we'll be looking for our own place when we know where Ni will be going for University"

"Well I can see you're both confident in your relationship and have a solid foundation for a wonderful marriage" said Father Donnelly "I like to get to know the couples I marry.. I know you have things to do so I wont keep you"

"Thank you Father" said Momma

"Thank you for you time Father" said Papa

"You're welcome Niall, Pamela" said Father Donnelly "If either of you have any worries & concerns or just want to talk, my door is always open"

L handed the donation money to Gran for her to give to Father Donnelly "Its a donation from Haz & Mary" I whispered, Gran nodded

"Father, I'd like to make a donation to your church from Harry & Mary" said Gran and handed the money to Father Donnelly

"Thank you Beth" said Father Donnelly

"You're welcome and have a wonderful day Father" said Gran

"You too Beth" said Father Donnelly and walked away

"Come on Momma" I said "We need to light a candle"

"Okay baby" said Momma as we headed to the back of the church

"We light a candle in remembrance of those we love and miss" I said "I light one for Mom, Grandma & Grandpa and say a small prayer... light one for your Mom & Grandpa and say what's in your heart"

"Okay baby" said Momma and lit a candle "I Love You Grandpa... be at peace Mom and thank you for this amazing life... I Love You so much"

Papa & Gran lit a candle, said a prayer and then we left. I removed the veil from my head as we walked down the steps of the church and headed towards the car as Momma & Gran did the same and handed them back to me.

"Thank you baby, you were a big help today" said Momma

"You're welcome Momma" I said "Now lets go have a relaxing and fun filled night"

"Amen" said Gran "Let the fun begin"

We pulled into the driveway and went inside. I went to the nursery to see Marcus, but her wasn't there so I went out to the patio.

"Welcome back angel... How did it go?" said Marcus

"It was amazing" I said "Father Donnelly asked me to play the Cannon and it sounded amazing... I got a standing ovation and a standing invitation to play at the church any time I want"

"Wow, that's great angel" said Marcus

"I was so nervous... Is the nursery finished?" I said 

"Yeah, we're just waiting for Liam & Zayn to get back" said Marcus "They went for a walk to get out of the house for a bit... they took the dogs with them"

"Oh good... How was Liam feeling Izzie?" I said 

"Better... he & Zayn laid down and got some rest" said Mary "Oh, and I had Haz go to the pharmacy to get more Iron vitamins... Liam took one before they left and I had everyone here take one, including myself so make sure Ni, Pamela & Gran take one as well as yourself"

"Yes ma'am" I said "Everything is set for next Friday and Father Donnelly will be here agt 3 o'clock sharp... the flowers for your hair & the cupcakes will be delivered that morning... Ellie & the sisters are making the food... Mack & Jimmy will be here Wednesday with your dress and you & Haz need to get the marriage license on Monday... so now we can have fun tonight and relax the rest of the week"

"I like the sound of that" said Mary

"How many champagne flutes do we have?" I asked

"50... they're in the storage pantry" said Mary

"Okay good... Momma & I will get 3 or 4 bottles of sparkling cider and more ginger ale this week for the Wedding and we'll need to wash the flutes up to get the dust off of them and we need a large candle for the centerpiece" I said

"What flowers did you get for my hair?" asked Mary

"I ordered a flower crown of yellow roses & baby's breath" I said "after the wedding, you can take it off and set it on the table with the candle in the middle of it for the centerpiece and we'll cut a rose from the front yard for your hair for the reception"

"Oh wow, I Love it... Thank you Jessie" said Mary

"You're welcome Izzie" I said "How did you sleep last night?"

"Like a baby... Haz too" said Mary "ever since you worked on Haz's back, he's been sleeping so much better... so have I"

"Oh good... I've been trying not to read too much and kept forgetting to ask Haz how he was feeling... speaking of Haz… where is he?" I said

"He's over at Anne's packing up the rest of his things while she's at work" said Mary "Haz doesn't like to see Anne cry so he's doing it now to avoid some of the tears"

"Ah okay" I said "That explains his mood... happy and yet a little sad"

"I told him it was normal to feel that way, he just needs to work thru it at his own pace" said Mary "He has most of his clothes here, he just needs his school uniform, books & a few things from his room"

"I'll go see if Haz needs some help bringing it all back over" said Marcus

"Okay babykins… hurry back" I said 

"I will angel" said Marcus and went over to Anne's house

Momma, Papa & Gran came out to the patio and sat down.

"How did the appointment go?" asked Mary

"Mom, ikt was amazing" said Momma "Mr. Thompson & Jessie made it so easy and relaxing... we picked out our cake, the flowers, the music, the table settings, 3 different menus for the rehearsal dinner, reception & & brunch the day after and the decorations for the ballroom - which, by the way, it beyond beautiful... I can't wait"

"Oh wow, it sounds like you had fun" said Mary

"Oh I did" said Momma "and Father Donnelly is so incredibly nice, he said he doesn't mind Charlie & Dutchess being in the Wedding" and went over to Mary and hugged her "Thanks for talking to Dad, Mom"

"You're welcome sweetie" said Mary and kissed her cheek "He's not angry or even upset... he said he knew this was always a possibility and that Louis was always more your Dad than he was, but knows that you Love him... He also said that its your Wedding and that you should have whatever you want... you need to trust him more and be honest with him sweetie, he loves you so much and just wants you to be happy"

"I do Love him Mom, more than anything" said Momma "I just don't like to hurt him and I know it hurt that I turned to Louis so much, its just easier to talk to Louis than it is talking to Dad"

"I know sweetie, just try" said Mary "That's all he wants"

"I'll try, I promise" said Momma "Are you ready to go dress shopping tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but we'll need to find me a dress that's not so snug and that looks good with flats" said Mary "Heels & pregnancy don't work well together for me... I lived in tennis shoes during both of my pregnancies bc my feet and ankles would swell up when I tried to wear heels"

"Okay Mom, we can work with that" said Momma "Do you still have the slippers I gave you the night of the summer formal?"

"Yes, I do and I plan to bring them with me to wear at the reception" said Mary "I don't know where you got them from, but they are really comfortable"

"That's a secret, but I'll be getting some more so don't worry if you forget them or loose them" said Momma

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "We can get the ties for the guys too... How many do we need?"

"We need 12" said Momma "11 silver-blue and 1 white"

"On our way to get the dresses, we need to stop off at the jewelers first so that I can get the accessories ordered" I said "so I need everyone there to get the ring sizes & the right size bracelet for Sarah"

"Okay baby" said Momma

"Why don't we go gather up our bags for tonight and Papa can help us take them over to Anne's" I said "and then Papa can take Gran home so she can get her & Grandma's bags"

"Okay poppet" said Papa as we all went inside and upstairs

"MOMMA, GRAB YOUR MAKE-UP AND HAIR STUFF SO WE CAN DO OUR HAIR & MAKE-UP TONIGHT" I yelled

"OKAY BABY" yelled Momma

I put my pajamas and shopping outfit in my backpack with the money from earlier in the main pocket... my passport, purse, phone charger & gemstones in the smaller pocket along with my shoes... I grabbed my duffle bag and put my quilt, 2 pillows, Sarah's hatbox, robe and make-up & hair do-dads in it and zipped it up.

"I'm all set... see you downstairs" I said and headed for the stairs

"Damn... speed demon" said Papa

"JESSIE, I NEED MY DENIM HEELS BABY" yelled Momma

"I'M WEARING THEM MOMMA... CONSIDER THEM PACKED" I yelled

"OKAY BABY" yelled Momma "MOM, PACK YOUR WHITE FLOWERED DRESS & HEELS FOR TOMORROW"

"OKAY SWEETIE" Yelled Mary

I packed up the sodas, Momma's bottle of wine & Gran's bottle of whiskey, popcorn stuff and the 2 tubs of ice cream and handed Papa the box. There was a knock at the door

"Yes?" I said "Can I help you?"

"I have a delivery for Jessica Aimsworth" said the man

"That's me" I said 

"If you could sign for them, I'll go get them... there's 5 boxes" said the man

"Okay, thank you" I said and signed for the delivery

"5 boxes?" asked Papa

"Simon said he sent out 2 boxes... we'll find out soon, here comes 3 of them now" I said as I took the 3 boxes from the delivery man "Its the film for my camera Jimmy ordered for me... the other 2 must be from Simon"

"Perfect timing on the film" said Papa

"I know... now I can start some of my photo projects" I said and took $100 dollars out of my purse as the delivery man handed the other 2 boxes to Papa "Thank you sir, this is for you"

"You're welcome Miss and thank you" said the delivery man "Have a nice day"

"You too sir" I said and closed the door"Okay Papa, lets take these up to my room real quick"

"Okay poppet" said Papa as we went upstairs

"What's all of this?" asked Momma

"The film Jimmy ordered for my camera and the boxes from Simon" I said 

"Oh wow" said Momma "Do you want to bring your camera tonight?"

"Good idea Momma" I said "I can show Haz how to use one and he can take pictures too... I'll grab those later, I want to take the big stuff over first"

"Okay baby... Are you ready Mom?" said Momma

"Ready sweetie" said Mary

"What's in the box?" asked Momma "wait.. is that... my dress?"

"Yes, it is" said Mary "I thought it would be a good time to put it on and see how it looks"

"And I have Sarah's dress too" I said "along with the shoes"

"Oh gosh... Ni, I get to put my dress on" said Momma "We're getting married"

"And I can't wait to see you in it poppet" chuckled Papa "I want you to have fun tonight"

"We're not doing good-byes yet guys" I said "We're just taking our bags over... the others aren't even here yet so slow your roll"

"Oh yeah, sorry baby, I guess I got a little ahead of myself" said Momma

"That's alright Momma" I said "We better get this stuff over to Anne's before the ice cream melts... again"

"Lets go" said Papa and went downstairs

"What's all of this?" asked Liam

"Our bags and stuff for tonight at Anne's" I said "We'll be right back Grandpa, we're just gonna go drop this off"

"Okay princess" said Liam & Zayn

We grabbed our bags and Papa grabbed the box as we headed out the door and over to Anne's.

"HAZ, MARCUS... WE'RE JUST DROPPING OUR THINGS OFF" I yelled - there was no answer "Papa, take Mary out of here... something is wrong"

"Mary, come outside... Gran, you too" said Papa

"Momma, go get the baseball bat... run" I whispered as Momma ran back home "Papa, call Rothsdale… tell him lights & sirens and bring an ambulance" Momma came back with the baseball bat and I took it this time as we went upstairs to Haz's room "Haz, shh, its alright Hazzabear… what happened?" I said softly

"Des came back... hit Marcus" sobbed Haz "He wont wake up"

"Shh... Marcus is fine Haz, he just got knocked out" I said calmly, not wanting to scare Haz and more than he was "Where's Des?"

"I-I locked... him in the... closet" sobbed Haz "I hit.. him to get him... off Marcus"

"Okay good... Momma, go get Papa, Liam & Mary and have Gran put the stuff in the freezer & fridge" I said "I'll stay with Haz"

"Okay baby" said Momma and left

"Haz, you need to calm down, come on, just breathe" I said softly "that's it, just breathe normally... Was Des drunk again?"

"Yeah... How was he able to get out?" asked Haz and kept taking deep breaths

"I don't know Haz… Did he hurt you?" I said 

"No... Marcus saw him first and stopped him" said Haz "Jessie, this house isn't safe for anyone while he's free" and started crying again

"Shh.. don't think about that right now Haz" I said softly "I want you to go with Mary for now... Mary, get an ice pack for his hand and a pain killer for his headache"

"Okay sweetie... come on Hazzabear… let Liam & Ni help Marcus" said Mary calmly "That's it... come on Haz, lets get you checked out... Rothsdale's here and has an ambulance"

"O-okay p-princess" said Haz and stood up on shaky legs and went downstairs

Papa & Liam came in with Rothsdale "What happened?" asked Rothsdale

"Desmond Stylers happened - again" I said as I got angry "How in the fucking Hell is he walking free?... sorry Papa"

"I don't know kiddo... I really don't" said Rothsdale

"WELL THIS TIME HE KNPOCKED OUT MY BOYFRIEND" I yelled and closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths "Papa, Liam, carefully take Marcus down to the ambulance... Momma, in my room on my dresser is a small brown bottle of smelling salts, can you get it for Papa and wait for me by the ambulance, please"

"Okay baby" said Momma and left

"Okay princess" said Liam "Ni, put one arm over your shoulder and grab a beltloop... if he's upright, he'll be easier to get down the stairs"

"Okay Li" said Papa "lift on 3 - 1... 2... 3 - LIFT"

"Okay, we got him princess... hurry" said Liam as they dead walked him down the stairs

"I will" I said and looked at Rothsdale "Haz locked Des in the closet and I have no clue if he's passed out or not... Haz said he was drunk again, but I've got a baseball bat and I got your back if you want to see what condition he's in"

"Okay kiddo" said Rothsdale and unlocked the closet... Des was sitting there fully awake "GET UP STYLES... HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK... YOU'RE UNDER ARREST FOR ASSAULT & BATTERY AND UNLAWFUL ENTRY" and cuffed him

I looked at Des, I was beyond livid "IF YOU EVER COMW BACK DESMOND, I... WILL... END... YOU" I said loudly & calmly "AND NO ONE WILL EVER FIND YOUR BODY... THATS A PROMISE... NOD IF YOU UNDERSTAND" Des nodded "Good - He's all yours Rothsdale and I want you to call me when he's scheduled to appear before a judge bc my lawyers & I will be there"

"Yes ma'am" said Rothsdale "Lets go Styles" and went down to his car as I headed for the ambulance. Papa handed me the bottle of smelling salts as I got in the ambulance.

I opened the bottle and held it under Marcus's nose.

"Ugh.. Holy shit... Haz… Is Haz okay?" said Marcus and sat upright "OW... SON OF A BITCH" and held his head in his hands

"Haz is fine baby" I said "You scarfed him tho"

"Aw Damn... poor guy" said Marcus "Get me out of this deathtrap"

"Sir, you need to lie still" said the EMT

"I'M FINE, WHAT I NEED IS MY FAMILY" yelled Marcus "DUDE - BACK OFF FOR GOD'S SAKE!!"

"Baby, calm down, yelling isn't going to get you anywhere - trust me" I said "He's fine sir.... What's you name?... What year is it?... Who is the current U.S. President?... Where are you?"

""Marcus Smith... 2001... Barrack Obama... Holmes Chapel, England" said Marcus "and you are my God given angel"

"How many fingers do you see?" I said and held up 3 fingers

"5... 3 up, 2 down" said Marcus

"See? I told you he was fine" I said


	70. Chapter 70

Chapter 70

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"You can go, but if your vision starts to blur or fade, get to the hospital immediately, you may have a concussion" said the EMT

"I will, I promise" said Marcus "Thank you and I'm sorry for yelling"

"You're welcome" said the EMT "That's alright, it comes wikth the job"

"Come out gently baby" I said as we hugged and whispered "You scared me too"

"I'm sorry angel" said Marcus "It all happened so fast there wasn't any time to get help... I need to see Haz"

"Okay, he's on the porch" I said "Rothsdale is taking his statement and will need yours too"

"Okay angel" said Marcus as we made our way to the porch

"Marcus" said Haz and gave him a hug "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Haz… You?" asked Marcus

"Sore hand and a headache, but I'm fine" said Haz "Thank you"

"You're welcome Haz" said Marcus "Haz… I can't.. breathe"

"Oh, sorry Marcus" said Haz and let go

"Its alright Haz" said Marcus "Mary, are you alright? You look a little pale"

"I'm fine" said Mary as tears ran down her face "just a little shaken up is all"

"Oh princess... shh, its alright baby.. just breathe" said Haz "I'm sorry princess, so, so sorry"

"Harry, I've got your statement, take care of Mary... I'll be in touch" said Rothsdale

"Okay, thank you" said Haz "Come on princess, lets go inside" and picked Mary up and carried her in the house

"Marcus? Can you tell me what happened" said Rothsdale

"I had been painting all morning and was sitting out on the patio with Mary when Jessie, Pamela, Niall & Gran got home" said Marcus "Mary said that Haz was over at his Mother's house packing up some things so I said I'll go help him bring them back... I walked in the house and called for Haz, but he didn't answer so I went upstairs and I saw that guy sneaking up on Haz, so I jumped him... he backed up and I kit my head on the wall, but I was okay, he got away from me and then he came back at me and punched me... I don't know what happened after that"

"Well your stories line up" said Rothsdale "I'll be in touch"

"Thank you sir" said Marcus

"I'm dead-ass serious Rothsdale… you call Papa - not Haz when you know when the arraignment is scheduled bc Haz, Marcus & I will be there with our lawyers" I said 

"I will kiddo... I promise" said Rothsdale "Try and have a good weekend, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll try... you too and don't work too hard" I said as we went in the house

"Liam, lets go get the rest of Haz's things" said Papa "Gran, when I get back, we'll go get yours & Mom's bags"

"okay Ni" said Liam

"Okay dear" said Gran as they left and Louis & Gem came thru the door

"We saw Rothsdale… What happened?" said Gem

"Des attacked Haz & Marcus over at Anne's house" I said "Haz was over packing up some things when Des got in the house and tried to to attack Haz, but Marcus stopped him... Marcus got knocked out and Haz locked Des in the closet till FRothsdale got there"

"Are you okay bug?" asked Gem

"I'm fine Gem... I have a sore hand & a headache, but I'm fine... He didn't hurt me"

"Oh Thank God" said Gem

"Rothsdale is gonna call Papa when Des's arraignment is scheduled but we're gonna need a lawyer" I said "Jimmy wont be back till sometime Tuesday and Marcus, Haz & I need to be there so Des doesn't get released again"

"I'll be your lawyer at the arraignment" said Gem

"Isn't that a conflict of interest?" I said "Technically, he IS your Dad"

"Let me introduce myself" said Gem "Gemma Gallagher-Styles, Attorney of Law"

"I see" I said "smart lady... really smart"

"I don't get it" said Louis

"Gemma took Anne's maiden name and hyphenated it with her last name so when she represents family in court, she can go by Gallagher and non-family, she can go by Gallagher-Styles" I said "That way there's no conflict of interest"

"Exactly" said Gem

"So what will you go by when you get married?" asked Louis

"I'll go by my husband's name" said Gem "Amarriage license is a legal document... I can either keep my name as is or take my husbands name - either way, its still legal and I can still practice law"

"Ah okay" said Louis "Whoa Mom, you don't look so good... Are you alright?"

"I'm fi-" said Mary and ran upstairs with Gran right behind her

"Oh God" said Haz

"Haz… calm down... Gran is with her" I said "Get a package of crackers, a ginger ale and an Iron vitamin... Izzie just has a touch of morning sickness, she's fine, it'll pass"

"Are you sure?" said Haz

"I'm sure" I said "go... crackers, ginger ale, vitamin"

"Okay... crackers, ginger ale, vitamin" said Haz "crackers, ginger ale, vitamin" and went into the kitchen repeating the items I told him to get

"Oh he's a mess" whispered Louis "and he's got 9 months of this"

"He'll be fine, he's just had a rough afternoon" I said as Haz came back and sat down, holding his head

"Why did it hit Mom so quick?" said Zayn "according to the book, Mom shouldn't be going thru this for another 6-8 weeks"

"Because Izzie's body went into shock when she thought Haz had been hurt" I said "Morning sickness can also be brought on by stress... as long as Izzie stays calm & relaxed, it should pass as quickly as it hit"

"Poor Mom" said Momma

"Zayn, could Haz borrow your book?" I asked "It'll help him understand what Izzie is going thru better... right now he's blaming himself for this"

"Of course, I'll go get it" said Zayn and went upstairs

"Marcus, why don't you and Louis get the potatoes cleaned up and in the oven" I said "Momma, Gem & I are going to go see what's taking Papa & LIam so long... I'll do the veggies when we get back"

"Okay angel" said Marcus "Come on Louis, we've got potatoes to scrub, grease & wrap"

"Okay" said Louis and followed Marcus into the kitchen as Zayn came down the stairs

"Here's the book princess" said Zayn

"Thanks" I said "Haz, I want you to read this while Gran is with Mary... when she comes down, have her take the vitamin and little sips of the ginger ale or she'll get sick again, okay?"

"Okay peanut" said Haz and took the book and started reading it as we walked out the door onto the porch

"I didn't want to say anything in front of Haz & Marcus" I said "I threatened Des... in front of Rothsdale… I know, I know, it wasn't the smartest move in the world, but I can't undo it now"

"What did you say... exactly" said Gem

"That if he came near my family ever again, 'I would end him' " I said " 'And NO ONE would EVER find his body'... I told him to nod if he understood what I had said and he did"

"He didn't talk? At all?" asked Momma

"No.. I think Haz broke his jaw" I said "Des's brain was a drunken mess... I'm shocked he understood me at all"

"Lets hope he remembers the first part and forgets the rest" said Gem "I'll handle things from here on out Jess, thanks for telling me... I can build a defense for the prosecutor - the 3 of you will have to testify as to everything that happened last Tuesday and today"

"Okay, I'll text you when Rothsdale calls Papa" I said 

"Okay munchkin" said Gem "lets go check on Ni & Liam"

We walk over to Anne's and up to Haz's room "How is it going Papa?" I said

"Good... we're almost done" said Papa "Haz didn't have much left to pack... Des must've shown up just as Haz was finishing up"

"How's Mom?" asked Liam

"Early onset morning sickness brought on by stress & shock" said Momma

"Oh Christ... Is she okay?" said Liam

"She's fine, Gran is with her" I said "Its Haz I'm worried about right now... He's a fucked up mess... I think he broke Des's jaw after he punched Marcus"

"Poor kid" said Liam "What do you need us to do princess?"

"I need you to talk to him" I said "16 year old Liam needs to tell Haz what you went thru and he needs to hear that what Izzie is going thru is in no way his fault... he's gonna cry and blame himself... let him cry, but not the rest"

"Okay, I can do that" said Liam

"Thanks Grandpa" I said "Haz is reading Zayn's pregnancy book while Gran is with Izzie, so his mind is occupied for now so talk to him in a little while, okay?"

"Okay princess" said Liam "should we still have our guys/girls night?"

"Yes.. Haz, Mary & Marcus need to get their minds off what happened and relax & have some fun" I said "Hell, we all need to relax & have some fun and forget about what happened"

"Okayh prioncess" said Liam "lets get this stuff home and have some down time before everyone gets home and Linda, Sarah & Jimmy show up"

"Sounds good" I said

"Okay, then I'll take Gran home to get her things and Mom's"

"Okay... Did Haz get his school stuff?" said Gem

"Yeah, its all in his duffle bag" said Papa

As we went downstairs, the washer buzzed "Haz did laundry?" said Gem and went to the laundry room and opened the washer lid "Oh bug... He washed the sheets from all of the bedrooms... let me put these in the dryer real quick"

"He probably thought we'd all be sleeping in the beds" I said "and wanted clean sheets"

"You're not sleeping in the beds?" asked Papa

"Well the adult night, but Momma, Gem, Sarah & I are having a sleepover in the Livingroom" I said "We have 9 people and 4 beds... do the math Papa"

"Ah good point poppet" said Papa

"Okay, the sheets are in the dryer, lets go check on Mary" said Gem

We all went back home and came thru the door as Mary & Gran came down the stairs.

"Are you okay princess?" said Haz and carried her over to the couch and held her on his lap "here baby, take a vitamin, and I have some crackers & a ginger ale for you"

"Thanks Haz, I'm fine sweetie" said Mary softly "I guess I was more scared than I thought"

"How bad was it Gran?" I whispered

"Not as bad as it could've been" whispered Gran "She mostly cried... it really shook her up"

"Okay, thanks for staying with her Gran" I said

"Lets go take these up to their room" said Papa "When I come back Gran, I'll take you home to get you & Mom's bags" 

"Okay dear" said Gran

"I better get the vegetables started" I said 

"Can I help?" asked Gem

"Sure Gem" I said "You can clean up the brussel sprouts and I'll do the broccoli & onions"

I got the vegetables & butter out of the fridge and grabbed a large onion, 3 cans of mushrooms, olive oil, Italian herbs & aluminum foil out of the pantry. I rinsed the broccoli and grabbed 3 big bowls.

"Okay Gem... see how there's tiny black spots on the leaves?" I said

"Yeah" said Gem

"You want to peel the leaves off till its a dull light green" I said and peeled off 4 leaves "just like this... give it a rinse and put it in the bowl"

"Okay, got it" said Gem

I grabbed a cutting board and a knife and started cutting the ends off the broccoli and put them in my garbage bowl, then cut up the broccoli and put it in the 2nd bowl, chopped up the onion and put that in a smaller bowl. 

"I've decided I'll buy frozen brussel sprouts from now on" said Gem "This is about as exciting as watching paint dry"

"I know.. sorry, I'll help" I said and came over to the sink "normally I would've bought the ffrozen ones, but when you're roasting them the fresh sprouts are better to use... the frozen ones turn to mush in the oven"

"I see... is broccoli the same way?" asked Gem

"No, broccoli is like a tree" I said "Its fibrous but fresh broccoli tastes better when its roasted, but you can use either one when roasting vegetables"

"Good to know" said Gem "so who gets the broccoli & who get the sprouts?"

"We get the sprouts and the guys get the broccoli" I said "I know the guys would be happy with just a steak & potato, but Zayn needs vegetables so they're all getting vegetables"

"Ah okay... that's it, they're all cleaned" said Gem

"Okay, lets get these finished so they'll be done when dinner is ready" I said and added the rest of the onions and 1 can of drained mushrooms to each bowl "Hmm... I think we need another can of mushrooms in the sprouts... what do you think?"

"Yeah, I think so too... just to balance it out" said Gem

"Exactly" I said and drained the last can of mushrooms and added it to the sprouts "There, that looks better... can you get a couple of cookie sheets out of the back up oven please"

"Sure" said Gem and went to the laundry room :Here you go"

"Thanks I said and poured olive oil on the sprouts & broccoli and tossed them to coat the vegetables then washed my hands "Now we're going to make a steaming pocket" and ripped off a large piece of aluminum foil and laid it on a cookie sheet "sprinkle Italian herbs on the foil... add your oil coated vegetables, a little more seasoning and some butter and then fold the foil length-wise and make a loose seam then fold the ends and there it is... a steaming pocket - it traps the moisture, steaming the veggies and its all in one pouch for easy clean up"

"That's cool" said Gem "We're doing this with the broccoli too?"

"Yep" I said and repeated the same process "there all done... you can also do this with chunks of potatoes, fresh green beans, onions & mushrooms... its to die for"

"Oh wow... do you always use Italian herbs?" asked Gem

"No, you can use salt & pepper too" I said "Zayn can't have salt, so I used a salt substitute... when you cook for a lot of people, you need to always remember who can't eat certain things - Zayn & Mary can't have salt, Marcus is allergic to tomatoes - things like that... when Louis & I made the cheesecake, Louis asked if anyone was allergic to nuts bc nutmeg is part of the nut family, if anyone was allergic to nuts, it could've made them really sick or killed them"

"I see" said Gem "Yeah, we don't want to kill anyone"

"Marcus is using this oven for the baked potatoes so we'll use the back-up oven" I said "grab your baking sheet and follow me"

"Okay" said Gem as we went into the laundry room

"Check your oven before you turn it on" I said and pulled out the rest of the cookie sheets & pizza pans and set them on the folding table "set your oven temperature to 400degrees... when it beeps, we'll put them in and set the timer for 1 hour"

"Wow, that a really high temperature" said Gem

"It has to be or we'll be eating at midnight" I said "all recipes have their optimal temperature so that your dish turns out perfect... when roasting veggies, the higher the temp, the less cook time... trust me"

"Oh okay" said Gem

"Hey Marcus.. Louis, come here a minute please" I called out thru the back door

"What's up angel?" said Marcus

"When you cook the steaks & chicken don't use any salt" I said "use a little garlic powder & pepper on Zayn's steak and use the Italian herbs & pepper on the chicken... Zayn & Mary can't have salt"

"Oh okay angel" said Marcus

"How will we know which steak is Zayn's?" asked Louis

"We'll stick a toothpick in the end of the steak" said Marcus "I used to do that for Jessie too bc she liked her steak too bloody for my liking"

"Hey, it ain't good unless its still mooing" I said 

"That's sick munchkin" said Louis and shuddered

"You eat your steak your way, and I'll eat mine my way Louis" I said as the oven beeped ans put the baking sheets in the oven and set the timer

"What's in the foil?" asked Marcus

"Brussel sprouts, onions & mushrooms... and broccoli, mushrooms & onions in the other" I said 

"Oh cool... I Love broccoli" said Louis "Not a big fan of brussel sprouts tho"

"Have you ever had them roasted & steamed before?" I asked

"No, just boiled" said Louis

"Then when they're done, you can try one" I said "I guarantee you'll like them... maybe even love them"

"Sounds good" said Louis

"Is Papa & Gran back yet?" I asked

"Yeah and Anne, Robin & Maura are here too" said Marcus

"Oh good... lets show Liam & Zayn the nursery" I said 

"Okay angel" said Marcus as we walked into the Livingroom "Can I have everyone's attention please... thank you... Liam, Zayn, your nursery is finished, If everyone will follow us please"

"Oh gosh... Come on babe" said Zayn and held Liam's hand

"Okay, now some places may still be a little wet, so I ask that you not touch the walls just yet" said Marcus

"We wont" said Liam & Zayn as Marcus opened the doors

"Go ahead inside" said Marcus as they walked thru the door

"Oh.. my.. God" whispered Zayn "babe look - baby unicorns, puppies, a baby bear and Faeries"

"Babe, look at the door" said Liam

"Oh, its beautiful" said Zayn "Oh Marcus, this is amazing... oh gosh.. babe, look at the faeries - its Mom, Peaches, Anne, Gem, Jessie, Maura & Gran - I'm gonna cry" and hugged Marcus "Thank you... so much" sobbed Zayn

"See... told ya" whispered Louis

"Shh... you're welcome Zayn" said Marcus "Hey now, wipe your eyes... look at it again and see if you can find the surprise I added"

"Oh gosh, okay" said Zayn and wiped his eyes as he looked around again "Oh my God, Li, look, over the door, its Pamela's poem"

"Oh wow... Thank you Marcus, its perfect" said Liam

"You're welcome Liam" said Marcus "It has been a pleasure to do this for you both... don't forget, some places may still be a little wet so try not to touch it for a couple of days, alright?"

"we wont, promise" said Liam & Zayn

"Marcus, this is breathtaking" said Maura

"Thank you for including all of us in it" said Anne

"Thank you Maura... you're welcome Anne" said Marcus

"Where are the boys at?" said Gran "I don't see them"

"Ah.. you have to look closely Beth" said Marcus "We're on the Unicorn wall - you'll see us"

"Oh, now I see them" said Gran You made them gnomes"

"No way.. a gnome? really Marcus?" said Louis "I know I'm short, but come on dude"

"Gnomes are the protectors of the forest" said Marcus "Faeries are the protectors over the animals... so yes Louis, you're a gnome"

"Oh, well, that's cool" said Louis

"Hey Haz check it out" said Papa "you have a goatee & I have a beard"

"Oh that's so cool" said Haz "I like the faeries... hey Zayn, did you see the cabin & mountains yet?"

"No... Where?" said Zayn

"In the background... just beyond the faeries" said Haz "see? right there" and pointed to it

"Oh, I see it... its beautiful" said Zayn "and the pond with the swans in the tall grass"

"Babe look at the apple tree" said Liam "Birds, an owl, squirrels... and the Unicorns have purple eyes & apple blossoms in their manes"

" and look, one of the baby unicorns is laying in a strawberry patch" said Zayn

"Zayn, the baby unicorns are your babies" I said Marcus says that's why there are only 3 of them"

"Oh gosh... my babies" said Zayn and sat down on the floor staring at them

"Our babies" said Loiam and sat down next to Zayn "Our beautiful babies"

"How did we get so lucky to be blessed with this amazing family" said Zayn and laid his head on Liam's shoulder

"I don't know babe, I don't know" said Liam "but we're truly lucky to have them and our babies will be too" and kissed Zayn's head

I motioned for everyone to step out to give Liam & Zayn some privacy and quietly closed the doors.

"Phase I is a success" I whispered "Nice touch adding the poem my love"

"Thanks angel" said Marcus "I heard Pamela say it in her sleep last night before she woke up so I decided to add it at the last minute before I left the nursery"

"Excuse me Jessie... Marcus, thank you for protecting Harry today" said Anne "I'm so sorry you got hurt... Are you okay?"

"You're welcome Anne... I'm fine, really" said Marcus "You don't need to apologize Anne, Harry's fine and safe & sound, that's all that matters" Anne hugged Marcus

"You are a very special young man" said Anne and kissed his cheek "Welcome to our family Marcus"

"Thank you Anne" said Marcus "Its nice to have a family again"

"You're welcome" said Anne and went back to the Livingroom

"Wow... What's that smell?" said Mary

"Broccoli, brussel sprouts, mushrooms & onions" I said "to go with dinner"

"It smells incredible" said Mary "What are we having with it?"

"The guys are having steaks & a baked potato" I said "We're having barbecue chicken with a baked potato... Marcus is cooking the meat on the grill for us"

"Oh wow, that sounds so good" said Mary

"The color is back in your face... How're you feeling?" I said

"I feel great sweetie" said Mary "like I never even got sick"

"Oh good" I said "Seeing as you've been down this road before, I'm not going to tell you to go easy on the food tonight... you know what you can & can't handle... but I've not used any salt on tonight's dinner, just Italian herbs, so if you're going to use salt, go easy with it, please?"

"Yes ma'am... I promise" said Mary

"Hey y'all, I found these lovely ladies in your driveway and had to give them a proper escort" said Jimmy "Are we ready to have some fun tonight?"

"Sarah! Linda! You made it" I said and hugged them both "How's Brian?"

"He's fine" said Sarah "He's having a boys night with Dad & the footie team"

"Oh that's good... we're gonna have a blast tonight Sarah" I said 

"Oh I can't wait" said Sarah "Haz is smiling... Haz, you have a secret... I can tell, your eyes are sparkling"

"Yes, I do" said Haz "Come here & I'll tell you" and she walked over to Haz and he whispered in her ear

"No way... Really?" said Sarah

"Yep, go ahead and tell them" said Haz

"Haz & Mary are getting married next Friday and I get to be an honorary big sister to their baby" said Sarah

"Mary... you're pregnant?" said Jimmy

"Yeah, we have an appointment on Monday morning, but I'm guessing I'll be due sometime in April" said Mary

"WOOHOO!!" said Jimmy "Congratulations"

"woof, woof" barked Dutchess and stood next to Jimmy

"Hey Dutchess… Have you been a good girl?" said Jimmy

Dutchess hung her head and whined.

"Aw Dutchess… Did you dig a hole again?" said Jimmy

"woof" Dutchess quietly barked

"You know your not supposed to do that" said Jimmy softly "You want a hug?"Dutchess hopped up and laid her front paws and head on Jimmy's shoulder "I know Dutchie, its hard not to dig, don't do it any more, okay?"

"Woof!" barked Dutchess

"Okay, give me a kiss and go lay down" said Jimmy as Dutchess licked his face and then went and laid down

"James Morris Burke!!! You sneaky.. low down.. dirty damned dawg... you been holdin out on me" I said

"Dag gone it Doodlebug" said Jimmy "If I had told ya I'd been workin with Dutchess on her digging issues you'd've laughed at me... your problem is you don't talk to her - that's why she digs... she wants you attention and will do anything to get it - good or bad"

Had you told me that, I would've talked to her more" I said "Gee Jimbo, for a lawyer, you suck at communication"

"Bite your tongue" said Jimmy feigning shock "You know half the time, I don't shut up... ask Mack - don't get me started ya idgit"

"Boy.. you better watch who you call an idgit, ya tomatta suckin redneck" I said

Ya better watch it gurlie" asaid Jimmy "afore I turn ya over my knee and swat yer behind"

"Trty it and you ain't never havin rugrats" I said "Bank on it law dawg"

"Okay, you two, break it up" said Momma

"He started it" I said

"And I'm finishing it" said Momma "Not another word - either of you... understood?"

"Yes ma'am" said Jimmy & I

"Week from Sunday at the lake, you gone die" I said and walked away

"What does Jessie mean by that?" asked Jimmy

"We're having a water fight - men vs. women next Sunday" said Marcus "She's going to kill you"

"Aw crap... come back Doodlebug" said Jimmy "I'm sorry, I should've told ya... I wuv vu Doodabug"

"I wuv vu too Jimbo… you still gone die tho" I said 

"But... you wuv me" said Jimmy

"Yes, I do" I said "but you called me gurlie and thems fightin words Jimbo… so yer gone die fer it"

"Okay Doodlebug" said Jimmy and hung his head "week from Sunday, I will meet my maker by your hand"

"Oh shut up ya dork" I said laughing "Pooh bear would be impressed, that was Oscar gold right there"

"You think so?... I've been practicing" said Jimmy

"I can tell" I said "You can be on Marcus's team" I said "Pooh bear will be on mine"

"But Mack is a guy" said Papa "He should be on our team"

"Wait till you meet him Papa" I said "He's more feminine than I am... trust me... he's on my team"

"Jessie's right Ni" said Jimmy "Mack may be built like a line backer, but he's all kind of girlie" and took out his phone "That's Mack"

"Oh.. okay.. he's on Jessie's team" said Papa

"What picture did you show him?" I said 

"The one of Mack dressed up like Marilyn Monroe" said Jimmy

"Oh man" I said "Which one? White dress or 'Some like it hot'?"

"Some like it hot" said Jimmy "White dress is on my work phone"


	71. Chapter 71

Chapter 71

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Ah okay" I said "Show Gem & Momma Mack's pic"

Jimmy showed it to Gem & Momma "Wow... he's hot" said Momma

"Whoa baby wow" said Gem "Do you have a regular photo?"

"Sure do" said Jimmy and showed Gem

"Oh ..my.. God" said Gem "You weren't kidding Jess... except for the eye color, Mack & Haz could be twins"

"Told ya Gem" I said "Show that one to Mary"

Jimmy showed it to Mary ""Oh wow, they do... look Haz" said Mary

"Oh wow... that's Mack?" said Haz "He's good looking"

"Thanks" chuckled Jimmy "I'm sorry Haz… its not every day I hear a straight guy say that Mack is good looking"

"That's okay" said Haz "When you have an older sister, it comes with the territory"

"No it doesn't" said Gem

"Oh really?" said Haz " 'Isn't he the cutest Haz?'... 'Aren't his eyes the dreamiest?'... 'Damn Haz, check out that ass'... need I go on?... yeah, it comes with the territory"

"Good point" said Jimmy

"Oh be quiet bug... I never heard you complain" said Gem

"Seriously?" said Haz "I lived in the middle of an estrogen ocean... being the only man in the house with you & Mum was rough - trust me, it wasn't fun"

"Well this will be an estrogen-free zone tonight mate" said Papa

"Except for the babies, your right Ni" said Jimmy

"Wait... What?" said Zayn

"Um... Yeah" said Jimmy

"You Dickhead" I said "Dammit... way to blow it Jimmy, ya dill-hole" and crossed my arms "Jimmy is correct - Zayn is having all girls"

"How can you tell?" asked Zayn "They're not old enough yet"

"I can hear them... Girls talk more than boys" said Jimmy "They're definitely girls"

"Who else is having a baby?" said Sarah

"Iam Sarah" said Zayn "I'm carrying 3 babies"

"Oh gosh... I thought only girls could have babies?" said Sarah

"Its a bit complicated Sarah" said Liam "If your Mom doesn't mind, Jessie can tell you later"

"Can Jessie tell me Mom?... please?" said Sarah

"Alright little one... later, okay?" said Linda

"Okay Mom" said Sarah "So, how can you hear them?"

"I'm an empath Sarah" said Jimmy "I can read thoughts... would you like me to show you?"

"Oh yes, please" said Sarah

"Okay, think of something only your Mom knows" said Jimmy "Don't say it - just think it"

"Okay" said Sarah "Oh... I got it"

"Okay" said Jimmy and closed his eyes , listened and then opened his eyes "Really?"

"What?" said Linda as Jimmy whispered in her ear "Wow... yes, its true... tell them"

"The Eagles will be playing at the music festival... For Haz & Mary" said Jimmy

"You're kidding... Is this a joke?" said Mary

"No, its not a joke" said Linda "Niall told me how you and your first husband went to see them on your Anniversary and which song is your absolute favorite... so, I called their management company and they said they'll be here at the festival"

"Oh my God" said Mary "Ni... I could kiss you right now"

"How about a hug instead" said Papa "I'd love to see my Wedding Day"

"Oh Ni.. come here" said Mary and hugged Papa "Thank you NI...this is the best day ever" and started crying

"Shh... you're welcome Mary" said Papa "Mary darlin, I.. can't.. breathe"

"Oh Ni, I'm sorry" said Mary and pulled away, wiping her eyes

"And bc Haz & Ni are performing that night, you all get to go backstage and meet them... all of you" said Linda

"Oh gosh... I think I'm going to faint" said Mary

"Just breathe Izzie" I said "slow & easy... that's it, just breathe"

"Oh God... I get to meet Don Henley" said Mary "Haz, Did you know about this?"

"No princess" said Haz "Linda & Ni were the only ones working on the festival line-up"

"Well Linda was" said Papa "I was working on the songs our students will be playing... by the way... Linda, we have 2 more songs to add... Haz, Louis, Liam, Zayn & I will be playing them together"

"Okay Niall, we'll add them on Monday" said Linda

"What songs?" asked Zayn

" 'Story of my life' & 'Little Things' " said Papa "Do you think you can handle singing on stage Zayn?"

"Can Liam sit next to me?" asked Zayn

"Absolutely" said Papa

"Then yes, I can sing on stage" said Zayn

"That's great... thanks Zayn" said Papa

"You're welcome Ni" said Zayn

"Whoa Jessie" said Jimmy "What in the Hell is going on in your head.... its a damn snow storm in there"

"I... I..." I said and collapsed on the stairs "Oh God" and pulled out my phone

SIMON: Hey NeeNee… What's up?

JESSIE: Simon, help, I'm in the middle of a mental shitstorm

SIMON: Okay NeeNee, put your head between your knees and breathe.. count backwards from 10 and breathe deep between each number... come on count - out loud

JESSIE: 10 *breathe* 9 *breathe* 8 *breathe* 7 *breathe* 6 *breathe* 5 *breathe* 4 *breathe* 3 *breathe* 2 *breathe* 1

SIMON: Are you okay now?

JESSIE: Yeah

SIMON: What's going on in your head?

JESSIE: I have all of these little pieces of photos, videos and ideas floating thru my head like a meteor shower... I need a professional on site to help me pull this shit together in the proper sequence.

SIMON: Okay NeeNee, calm down before you make things worse in your head... Is Jimmy there?

JIMMY: I'm here Si... let it rip

SIMON: When are you heading back Jimbo?

JIMMY: What day is it there, right now?

SIMON: Oh God.. let me see, she woke me up and haven't had any coffee yet... SWEET DAMN JESUS NEENEE - ITS ASS-CRACK OF DAWN ON FRIDAY - THE DAMNED SUN AIN'T EVEN UP YET... YOU'RE KILLING ME SMALLS

JIMMY: Calm down Si... I'm leaving here tomorrow at noon and should be there by noon on Sunday... Mack & I have to let Tim & Jake get some sleep so we'll leave at noon on Monday to get back here by Wednesday at the latest

SIMON: Okay...

"Excuse me Jimmy" said Momma "but if you want to get back quicker, I can fly you back... I can sleep on the way there and let Jake & Tim sleep on the plane on the way back... no problem"

SIMON: Who's that Jimbo?

JIMMY: That's Pamela... Jessie's Mom

SIMON: Ah, okay... I'm okay with that if you are Jimbo… its your call

"Are you sure Pamela?" said Jimmy "What about getting the dresses for the Wedding?"

"I'm sure... Jessie knows what size dress to get Becca and Gran can go with Jessie, Dad & Pops to London on Monday and I'll be back in time to go baby shopping with Jessie on Tuesday... its not a problem, jetlag doesn't hit me anyway" said Momma "If Jessie needs Simon here to help her make sense of her mental shitstorm, then come Hell or high water, we'll get him here"

JIMMY: Okay Pamela... Si, be ready by 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon... Mack & I need to make a stop at the Big House when I get there, so be at the airport by 3:30 sharp for check-in... got it?

SIMON: You got it Jimbo… How long am I staying for NeeNee?

JESSIE: You might as well stay till after the Wedding... I'll book you an extended stay room at the Hotel Jimmy's at

SIMON: 2 months in England... that's a vacation... Okay NeeNee, I'll see you in 3 days

JESSIE: Pack a white dress shirt & jeans for Haz & Mary's Wedding next Friday and your swim shorts for the battle royale the following Sunday

SIMON: Yes ma'am... Now quit calling me at ungodly hours NeeNee… I swear, you're killing me here

JESSIE: Well if you lived here, I wouldn't have to call you at all hours - we'd be in the same time zone ya idgit

SIMON: Hey.. don't call me an idgit.. ya beanpole

JESSIE: Don't make me have to do a body cavity search with my foot up your ass Old Man cuz I'll do it... bank

SIMON: Grrr fine

JESSIE: Don't growl at me Simon Cowell-Burke and DON'T call me beanpole... see ya Monday... catch ya on the flip side... Later sweet cheeks

SIMON: See ya later gator

and hung up "Jessie, Ladies, could you come up stairs with me please" said Momma

NIALL'S POV

"Is Pamela serious about this?" said Haz "I mean, I know she can fly, but just yesterday she was an emotional wreck... remember what Jessie said?... Pamela shouldn't be flying till she gets back to normal"

"I know what you're saying Haz" said Louis "but I know Pamela and she took what Jessie said very seriously, that's why she let Jessie help her last night... If Jessie had any doubts about Pamela's mental health, she would've said something before it went too far... I think Pamela is safe to fly"

"Okay Louis" said Haz "Ni? Are you gonna be okay with Pamela being gone for a couple of days?"

"No, I'm not Haz" I said and went upstairs " Knock, Knock... Sorry Ladies, but I need to talk to Pamela & Jessie for a moment, privately please"

"Of course Ni" said Mary "lets go ladies"

"Thanks Mary" I said and closed the door and took a deep beath

"What's going on Papa?" said Jessie

"I'm going with you" I said "You know I'll be miserable while you're gone and I wont be able to sleep without you, so I'm going with you to Georgia & back"

"Are you sure Ni?" said Pamela "What about Jessie?"

"Momma, Papa... Go" said Jessie "I have everyone here to keep me & my mouth safe... This is your time to make those wild memories"

"I Love You baby" said Pamela

"Hey, y'all ain't leaving till tomorrow" said Jessie "We still have a night of fun ahead of us"

"You're right poppet... lets go" I said and we went downstairs "Okay people, lets get this night started"

"Come on Gem, lets go check our veggies" said Jessie

"Okay munchkin" said Gem

JESSIE'S POV

I grabbed 2 potholders and a pair of tongs "Damn we missed our timer... lets pray they didn't burn" I said as I took the trays out of the oven and set them on the stove. I used the tongs and opened them "Oh thank God.. they didn't burn"

"Yes!!" said Gem "Damn they look good"

I stabbed a sprout and a chunk of broccoli "Which one do you want to check to see if they're done?" I said 

:The broccoli" said Gem and took the fork and took a bite "Oh wow, its tender, but there's still a bit of a crunch to it"

"Its called tender-crisp" I said "That's what we want... now lets go let Louis try the sprout" and stabbed a piece of onion & mushroom

"Okay" said Gem "He & Marcus are outside"

"Okay" I said "Okay Louis, give this a try and be careful, the inside is still hot"

"Okay" said Louis and took a bite "Oh wow, damn that's good"

"So does that mean you like brussel sprouts now?" I said 

"I like them done this way, that's for sure" said Louis

"Oh good" I said "How much longer do the potatoes have Marcus?"

"Oh shit... I forgot to set the timer" said Marcus "They were supposed to bake for an hour and a half"

"Okay... I'll check them and go from there" I said

"Thanks angel" said Marcus

"You're welcome my love" I said and went in the house and checked the potatoes "okay, they're not quite done... I'll set the timer for 30 minutes and then check them again"

"Okay" said Gem

"Jessie, Can I talk to you for a minute?" said Anne

"Sure Anne... What's on your mind?" I said 

"I've been thinking about your phone call with Simon and about what happened today" said Anne "and I've decided to stay with Robin till this mess with Des is done... Gem & Louis are going to Gem's on Monday, so the house is going to be empty... Why don't you have Simon, Mack & Jimmy stay at my house. I have to empty rooms they can use and I'll feel better knowing someone is there to keep an eye on the place"

"Sure Anne.. Thank you" I said "I'll have Zayn help me clean up the house on Sunday so you & Robin can take your things over to his place and not have to rush back to do it"

"You're welcome sweetie" said Anne "and thank you... I'll leave you the keys after dinner on Sunday"

"Okay" I said "Jimmy...c'mere"

"Yo!! What up Doodlebug?" said Jimmy

"Tomorrow you need to check out of the Hotel and settle up the bill" I said "Anne is letting you, Mack & Simon stay at her place.. She has 2 empty guest rooms and she'll be staying with Robin till this mess with Des is done, okay?"

"Okay... Thank you Anne" said Jimmy "We'll take care of it for you, I promise"

"You're welcome Jimmy" said Anne "I know you will"

"And Jimmy, Papa is going with you & Momma tomorrow so I need you to do me a favor" I said "Papa's never flown with Momma as the pilot so try and keep him calm & relaxed, okay?"

"I will Doodlebug" said Jimmy

"And take them with you to get Mack and when you go to Gammie & Pappie's house: I said "Let them see some of Georgia before you leave, okay?"

"Absolutely" said Jimmy

I gave Jimmy a hug "Take care of them Jimmy or I'll kill you.... slowly" I said 

"Yes ma'am" said Jimmy


	72. Chapter 72

Chapter 72

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Grandpa... both of you... c'mere" I said 

"What's up princess?" said Liam & Zayn

"On Sunday, I want you & Zayn to help Anne pack her things... She's gonna stay with Robin for a while" I said "Yes Zayn, you can help, but no heavy lifting or you'll be on 24 hour bed rest till the babies are born... understood?"

"Yes ma'am" said Zayn

"I'll need Anne, Gem, Robin & Haz for about an hour for a family photo, then just Haz & Mary for the rest of the day, so Anne is going to need you both" I said 

"Okay princess" said Liam

"Zayn, when you make your Mexican dip, don't put the salsa on it... Marcus is allergic to tomatoes so let everyone put it on their own servings... okay?" I said 

"You got it princess" said Zayn

"Duchess, come here baby" I said and sat on the floor "Are you having fun with Sarah?"

"woof!" barked Duchess

"Good girl" I said "Do you want to sleep here tonight or with us girls?... 1 bark for here.. 2 barks for us girls"

"woof, woof" barcked Duchess

"Okay baby" I said "Do you want to take one of you animals with you?"

Duchess went to her bed and grabbed her puppy dog and dropped it in my lap.

"You want to take your baby puppy?" I said 

"woof!" barked Duchess

"Okay baby, let Mommy get your food for tonight and as soon as dinner's ready we'll go, okay?"

"woof, woof" barked Duchess

"Go play with Sarah baby" I said as Duchess walked away "Duchess, play dead... 1-2-3 pew" Duchess fell over "Good girl... go play" everyone laughed as I stood up "Gem, listen for the timer... I'll be right back"

"Okay" said Gem as I went upstairs

I went in my room and got my camera bag, 6 rolls of film, a bag of balloons, my everyday camera & 4 rolls of film for Haz and went back downstairs.

"Haz, here's 4 rolls of film and a camera" I said "This is my everyday camera.. it takes great pictures in High, medium & low light levels and it adjusts itself - just point & shoot... each roll of film has 36 frames on it so you should have plenty, if not, text me and I'll bring you more film"

"Okay" said Haz "Does it load like a normal 35mm camera?"

"No, I'll show you" I said "See this button here? You push it and the film door pops open... take your roll of film, feed the film tab in this slot and close the door" the camera made a sound then stopped "its all loaded... when you reach the end of the roll, it will automatically rewind the film and it'll make that sound again - DO NOT open the film door till that sound stops or you'll ruin your pictures... when it stops, take out the film roll, put it in the plastic film canister and pop in another roll of film... before you go to bed, put the camera, film canisters, and any unused packs of film on my dresser"

"Oh okay" said Haz "What camera are you using for tonight?"

"I'm using a high speed Nikon" I said "It has a remote clicker, tripod, different lenses, works in high & medium light levels and takes pictures in high definition"

"Sweet" said Haz "Will you show me how to use it sometime?"

"Sure" I said "I have another one like this that's a digital camera that I use to see how a photo will look in color and in black & white before I take the actual photo"

"Oh that's cool" said Haz "I Love taking pictures... I have a ton on my phone"

"I tell ya what we'll do" I said "If you are serious about learning photography, I'll ask Simon to teach you and I'll buy you your first camera & a video recorder... you in?"

"Hell yeah, I'm in" said Haz

"Okay... now Simon is old school - he develops and prints all of his film & photos, so pay attention and ask questions... photography is art and you'll take color and black & white photos and Simon will ask questions about your photos" I said "If they're good, he'll tell you and if they're not, he'll tell you, then show you what you did wrong... okay?"

"Okay" said Haz

"You have a great eye for taking pictures Haz, don't be afraid if no one sees what you see... its your perspective that matters, no one else's" I said "always remember that and have fun" the timer buzzed "Time to check the potatoes" and went to the kitchen "they're done" and grabbed a large bowl to put them in and turned off the oven and set the table.

I put 9 potatoes in a container to take to Anne's and put the bowl on the table, then grabbed the tray of vegggies and set it on the table along with the condiment for the baked potatoes and a salt substitute for Zayn.

"Momma, can you & Gem take the potatoes & veggies over to Anne's please" I said 

"Sure baby" said Momma

"I'll go with you and set the table" said Gran

"Thanks Gran" I said and grabbed a can of dog food & treats for Duchess as Marcus & Louis came in with the main course "Zayn... why don't you show Jimmy, Linda & Sarah the nursery before dinner" 

"Okay princess" said Zayn "Jimmy, ladies... Marcus painted a beautiful mural, wait till you see it" and went into the nursery while I finished setting the table and making sure I had everything

"Are you all set angel?" asked Marcus

"Yeah, I think so... I keep thinking I'm forgetting something" I said "its gonna drive me crazy till I figure out what it is I forgot"

"Just relax angel" said Marcus "When you remember what it is, just text one of the guys and either we'll bring it over to you or you can come back and get it... okay?"

"Yeah, okay" I said and went to the nursery door "Its time to go to Anne's for dinner... we'll see the guys in the morning for breakfast"

"Okay Jessie, lets go Sarah" said Linda

I grabbed my camera bag, Duchess's bag and Sarah's bag.

"Momma, can you carry the chicken" I said 

"I'll carry it poppet" said Papa

"Okay Papa" I said "Duchess, can you lay down so Sarah can have a rids to Anne's please" Duchess laid down "good girl... climb onto her back like you're riding a horse and hold onto her harness"

"Okay" said Sarah

"Okay Duchess, stand up.. gently baby" I said as Duchess stood up "good girl... follow Papa Duchess" as they went thru the door

"I'll miss you" said Marcus

"I'll miss you too" I said and kissed his lips "I'll see you in the morning for breakfast... there's plenty of sodas in the fridge - the ginger ale is for Zayn"

"Okay angel" said Marcus

"Haz the stuff for the popcorn is in the pantry" I said 

"Okay, thanks peanut" said Haz "see ya tomorrow"

"Yep, see ya tomorrow" I said "Louis, be nice"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis

Zayn, if you feel a little off tonight, take one of your vitamins, okay?" I said 

"I will princess" said Zayn

"Okay boys... have fun and don't break anything" I said 

"Yes Mom" said all of the guys and laughed

I shook my head "Dorks" and headed to Anne's. Momma & Papa were on the porch.

"Oh come on... its one night Papa and if you can't sleep, you can sleep on the plane tomorrow with Momma - relax and go have fun"

"Okay poppet" said Papa

"Charge your phone and put your passport with your wallet so you wont forget it" I said " and ask Jimmy what the weather is in Georgia"

"Okay lemur monkey" said Papa "I Love You poppet"

"I Love You too sunshine" said Momma "I'll see you in the morning"

"Okay" said Papa "Don't let Gran get too smashed tonight"

"I wont Papa" I said "now go... your dinner is getting cold"

"Yes ma'am" said Papa and went back home

"Come on Momma, everyone's waiting" I said 

"Okay baby" said Momma and went inside

"Now the gangs all here" said Gran as I set down my bags

"Let me feed Duchess and then we can say Grace" I said and put the food in her bowl and set it on the floor "Everyone join hands"

"Heavenly Father, bless this food with your Love... watch over Momma & Papa as they fly together tomorrow and keep them safe... thank you for watching over Marcus & Haz today, may your love and guidance be with us this week... In Jesus name, Amen"

"Amen" said everyone

"Nicely done Jessie" said Maura

"Thanks" I said Now, as most of you know, we're having an epic water fight at the lake the day after the festival... Zayn & Mary will be working the video cameras for the battle so they don't get hurt... On Wednesday, Momma, Mary & I will be going to get the food stuffs for our day at the lake so we're gonna needs every available car to get everything and everyone there... Linda, you & your family are also invited to join us"

"Thank you Jessie, we'd love to" said Linda

"You're welcome" I said "Mary, you'll go with Momma & I when we go baby shopping and we'll get your maternity clothes"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"Thursday afternoon is Mary's bridal shower/bachelorette party and Friday is the Wedding at 3 o'clock at Mary's house - casual dresses for the ladies, white dress shirts & jeans for the guys - no ties and shoes are optional, but not mandatory" I said

"What's going on this Sunday?" asked Gem

"Okay, this Sunday, I need you, Haz, Anne & Robin for a family photo shoot... White dress shirts & jeans, also, no shoes and you can wear however you want - I want everyone to look natural & relaxed" I said

"Okay sweetie" said Anne

"While we're doing that, Liam & Zayn will be here packing your things so make a list tomorrow night and leave it on the table... then I'll be working with Haz & Mary on their engagement photos... after dinner, its all hands on deck - except for Anne & Robin - to get the house clean bc Simon, Jimmy & Mack will be staying here while Anne is at Robin's house" I said

"What are we doing tonight?" asked Sarah

"Tonight, we're gonna have some Wedding fun, do our hair & make-up, eat junkfood, watch movies and I'm gonna try and take pictures" I said 

"Oh wow... What's the Wedding fun?" said Sarah

"You & Momma get to try your dresses on" I said 

"You... you have my dress?... already?" said Sarah, in shock

"Yep, and its just as pretty as you are" I said "It also has shoes & a veil"

"Oh wow" said Sarah "Oh, I can't wait... What's the theme for the Wedding?"

"Its a Family fairy tale" said Momma "I'll be wearing my Great-Grandmother's Wedding dress and you'll be wearing a dress that Jessie's Grandmother had made"

"And its yours to keep" I said "and pass it down to your daughter when you're married"

"Oh, Jessie, are you sure?" said Linda "You should keep it for your future daughter"

"I'm sure" I said "I want Sarah to have it... besides, I already have the matching dress in my size for my future daughter that Marcus had made for me"

"Will you get it?... so we can have our picture taken together?" said Sarah

"Of course I will" I said "We're sisters now... you want to help me with Haz & Mary's photo shoot on Sunday?"

"Oh... Can I Mom?" said Sarah

"Sure... what time Jessie?" said Linda

"Around noon" I said 

"Okay, I'll bring her over then" said Linda

"Oh yay!!" said Sarah

"Mary... I forgot to ask what song do you want played at your Wedding?" I said 

"I don't know the name of it, but it played the night you found out Marcus brought you your dress" said Mary "It was on that tape Marcus played"

"Hmm... okay, remember that night and focus on the song" I said and closed my eyes and listened "Oh, that song... that one is called 'A Heart's Song' "

"It was beautiful" said Mary "Will you play it?"

"Of course I will... its your Wedding" I said "Linda, do you have a keyboard I can borrow for the Wedding?"

"Yes, we have one at the music shop... I'll make sure Niall brings it home on Thursday" said Linda "and I'll pick it up on Saturday morning"

"Jessie... Would you wear your dress at the Wedding?" asked Momma

"I can't Momma... only the bride is supposed to wear white at a Wedding" I said "Its bad luck for me to wear white"

"Please?.. I want you & Sarah to match" said Momma

"Are you sure? bc you're tempting Fate here Momma" I said 

"Absolutely sure" said Momma "I've lived a pretty sedate life... Fate owes me one exception"

"Okay Momma, I'll wear it... just for you" I said "I'll text Haz and have Marcus grab it from my closet... along with you necklace & earrings that I forgot... I knew I was forgetting something"

TO: Haz  
FROM: Peanut

Hey Haz… Can you have Marcus get my lace dress from our closet... I also need the white velvet jewelry box that has Momma's necklace & earrings she's gonna wear at her Wedding - its in the top drawer of our dresser.  
I'll be over to get them in 30-45 minutes.  
xx

TO: peanut  
FROM: Haz

Okay peanut, it'll be waiting for you... just knock.  
H xx

TO: Haz  
FROM: Peanut

Okay, Thanks  
xx

"I've been told to knock" I chuckled "$10 bucks says they're drawing straws to see who is gonna be the one to take out Gran at the water fight"

"What??" said Gran "Are you serious??"

"Very serious" said Momma "Jessie mentioned the rules, and Ni said Haz was a dead man... well Haz was like 'we need to take out Gran before she kills us all'... Ni agreed and wished Louis good luck" we were all laughing

"Gran, you should've seen the look on Louis's face... he was like 'no way dude... that's asking for bad karma... you do it Ni, she's your Gran' " said Gem "it was priceless"

"Yeah... Papa was like 'I can't mate, I'm her favorite' " I said "I tell ya Gran, those three were a trip"

"Those little buggers" said Gran "Favorite or not, Niall is going down - right along with Harry"

"Woohoo... get em Gran" I said "now each team has 4 massively huge water guns and 1 & a half cases of water balloons... loosing team makes dinner... and just FYI - it wont be us"

"Okay... What are the rules" said Gran

"The rules are simple" I said "and Anne?.. I Love You, but if you tell the guys our plans, I'll throw a water balloon at you"

"I wont tell... I promise" said Anne

"Now at the time I told Papa, Haz & Louis these rules, I was trying to put the fear of God in them... Marcus & I take our water fights VERY, VERY seriously" I said

RULE #1: NEVER give up the 'home court advantage' - if you can get into their camp, don't go alone, make sure you have a teammate with you

RULE #2: All strategies are planned out in private with an armed look-out... beware of sneak attacks

RULE #3: Kick ass, ask no questions, take prisoners - if you find one of them in our camp, capture them for immediate execution... if you can't hit them without giving yourself away, remember who it was and call in re-enforcements

RULE #4: If you get hit in the face, you're dead

RULE #5: Each team gets 3 time outs to refill your guns so don't shoot unless you can hit your target, use your water balloons - we have 3 cases... Loosing team makes dinner

"Those are the rules" I said "Now, I need a funnel and a bag of flour bc I need to do a sneak attack on Marcus tonight"

"Oh damn... What's the flour for?" asked Gem

"I'm gonna make glue bombs" I said "You use a funnel and put flour in a balloon and add water and some dish soap, tie off the balloon & gently shake it to mix the water, flour & soap then nail the target till you run out, run like Hell for the house, lock the door and laugh your ass off"

"How are you going to get Marcus out of the house?" asked Mary

"He wont be able to find Momma's jewelry, so when they let me in to get it, Marcus will come to our room and I'll have him meet me out at the gate bc I miss him" I said "That's when I'll get him... easy peasy lemon squeezy"

"Ooo can I help?" said Sarah

"Not this time Sarah" I said "I'm sorry... Marcus & I can get a little carried away and I don't want you to get hurt... maybne next time, okay?"

"Ah, okay" said Sarah

"How did these battles get started?" asked Mary

"The winters in Alaska got pretty bad and we'd be stuck in the house for days, sometimes for weeks" I said "When the snow would start melting, we couldn't get out of the house fast enough and that's when we would have our battles to blow off the cabin fever... after a while, that's how we had fun trying to out-smart each other... He started this round last night with that little stunt he pulled and now that the nursery is done - the war is on"

"So this is fun?" said Gran "Aren't you worried someone is going to go too far?"

"Not really... the worse that's ever happened is Marcus put blue paint in my hair when I was in the bathhouse and stained my hair blue for a month" I said "But I got him back... I threw a bucket of molasses water on him and then hit him with a ripped feather pillow... he looked like a human chicken and had to take another bath to get clean... then I ran in the house and locked the door"

"So what pranks have you pulled on Marcus?" asked Gran

"Hmm.... I put toothpaste in his shaving cream one time... I put vinegar in his coffee... I used his razor to peel carrots... I put glue in his shampoo and itching powder in his boots" I said "it was harmless fun"

"Holy crap" said Momma "I thought putting hair remover on Louis's eyebrows was bad... my baby's a hoodlum"

"Oh please.. Marcus has done worse Momma" I said "putting blue paint in my hair... shrinking my clothes to make me think I was gaining weight to the point of tears... putting peanut butter in the chicken feed... putting peeled hard-boiled eggs under the furniture... and dumped a bag of flour all over my freshly mopped floors... Do you see what I'm up against?"

"Sweet Jesus, Mary & Joseph" said Momma "I'll help you fill the balloons"

"So all if your battles have started out quiet and got bigger leading up to the water fight?" said Gem

"Yep, that's usually how it goes, but we have a busy week so I'm praying it wont get that bad" I said "I hope" and took care of my plate

"Jessie, don't use soap in the balloons" said Gran "Use perfume"

"Ooo perfume bombs" I said "I like how you think Gran"

"The sweeter & stronger the perfume the better" said Gran "and if you're a good shot, you only need about 4 or 5 balloons"

"I'm not that good at throwing" I said 

"I am" said Momma & Gran

"Y'all don't want to get in the middle of this... I'm serious" I said "I don't want anyone to get hurt... Marcus has never hurt me, but there's always a first time for everything... if there's a possibility of it happening, I'd rather it be me"

"You let us worry about that dear" said Gran "You just get Marcus outside and let Pamela & I hit the target"

"Okay... lets clean up and get the balloons filled so I can get my dress BEFORE we attack" I said 

"Okay baby" said Momma

"IK sure as Hell hope this doesn't backfire on us" I said "When we return from the attack, we start having our Wedding fun, doing hair & make-up and I take pictures - okay?"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

We did up the dishes and put the leftovers in the fridge. Momma & the ladies filled the balloons with 3 different perfume scents, added water and tied them off.

"Whew, oh God that's strong" said Gem "If my nose was plugged up before, it isn't any more"

"I know... Marcus is gonna stink up the whole house" I laughed "Og God... this is the best one yet"

"Okay baby... go get your dress and hurry back" said Momma

"Okay Momma" I said and headed back home and knocked on the door... Haz answered the door "Hey Haz… you got my dress & the jewelry box?"

"Hey peanut" said Haz "I'vr got your dress, but Marcus couldn't find the box"

"Can I come in and get it?" I said "Momma needs it to put on when she tries her dress on"

"Let her in Haz" said Papa "we're good"

"Come on in peanut" said Haz and stepped aside

"Wow... very covert ops in here" I said "Y'all hiding hookers in here?... Don't let Momma, Gem & Izzie find out"

"Don't you never mind what we're doing" said Jimmy "go get your box"

I'm going, I'm going... damned bossy butt" I said and went upstairsto my room and opened the dresser drawer and took out the white velvet jewelry box and opened it to reveal a 3-strand pearl necklace, earrings & bracelet

"Oh good, you found it" said Marcus "You okay angel?"

"Yeah... I was just thinking of the last time Grandma wore these" I said "It was their 50th Wedding Anniverary - they were renewing their vows... Grandma looked so pretty in her dress and Grandpa wore a gray suit.. they were so in love - even after 50 years of marriage they acted like newlyweds" and turned around to hug him

"Aw angel" said Marcus and held me tight "What can I do?"

"Meet me in the backyard in 10 minutes" I said "please... I miss you"

"Okay... I miss you too angel" said Marcus

"I better get going before Haz or Jimmy drags me out the door" I said and pulled away "meet me at the gate"

"Okay angel... see you in 10 minutes" said Marcus

"10 minutes" I said and went downstairs "I found it... thanks guys" and grabbed my dress "I don't think we'll need anything else... Sarah said she wants to show y'all her dress... if that's okay"

"Sure poppet" said Papa "Have Momma text me when Sarah's ready and I'll walk her over"

"Okay Papa" I said and went back over to Anne's "Holy crap… that was close... Marcus will be out at the gate in 10 minutes"

"What happened?" asked Momma

"Jimmy... that vulture was trying to get in my head" I said "I had to remember Grandma just to keep him out.. then I said Sarah wanted to show them her dress cuz Jimmy was looking at me like I was gonna chuck a rat at him"

"They know... they're planning a counter offensive" said Momma "we need more balloons - quick"

"So much for Ni, Haz & Louis staying out of the lead up" said Gem "Sarah, Linda, Mum... looks like we're going to war too bc you know Robin, Liam & Jimmy are gonna be in on it too... maybe even Zayn, I don't know"

"Well I'm in" said Mary "I raised 2 boys - I know how to play dirty too"

"Are you sure Mom?" said Momma "I'm with Jessie on this, I don't want you getting hurt... I mean it"

"Come on, talk as you fill balloons" said Gran "I'm sacrificing a whole bottle of perfume for this"

"I knew this was gonna backfire... I just knew it" I said "I need a sling-shot... Anne do you have an old wire hanger and some really big thick rubber rubber-bands?"

"Look in the laundry room.. there's a box on the shelf above the washer" said Anne "There's all kinds of stuff in there"

I got the box and opened it... it was a treasure trove of stuff.

"Where did you get all of this stuff Anne?" I said

"It was Des's... he forgot it when we divorced" said Anne "You can have it if you want it"

"HELL YEAH I WANT IT" I yelled as I carried the box into the kitchen "That sadistic drunk bastard has everything... sling-shots, catapults, smoke bombs, firecrackers, gun powder poppers... you got a lighter?"

"In the junk drawer next to the sink" said Anne

"Sorry Momma" I said "oh Hell fucking yeah… Sarah, I'm gonna show you how to shoot a sling-shot... its really easy, like shooting a bow & arrow"

"I know how to work a bow & arrow, Brian showed me how" said Sarah "I hit the bullseye 15 times in a row"

"Wow.. okay, you're gonna put the tied ned of the balloon thru this slot, hold onto it, pull back and let go" I said "got it?"

"Got it" said Sarah

How many do we have?" I said 

"70 and we're out of perfume" said Gran

"Okay, fill the rest with water, flour and a squirt of dish soap" I said "Momma before you leave Georgia, get 10 cases of water balloons and bring them back with you"

"Okay baby" said Momma "Gem get me a couple of pillow cases"

"On it sis" said Gem and ran upstairs

"Are you okay Linda?" I asked

"Yeah, I was just thinking Brian is missing out on the fun" said Linda

"We'll get him in on the water fight at the lake" I said "I can waterproof his cast so he can have fun with us... He wont be able to swim, but the proofing will protect it from balloons & squirt guns"

"How do you waterproof a cast?" asked Sarah

"Plastic wrap & duct tape" I said 

"That's so reneck baby" said Momma

"Yeah, it is, but it works Momma" I said

"Okay, we're all set... we've got 100 balloons" said Momma

"Okay ladies, lets go... hide along the fence and stay quiet" I said and looked out the door "He's not here yet, hurry and hide... Sarah, aim for the chest and the middle of his back"

"Okay" said Sarah

"Gran... legs & the back of his head" I said 

"Yes ma'am" said Gran

"Momma... crotch & ass" I said 

"Gee thanks" said Momma and rolled her eyes

"Everyone else, pray and take your best shot" I said "God help me... If I live thru this, this will be my last battle after Sunday... I promise - Amen" and crossed myself "Here he comes ladies, on 3 - 1... 2... 3 - FIRE!!" I yelled as 8 balloons hit Marcus all at once and kept coming & coming & coming "CEASE FIRE... RETREAT, RETREAT... I LOVE YOU BABYKINS"


	73. Chapter 73

Chapter 73

MARCUS'S POV

I walked towards the gate "Hey ang-" I was cut off

"FIRE!!" yelled Jessie as balloons started hitting me from all directions... ugh, what is that smell? This is not good "CEASE FIRE... RETREAT, RETREAT... I LOVE YOU BABYKINS"

"UGH... AW SHIT" I said and went back inside and headed for the bathroom

"What in the Hell happened to you?" asked Louis "And what is that stench?"

"The ladies - ALL OF THEM - ambushed me with perfume & glue bombs" I said "Courtesy of Jessie"

"Holy shit" said Haz "How many hit you?"

"I don't know... the balloons are in the yard by the gate" I said "I need a shower... open the windows before Mary kills me for stinking up the house" and went upstairs

JIMMY'S POV

"I knew that little shit was up to something" I said "She was blocking me... Damn, she got him good"

"Who do you think came up with the perfume bombs?" said Louis

"Gran" said Haz & Ni in unison

"Oh shit" said Louis "okay, the old lady's gotta go... I'll do it"

"Lets go see how many they hit him with" said Liam "Louis grab a couple of flashlights from under the sink"

"On it" said Louis and ran to the kitchen "Catch Li" and tossed one to Liam as we went outside "Holy fucking shit... they nailed his ass... count the knots"

"I've got 10" said Haz

"I've got 20" said Ni

"30" said Zayn "That's all of them"

"60 balloons?" said Louis "How many did they fucking have?"

"100" said Mary "How's Marcus?"

"He's fine, he's in the shower" said Liam "That was a dirty trick Mom"

"Yep" said Mary

""You know we have to defend our Captain" said Louis

"Yep" said Mary

"You know this wont end well Mom" said Liam

"Yep" said Mary

"Is that all you have to say?" said Ni

"Nope" said Mary "FIRE!!" and a shit load of balloons hit us "RETREAT... RETREAT... I LOVE YOU HAZ" and they all ran in the house

"God dammit" said Louis "okay, count the new ones"

"20" said Liam

"20" said Haz

"That's 100... they're out of ammo - for tonight anyway" said Louis "Did you see who was with them?"

"Sarah" said Haz

"Correction... Sarah with a sling-shot and perfect aim" I said 

"Their secret weapon" said Ni "Mates, we're so screwed"

"No shit Sherlock" said Louis "the old lady & the kid are public enemy #1 & #2... we're gonna go SEAL TEAM 6 on their asses and take them out like Bin Laden"

"WTF?... a smoke bomb?" said Ni

"Oh shit.. round 3... RUN!!" said Louis and headed for the house

"HOME COURT ADVANTAGE BOYS" yelled Jessie "SEE Y'ALL IN THE MORNING!!"

JESSIE'S POV

"Nice work Izzie" I said "High-5 lady" and smacked our hands together

"Thank you" said Mary "They're all going to need a shower tonight... and do laundry"

"Now lock the doors... Momma open your bottle of wine, Gran get a glass of whiskey and Sarah & I will get the rest of us a soda" I said "and we'll toast tonight's victory"

"Okay baby" said Momma "Who wants a glass?"

"I'll have one Pamela" said Linda, Anne & Maura together and started laughing

"Grab me a soda munchkin" said Gem

"Okay Gem" I said and grabbed 4 sodas "Here Sarah.. give Izzie the ginger ale please"

"Okay" said Sarah and took the soda to Mary "Here Mary"

"Thank you sweetie" said Mary

"You're welcome" said Sarah

"Okay ladies, raise your glasses & sodas... Congratulations on scoring us a victory tonight" I said "Pray we survive the next wave of attacks and be victorious next Sunday"

"HERE, HERE!!" cheered everyone as my phone rand... it was Simon so I put it on speaker

JESSIE: Yes Simon

SIMON: Perfume bombs?... Really?... That's a low blow NeeNee

JESSIE: Yeah, well all's fair in Love & War and I'm in Love and at War... all in the quest to have a kick ass good time and have fun

"HERE, HERE!!" cheered everyone

SIMON: Okay, I see I'm on speaker... so who hit Louis in the face, chest & ass?

SARAH: that would be me... this is Sarah

SIMON: Nice shooting Sarah... I heard you had a sling-shot

SARAH: Yep, and Jessie said I can keep it, so I'm gonna use it next Sunday too

SIMON: I can't wait to see that... and seeing as I'm not in on this mess, y'all should know, Louis is Hell-bent on revenge... He was ranting about how 'the old lady & the kid are going down like Bin Laden' and they're SEAL TEAM 6

PAMELA: Oh shit... Ladies, we gotta step up our game... Louis has to go down first, then Marcus, Haz & Ni - in that order or we're sunk like the Titanic

JESSIE: Ladies, we have our spy... keep feeding us intel Si and don't tell the boys & you'll be my new favorite guy

SIMON: You got it NeeNee… Now you know I don't like to call ladies old, but, who is 'the old lady' Louis was talking about?

GRAN: That would be me... my name is Beth

SIMON: Well Beth if you survive this, I'm taking you dancing

GRAN: Then you had better pack your dancing shoes young man

SIMON: I hear an Irish accent... Are you related to Niall?

GRAN: Yes sir... I'm his Grandmother

SIMON: Ah.. okay... well I'm still taking you dancing

GRAN: I'm looking forward to it

SIMON: okay NeeNee… what's the dress code for Haz & Mary's WSedding again?... I'm packing my suitcases

JESSIE: a white dress shirt and a pair of blue jeans... no shoes, no tie.... and don't forget your suit for Momma & Papa's Wedding

SIMON: Wow... very 60s Woodstock vibe - I like it... I wont forget it NeeNee… is there anything special I can bring the bride's?

MARY: Its Mary... some chocolate covered cashews - I can't find them anywhere here

SIMON: You got it Mary... Pamela?

PAMELA: No thanks, I'll pick up a few things while we're out with Jimmy & Mack before we leave

SIMON: Okay darlin... I'm gonna hop off and finish packing... Ladies have a goodnight and I'll see y'all in a few days

JESSIE: Okay Si... see ya soon... talk at ya later

SIMON: Later gator

and hung up "Okay, its time for hair & make-up" I said "I'll do Sarah's first and Momma can do my hair, then we'll put our dresses on" 

"Okay baby" said Momma

LOUIS'S POV

"Damn this house stinks" I said "Marcus where are the fans we used in the nursery?"

"I put them in the storage pantry" said Marcus as we went to get them

"Set one in the Livingroom and one at the top of the stairs" I said "I'll put this one in the kitchen window... Haz can you go upstairs and open all of the windows in the bedrooms and if Niall is still in the shower, yell thru the door and tell him to open the window in there when he's done"

"Okay" said Haz and went upstairs

"Zayn do me a favor and gather up all of the perfume scented clothes so I can wash them" I said "That will help cut down on the perfume odor in here"

"Okay Louis" said Zayn and went upstairs as Haz came back down

"I still cant get over how the ladies ambushed all of you" said Robin "and I missed the whole thing"

"Be thankful you did" said Liam "Those ladies are brutal... Are you sure you want to be apart of this crazy family Robin?"

"Absolutely" said Robin "I've never met anyone like Annie before... she's beautiful, funny, brutally honest and when she smiles... her whole face lights up"

"How are you handling this whole mess with Des?" I asked

"I'm doing okay, I'm mostly worried for Harry" said Robin "Don't get me wrong, I know everyone here is helping to keep him safe, but if something does happen to him, it will destroy Annie & Gemma and I don't want what happened to Marcus to happen to anyone else"

"I know" I said "I feel the same way... lets hope this ends soon bc I wont rest easy knowing he could hurt someone here trying to get to him" as Haz came downstairs 

"All of the windows are open and the upstairs is already smelling better" said Haz as Zayn came down with a smelly basket of clothes

"Oh God these clothes stink" said Zayn "At first it wasn't so bad, but now the smell is making my head hurt"

"I'll take those Zayn" I said "Go sit with Li for a bit and try and relax"

"Thanks Lou" said Zayn and sat down on the couch "Remind me to never piss Jessie off"

"Yeah, I know" said Jimmy "What started all of this any way?"

"Marcus started it" said Haz "We were watching him pain thru the nursery room windows and he took his shirt off... Jessie was shocked off her ass... next thing we know, we were in the beginning stages of a war of the sexes"

"Oh damn" said Jimmy 'Dang Marcus.. did ya have to take yer shirt off?"

"I didn't think she was gonna go ballistic" said Marcus "We've had these little tiffs before, but this was the first time she's had an army"

"Wait, hold up... y'all have done this before?" said Jimmy

"Yeah, lots of times" said Marcus "Winters in Alaska are brutal and we'd get trapped in the cabin for days, sometimes for weeks at a time - you try apperating thru snow, its damned near impossibile… so when we could finally dig our way out, we'd have these little wars to blow off the cabin fever and have a little fun"

"Well you need to be careful" said Jimmy "Jessie's temper is on a hair-trigger and with Haz & Mary's Wedding coming up in 7 days and all the things she has to do till then, you may want to declare a cease fire till Sunday or y'all may never have children"

"I know, I've heard that particular threat countless number of times" said Marcus "Especially since she blew up on the goon squad and hurt Damian so bad"

"And yet, here we are" said Jimmy "You better not piss her off while we're gone Marcus or God help you, if you do" as Ni came down the stairs

"Pamela texted me" said Ni "Sarah's ready to show everyone her dress, so I'll be right back"

"Okay Ni" I said "I remember the dress, I can't wait to see her"

"I know" said Haz "I'm gonna take her picture" as Ni came thru the door

"Gentlemen, may I present Ms. Sarah Elizabeth Jeffries" said Ni as Sarah came thru the door to a chorus of low whistles

"Sarah, you look exquisite young lady" said Robin

"Wow Sarah, you look stunning" said Zayn "Turn and let me see you hair" and turned around "Its gorgeous... Who did your hair?"

"Jessie did it" said Sarah "and she did my make-up too... Jessie says that I look like Audrey Hepburn - my Mom started crying"

"Yes... Audrey Hepburn from 'My Fair Lady'" said Jimmy "May I take your picture to send to my fiancée?"

"Sure Jimmy" said Sarah

Haz's phone rand "Hey princess" said Haz "okay, just a sec" and pushed a button "go ahead princess"

MARY: We have a situation here people so be quiet and listen... Pamela's dress doesn't fit and she's having a panic attack

JESSIE: Jimmy... go to my closet and get Catherine's Wedding dress - its the bottom hatbox and make sure the shoes and veil are in it and get you ass over here... NOW!!

JIMMY: On my way Doodlebug

JESSIE: HURRY JIMMY, MOMMA'S BLOCKING ME!!!... Haz, keep Sarah there for now AND IF Y'ALL RUIN THAT DRESS OR IF ONE HAIR ON HER HEAD IS OUT OF PLACE - THERE WILL NOT BE ANY MORE BABIES BORN IN THIS FAMILY... DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?

EVERYONE: Yes Ma'am

JESSIE: Alright... Papa, Momma's gonna need you tonight so when you're ready for bed, come pick her up and take her home

NIALL: Okay poppet

JESSIE" JAMES MORRIS BURKE GET YOUR SLOW AS MOLASSES ASS OVER HERE

JIMMY: I GOT IT... I'M ON MY WAY

JESSIE: GEMMA'S ROOM ANDF TURN THE GAYDAR ON JIMMY

JIMMY: Pamela darlin... hey there's those beautiful eyes... shh calm down, I know darlin... slow your breathing... that's my girl, Uncle Jimmy's here... shh, I know, I know

PAMELA: My... my... dress *crying*

JIMMY: Shh, I know... Why don't we try Catherine's dress. I have it right here with me... you & Catherine are so much alike - so strong & confident... that's it, just breathe normal darlin... remember your tattoos and just breathe... What's today?

PAMELA: Friday... girls night at Anne's house

NIALL: Are you alright poppet?

PAMELA: No *crying* my dress is too short

NIALL: Shh, its alright poppet... listen to Jimmy and try Catherine's dress on... if it doesn't fit, we'll take your dress with us and see if Mack knows someone who can copy it and make it fit...okay?

PAMELA: O-okay s-sunshine

NIALL: That's my beautiful girl... now dry your eyes and go put the dress on and try and relax

PAMELA: Okay... I Love You Ni

NIALL: I Love You too poppet... I'll bring Sarah back in a few minutes Jess

JESSIE: Okay Papa... we're hanging up Haz

HARRY: Okay peanut... I Love You princess

MARY:I Love You too Hazzabear

and hung up "Poor Pamela" said Sarah "She had her heart set on wearing that dress"

"I know Sarah" said Ni "As I said, Mack will know someone who can copy it, I know he will"

"Okay Haz, lets take this picture" said Sarah " I don't mean to sound rude, but I want to see this other dress"

"Okay beautiful" said Haz and grabbed the camera and snapped a few pictures

"Marcus... come see Sarah's dress before she leaves" I yelled

"Coming" Yelled Marcus and walked into the Livingroom and stopped "Ms. Sarah, you are as beautiful as a Christmas Rose... spin around" as Sarah turned "Truly enchanting"

"Thank you" said Sarah "Okay Ni, lets go... I NEED to see the dress"

"Yes ma'am" said Ni "Be right back men" and walk Sarah out the door

"I feel bad for Tom & Brian" said Liam "They're gonna have to keep the guys away from Sarah when she gets older"

"Yeah, they're gonna be lined up around the block to date her" I said "And none of them are gonna be good enough for her"

"Yeah... that's what we thought about Pamela" said Zayn "She found a good man for herself... Sarah will too one day"

Ni came back thru the door "Is Pamela alright now?" asked Liam

"Yeah, I guess" said Ni "I didn't go inside, this is her time to do Wedding things with the ladies... Jimmy or Jess will call if Pamela needs one of us" 

"Okay men" said Zayn "Do we want Mexican dip or chocolate covered peanuts & popcorn?.... or both?"

"Lets wait for Jimmy" said Haz "It doesn't take that long to make the popcorn"

"Why don't you go ahead and start you bean dip babe" said Liam "that way it'll be ready when Jimmy gets back"

"Okay babe" said Zayn and went in the kitchen

"I'm surprised Zayn can still eat" said Haz "I'm still kind of full"

"Yeah, me too" said Ni

"Its the pregnancy" said Liam "That will come & go in waves... its the mood swings that have me worried for right now... Zayn doesn't really get angry and he NEVER yells - he just gets really quiet and that's scarier than Jessie's temper"

"How is Zayn being really quiet scarier than Jessie's temper?" asked Haz

"Because when Zayn gets quiet, he's like a ninja" said Liam "you could be the only person in the room and not hear him come in and sit down next to you... he's scary when he's quiet like that.... you remember when he scared the shit out of Dad?"

"Oh God" I said laughing "Our Dad took the battery out of Zayn's car bc Zayn tried to sneak out of the house to go to the Michigan International Speedway and Zayn got really freaky quiet... Dad was in the Garage doing some work on his truck and all of a sudden Dad just starts screaming"

"Zayn had crawled under the truck and was staring at Dad thru the engine" said Liam "Zayn kept scaring Dad for almost 2 weeks till Dad put the battery back in his car"

"Oh Holy shit" said Marcus "Remind me to never piss him off"

"Yeah no kidding" said Haz & Ni in unison as Jimmy came thru the door

"Is Pamela alright now?" I asked

"Yeah, she was smiling and in a better mood when I left" said Jimmy

"Oh good" said Liam "Did Catherine's dress fit?"

"Sorry men, but under penalty of extreme torture and pain - by ALL of the ladies, I have been sworn not to talk about anything I may have seen or heard in regards to the Wedding dress and all subsequent matters" said Jimmy and sat down

"Daaamn" I said "Sucks to be you Jimbo"

"I will say this tho" said Jimmy "To quote Mack - Pamela is so hot, she could make a gay man go straight" and fanned himself "Being gay does have its advantages and you Niall are a VERY lucky man"

"Um.. thanks Jimmy" said Ni and turned beet red "I'm gonna go soak my head in the sink now" and went into the kitchen

We all laughed "I would have to agree with that" said Liam "All of the women in our family are gorgeous" and went to the study and came back with a huge photo album and opened it "This is my Great Grandma Gwen"

Jimmy whistled "Wow... Mary looks just like her" said Jimmy and turned the pages "Hello beautiful - who are these ladies?"

"That's my Grandma Mary and her twin sister Isabel - Grandma had purple eyes like Pamela.. Isabel had green eyes like Haz" said Liam

"Amazing... Pamela looks exactly like them" said Jimmy "My God... Catherine looks just like Isabel - same face, same color eyes, hair color... everything"

"Are you serious?" I said 

"I'm dead serious" said Jimmy "Where's that picture I sent you for Jessie?"

"Its in her room" I said "I'll go get it" and ran upstairs, grabbed the frame and went back downstairs and compared it to the one in the photo album "Holy fucking shit... you weren't kidding - look Li" and it to him

"Oh wow" said Liam "This is getting freaky Louis"

"Gee ya think?" I said "Is it possible, that Jessie could be related to Mom?... I mean, they do look a little bit alike"

Hell Louis, I don't know" said Liam "I guess it could be possible, I mean, Catherine did have that dream about Pamela getting her tattoo the night before she died"

"What?" said Jimmy "What dream?"

"When Rothsdale called you and told you that Jessie's Dad was dead, Jessie told us all about the hatboxes, tackle boxes, fishing poles, & hip waders" I said "When she opened the hat boxes there were 2 letters from Catherine... one was for Jessie on her Wedding Day and the other one talked about how Jessie was the one thing in her life she got right and that Catherine had a dream that Jessie was sitting in a cozy house surrounded by people and there was a girl with a phoenix tattoo & purple eyes who would be her new Mommy - the letter was dated January 31st 2009"

"Oh my God" said Jimmy "I never read the letters so I didn't know... I received the letters by courier the day of the funeral at my office - My assistant Tessa put them in her desk and locked it till the next day"

"Whoa so she kept a secret from you too" said Haz "I'm wondering why Catherine felt the need to keep so many secrets"

"Because David was a severe threat... to the family, to Jessie and to anyone who was close to Catherine - male or female" said Jimmy "The only reason he never came after me was bc I'm gay and didn't pose a threat to him... I found that out when he put William in the hospital"

"The dip is ready" said Zayn as he & Ni came out with the dip, chips, plates and the jar of salsa "I didn't put the cheese on it bc It just didn't sound good this time"

"Okay babe" said Liam "Marcus... come try some Mexican dip"

"Coming" said Marcus and came down the stairs

"What were you doing?" said Liam

I was trying to find something I can use to launch a counter attack on Jessie" said Marcus

"Well whatever you do, remember, you promised Mary you would keep all ambushes outside" said Ni "and if you value your life DO NOT boobytrap her room or you may not live long enough to propose to her"

"I remember Niall" said Marcus "What's a boobytrap?"

"Its where you put like a bucket of water on top of a partially open door so when she opens the door the water spills on her head" I said "But save those kid of things for when you have your own house... Mary will kill you if you pull that kind of thing in her house"

"Ah okay... duly noted" said Marcus and took a bite of chip with dip on it "Wow, this is good - I like it"

"Thanks" said Zayn "It tastes better with salsa, but it has tomatoes in it so Jessie asked that I not put it on it, sorry"

"That's alright" said Marcus "Tomatoes just make me break out in hives and to be honest, I really hate tomatoes"

"So were you allergic to tomatoes before you died? or did this happen after?" said Haz

"After" said Marcus "But I never liked them before I died"

"Hmm" said Haz

"What are you thinking Haz?" said Ni

"I'm thinking his allergy to tomatoes is psychosymatic" said Haz 

"Psychosiwhat?" I said "What the Hell does that mean?"

"Psychosymatic" said Haz "It means that - to put it plainly, Marcus's allergy to tomatoes is all in his head... bc he doesn't like them, that dislike has manifested itself into hives - I bet if he liked certain foods made with tomatoes he wouldn't break out in hives"

Really" said Marcus and thought about what Haz had just said "How would we test this theory of yours?"

"Start small" said Haz and took a chip and put some salsa on it "Try this... it has tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and peppers in it"

"Okay" said Marcus and took the chip and ate it "Oh Holy wow that's incredible" and put a little on his di[p and ate it "Wow, that's even better with the salsa"

"Any itching yet?" said Liam

"No and it usually hits quick too" said Marcus "Pamela's right Haz, you should be a doctor"

"That is so weird" I said "How is it that you figured that out so fast?"

Try picking up a book and reading it Louis" said Haz "I remember everything I read and I took a year of psychology in my first year of high school"

"Damn.. he told you Louis" said Zayn

"Hey I read books" I said "I've read 4 since we moved here so kiss my butt Zayn"

"Auto Trader Weekly doesn't count Louis" said Zayn

"Oh that's funny Zayn" I said "I've read 'The Fifty Shades of Grey" books - twice... The Twilight books - 4 times... the Harry Potter books - 12 times each... and I'm 16 books into the 'In Death' series of books by J.D. Robb so give it a rest"

"I knew you read The Fifty Shades of Grey books" said Zayn ""You said they were a Birthday present for a friend"

"Oh, like I'm gonna give a set of books like those to someone without reading them first" I said "Do I look stupid?... Those books aren't for someone to just pick up off the shelf and say 'hmm this must be a book about colors... this could be interesting' "

"Aren't those the books with the tie, handcuff and some other picture I can't remember?" said Ni

"Yeah, they are... why?" I said

"I've seen them on Pamela's bookshelf tied together with a red ribbon" said Ni

"Oh my God" I said and covered my face.. I'm going to kill her

"LOUIS!!!... You gave those to Pamela??" said Zayn

"Hey she asked for them for her birthday" I said " She said that was all that she wanted, nothing else... you know I can never say no to her when she gives me that "sad little girl face' and she knows it too... besides, I waited till she was 18 so don't be so offended"

Ni ran upstairs "OH MY GOD" said Ni loudly

"Looks like he'll be reading those when they get back from Georgia" said Jimmy as Ni came downstairs and sat down

"Mate" said Ni and just shook his head "Thanks... I'm a dead man... this explains ev-er-y-th-ing" and pulled out his phone

PAMELA: Hey sunshine *laughing* What's up?

NIALL: You know those books on your shelf?... the ones tied together with the red ribbon?

PAMELA: Yeah... what about them?

NIALL: How many times have you read them?

PAMELA: I don't know... maybe 6, 7 times, why?

NIALL: Oh Christ... Am I a dead man bc of those books?

PAMELA: Mmm maybe... Do you want to be?

ZAYN: PAMELA JANE WILLIAMS

PAMELA: Aw shit... You had to ask me in front of the guys?

NIALL: I need to know poppet

PAMELA: Niall, baby calm down *ladies I'll be right back* hang on Ni, I'm going out to Anne's patio so the girls don't hear this

NIALL: okay poppet

PAMELA: Okay, now, first of all Pops, I know you've read them so don't sit there and judge me for wanting to read them... second, Ni... God, I can't believe I'm about to say this in front of my parents.... a little bondage is normal baby - its when you go full tilt into the kinky shit that's scary... having said that, I have a very healthy fantasy life and nothing we do is going to hurt either of us - so now that we've both scarred my parents for life, can I go get drunk off what's left of my bottle of wine please

NIALL: Oh god... go ahead poppet

PAMELA: Okay... I Love You sunshine

NIALL: I Love You too poppet

and hung up "I am SO fucking dead" said Ni and covered his face

"Ni, I've read them twice" I said "My suggestion to you is read them and talk to Pamela"

"Seriously? You want me to read them?" said Ni in total shock

"Niall, they're just books" I said "They're not gonna come to life and rape you in your sleep dude"

"Oh my God" said Haz "These read like a 'How to' book on BDSM"

"BDSM?" said Ni "wTF!!"

"Bondage.. Domination.. Sado-Masochism" said Haz

"How in the Hell do you know this??" said Ni "What are you hiding those books behind your notebooks in class??"

"Dude... I am finding out way too much shit tonight" said Marcus "And here I thought I had it rough trying to keep Jessie at arms length... Nope, I've got it easy compared to you two - Good luck" and went upstairs

"Do I look stupid?" said Haz "I'd've got expelled if I had those books in class... they're upstairs in that box of books you brought back with Liam"

"DUDE SERIOUSLY??" I yelled "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING BRINGING THOSE HERE?"

"I was thinking I needed to get them out of the house before my Mum found them and had a stroke" said Haz "What she doesn't know means I get to live to a ripe old age"

"He has a point Louis" said Liam "You know Mom doesn't know everything or we never would've made it past puberty"

"That's true" I said as Robin started laughing "You okay Robin?"

"I'm fine Louis" chuckled Robin "sorry, its just that, I know where Haz is coming from and what Liam said is gospel for any man when it comes to our Mother's.... If our Mothers knew half of the things we did when we were between 10 & 18, we'd be having this conversation in Heaven after dying a painful death - they brought us into this world and they can take us out of it just as quickly"

"Exactly" said Haz & Ni as Jimmy's phone rang

JIMMY: Yes Doodle bug

JESSIE: Get your mother-fucking-ass over here NOW!!

and hung up


	74. Chapter 74

Chapter 74

JIMMY'S POV

"Oh shit" I said "I'm a dead man"

"Dude... I don't know what you did" said Louis "but if I were you, I'd start talking and if you ever want kids, don't you dare lie to her"

"You better go get it over with mate" said Haz "cuz if you don't she'll be over here and then we'll all be dead men"

"Yeah okay" I said "Marcus - we gotta go over and see Jessie... Ni, you should come too"

"Why do I have to go see Jessie?" said Marcus as he came down the stairs

"Because I'm about to die and what she want to discuss, you & Niall need to know about" I said 

"Ah okay" said Marcus & Ni

"We'll be back and I'll fill you in" said Ni

"Okay mate" said Haz "Good luck Jimmy"

We walked over to Anne's in silence and went inside.

"Sit down Jimmy" said Jessie "You're my favorite, right?"

"Yes" I said 

"You're my lawyer, right?" said Jessie

"Yes" I said 

"Then you better tell me everything or Gemma will be my new lawyer" said Jessie "Understood?"

"Yes ma'am" I said "First off... what's wrong"

"Mack called... He went to Gammie & Pappie's to get Mary's dress" said Jessie "So... long story short - the boxes were heavy so he opened them... 260 satin purses Jimmy - FULL OF GEMSTONES - START TALKING"

"William made me swear-" I said and was cut off

"I don't give a shit - TALK!!" yelled Jessie "Or so help me God, I'll put in a work order with the big boss and let Damian take your ass"

"Just tell her Jimmy" said Marcus "Please, just tell her"

"Okay... William... God this is hard" I said "William sold the company and started buying gemstones and hid them in the attic of each of the houses... so when you said to sell the houses, I knew I had to get the list from his study so that I could get them out before someone found them"

"12 houses - How many bags are in each house?" said Jessie

"300 bags" I said as Jessie fell to the floor and pulled out her phone and put it on speaker

MACK: Care bear - there's 300 bags!!

"Oh thank god you found them all" I said and sighed

MACK: YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS!?!?… JAMES MORRIS BURKE YOU BETTER TELL HER EVERYTHING OR SO HELP ME GOD, I'M MOVING TO ENGLAND - PERMANENTLY

"I'm trying Pooh bear - I swear" I said as Jessie started crying

"What... else... Jimmy" cried Jessie

"William had a buyer lined up" I said "Once he & Maggie got you & Catherine settled in Vancouver, he was going to liquidate all of the gemstones, take the cash and move to Ireland then after a year, they we're going to bring you both there... but then the accident happened and the sale of the company was put on hold till the police concluded their investigation... I've been going thru William's study inch by inch trying to find the list, but I cant find it anywhere"

"Mack, How long did it take you to get home?" asked Jessie

MACK: 10 minutes... you want me to go back?

"Yeah and call me when you get there" said Jessie

MACK: Okay care bear... give me the code again - I'm writing it down this time

"621-435-824-111" said Jessie " 'disarm'... code 'armed' "

MACK: Okay, we'll talk in 10

and hung up "Christ I need a drink" said Jessie and held her head "so now what?" she wasn't crying any more

"I get the list, go to each house to get the stones and sell them as William planned" I said "sell the houses & art collection as you requested, cash out your stock options, sell the company and put the money in your account"

"Whoa... back that truck up sweet cheeks" said Jessie "You ain't doing shit... you've been here almost a week and haven't said a damned thing about any of this.. had you told me this when you got here, I wouldn't feel like getting completely shit-faced right now"

"I'm so sorry Jessie" I said 

No, what YOU'RE gonna do is go with Momma & Papa to pick up Mack & Simon, get your ring and then get back here" said Jessie "You're on house arrest till Mack, Marcus & I get back and then I'll think about forgiving you James" Jessie's phone rang

MACK: Okay care bear, I'm in the study, where should I start?

JESSIE: Go to the computer and turn it on

MACK: Okay

"I looked... its not there" I said 

"Shut up James" said Jessie "You had your turn to talk, now you're gonna learn"

MACK: Username

JESSIE: Use lowercase letter and numbers Pooh bear

MACK: Okay hit me

JESSIE: wh1st13d1x13

MACK: Whistle dixie?

JESSIE: Yeah, it was Grandpa's private joke

MACK: Okay, I'm in... Where to?

JESSIE: Go to 'Documents'... find the one marked 'Hide & Seek' and open it

MACK: Found it... you want me to send it to you?

JESSIE: No, I want you to download it onto a flash drive Pooh bear... top left-hand drawer is where Grandpa kept his extra drives.. plug one in and let that do it things while you gather up the rest, okay?

MACK: Yes ma'am

JESSIE: While the computer is doing it thing, get Grnadpa's brief case & satchel out of the closet, get all of his files on the company, real estate files, financials, quarterly reports and tax returns for the 7 years before the accident

MACK: Got them... now what?

JESSIE: Go to the safe, located behind the painting of dogs playing poker

MACK: Okay... what's the code

JESSIE: 01012001 - whatever is in there, put that stuff in the brief case... you see those keys?

MACK: Yeah, what are they for?

JESSIE: they're for the bottom right-hand drawer of Grandpa's desk... get them and unlock it & tell me what's in it

MACK: Okay

JESSIE: Grandpa didn't know I knew the code for the safe and always kept that drawer locked after her caught me hiding under his desk... I was hiding from Daddy

MACK: Okay... its a safety deposit box.... Sweet Jesus, Mary & Joseph - I'm sending you another picture sweetie

JESSIE: Okay Pooh bear 

Jessie's phone buzzed

JESSIE: Is it completely full?

MACK: Yeah, 12 rows across... 7 deep all in stacks of $100,000 USD

JESSIE: You mind telling why Grandpa has 8.4 Million dollars in his desk?... DON'T you dare lie to me James

"I was from the company... they bought his stock options... they didn't want the company sold, so they bought him out with the stipulation that only your shares would stay in the company so when you were ready, you could help run it" I said "We sold Catherine's stock options to get the two of you to Vancouver"

"Are there any other secrets I should know about?" asked Jessie "Any dead bodies buried in the rose garden?... Any illegitimate children Grandpa fathered?... Ties to the Memphis Mafia or the Clan?"

"No, that's it... I swear" I said 

MACK: Are you sure about that Jimmy?

"Yeah, I think so" I said "I can't think of anything I forgot... Why?"

MACK: Cuz I'm looking at a fucking shit load of guns, assault rifles, machine guns, rocket launchers, hand grenades, C-4 with detonators, and enough clips and ammo to make 9-11 look like the 4th of July from Hell - Hitler style

JESSIE: Where are you?

MACK: I'm still in the study... I bumped the desk and another book case opened up... please tell me this shit is bc the Apocolypse is coming and bringing a shit ton of Zombies with it

JESSIE: Mack close it up, grab a duffle bag out of the closet and put the money in it and take it all home... you did good Pooh bear

MACK: Thanks care bear... I'll finish sending those pics after I kill a bottle of Jack and try and unsee all of that

JESSIE: just relax and take a bubble bath Pooh bear

MACK: Ooo gurl now yer talkin my language... Tootles care bear

JESSIE: Tootles Pooh bear

and hung up "Did you know about the gun cache?" asked Jessie

"Yeah, I knew, but William never told me where it came from or why he had it" I said "and I never demanded to be told"

"Does he have a stash at the other houses?" asked Jessie

"Not that I know of" I said "He may, I just don't know"

"Okay Jimmy" said Jessie and stood up and went to the kitchen "You can go back to the house... Gran, I owe you a bottle" and walked out the back door with a bottle of whiskey

SARAH'S POV

"You know you screwed the pooch Jimmy" I said "You want my advice on how to get back in her good Grace's?"

"How... she wont even look at me" said Jimmy

"Well you can start by quit whining" I said "Be a man and grow a pair... Now, I've watched a enough crime dramas to know that whatever William did, you know more than you told Jessie, so, unless you want your manhood up in your throat, you better walk your butt out there and tell her everything - big, small and everything in between - and pray she doesn't beat you senseless with that bottle"

"She's on the verge of drunk" said Jimmy "there's no talking to her when she's like that"

"Oh please.. she hasn't even opened it yet... you saw what she wanted you to see" I said "She also has 3 bottles of soda that she's been drinking and doing a list of reasons why NOT to drink that whiskey"

"How do you know that?" asked Jimmy

"We're sisters... Jessie told me everything a week ago... and I mean everything" I said "Its amazing what people will tell you when all you do is shut up and listen"

"Okay, what should I do?" asked Jimmy

"Well you seem to have a problem with talking, so show her" I said "Let her read you and get the answers she needs... she'll forgive you - Jessie doesn't like to hold grudges with those she loves - it makes her head hurt... trust me"

"Okay" said Jimmy and went to the backyard

"So Jessie told you everything?" said Marcus

"Well she didn't tell me about you, but I can see she loves you, a lot" I said "When it comes to you, Jessie's not that hard to read - her heart is exposed for everyone to see... Tell me - How many headstands has she done since you came back to the land of the living?"

"You know? How is that possible if she never told you about me?" asked Marcus

"Mom... Is it okay?" I said 

"Go ahead sweetie" said Linda

"Because Jessie isn't the only one your goon squad came for Lucifer" I said "You remember Svetlana's sister?"

"Natalia?" said Marcus and I waved "Oh my God"

"That's me... I arrived just after Jessie left you - you were a basket case my friend" I said "You look better with short hair... No, she hasn't figured out who I am yet - those memories are a little fuzzy... Oh, and unless you want to go bald, I'd get rid of those paint bombs you've been working on all night - didn't you learn anything from the 'blue paint' incident?"

"Damn, I forgot about that" said Marcus

"I suggest next time you want a battle - keep your shirt on" I said "Mom, call Brian and tell him to get off the back of the sofa or I'll break his other leg"

"That boy, I swear to God" said Linda and pulled out her phone "What have I told you about climbing on the back of the sofa?... that'll be enough Brian - where's Dad?... Well sit down or team will go home & I'll bring Sarah back to break your other leg - Understood?... okay... behave, I mean it" and hung up

"Who knows what you can do?" asked Marcus

"Just everyone in here, Mom, Dad & Brian" I said "I keep my circle of people who know is pretty tight.... I don't like a lot of people to know... I find that when people know you're different, they can be mean at times" 

"How did you know what Brian was doing back home?" asked Pamela

"I don't block people like Jessie does, so I'm able to read over long distances" I said "When you block people, your ability to read becomes more localized... I can read people as far away as London, but unless I'm listening to a specific person, they're just faint echoes"

"When will you tell Jessie?" asked Gemma

"I was planning on telling her tonight, but with everything that's happened tonight, I don't want to upset her" I said "Jessie tends to get frazzled when it comes to information overload... she'll either blow up or shut down - there is no in between with her"

"Are they okay out there?" asked Ni

"Yeah... Jimmy's drunk, Jessie's sober" I said "They're singing and laughing... crisis averted and all is forgiven, just as I said it would.... but you're going to have to help Jimmy walk back bc he's gonna pass out soon... and there he goes" as the back door opened

"Papa, Marcus... Jimmy passed out and flipped his chair backwards" laughed Jessie "Help please"

"Coming angel" said Marcus

"Oh Christ" chuckled Ni as Marcus came thru with Jimmy on his back

"Coming thru" said Marcus "No, get the door please... if I let go, we'll never get him off the floor"

"Got it... when you get there, gently kick the door and Haz will let you in" said Ni

"Okay" said Marcus "Would you ladies like to join us out on the patio for a bit?... I swear to God - no retaliation tonight"

"We'd love to" I said "thank you Marcus

"Okay, I'll be out as soon as I get 'Sleeping Beauty' settled" said Marcus

"Okay" said Pamela "So are you & Jimmy friends again baby?"

"Yeah... he was telling the truth... Mack has sent me 4 photo - 296 to go" said Jessie and hugged Pamela I'm so sorry for swearing so much Momma, and we had such a good day too" and started crying

"Shh.. that's okay baby,,, this is kind of normal for us" said Pamela softly "We have a good day - chaos shows up... chaos shows up before we have our coffee and we have a great evening... welcome to the fun house of wacky shit"

"Yeah okay" laughed Jessie "lets get the wine & sodas and head over... Papa can you lock the front door please"

"Okay poppet" said Ni and locked the front door & the dead bolt "Why are there sheets over the windows?"

"Protection against peeping-toms" said Pamela

"Peeping-toms?... what does that mean?" asked Ni as Jessie whispered in his ear "Ah, okay... now I get it"

"Duchess.. come on baby, lets go see Charlie & Zayn" said Jessie

"woof, woof" barked Duchess and ran to the back door, opened it with her mouth and ran out the door - we followed and saw Duchess scratching at the door "woof, woof, woof, woof"

"Okay Duchess, Charlie's coming, be patient sweetie" said Haz as Charlie ran past him and ran around the yard with Duchess "Charlie missed her... he's been laying in her bed, whining since she left"

"Aw poor Charlie" said Mary and hugged Haz "Sorry about the perfume bombs Haz, we thought you guys were coming to attack us for ambushing Marcus"

"That's okay princess" said Haz "To be honest, I thought it was funny... Louis sat outside of the bathroom till Marcus came out bc he had perfume & fkour in his eyes & mouth"

"Oh gosh... is that who I hit?" I said "Oh Louis, I'm so sorry... I sneezed and didn't see who I hit or where I hit them"

"That's okay Sarah" said Louis "It all washed off, I'm not mad"

"I feel bad tho" I said "The dish soap we used didn't flood the laundry room… right?"

"No, it d-... wait... what?" said Louis "How did?.... Aw shitnot you too"

"Yep, afraid so" I said "I got snarked by the goon squad too, but only once"

"Wow, that's a word I haven't heard in a long time" said Jessie and looked at me "No... way... Natalia?"

"Yeah, its me Svetlana" I said and walked over to her "I was going to tell you sooner, but everything went to Hell in a hand basket and I didn't know how to tell you without you getting upset" as tears filled Jessie's eyes "Hey now, no tears sissy.... I bet everyone would get a kick out of twin flips... you in?"

"Yeah, I'm in" said Jessie and wiped her eyes and lrt out a loud whistle "Charlie, Duchess, come here… good boy, good girl, stay here" as we went out in the yard

"Okay... Cartwheel, 2 back flips, cartwheel, front slits on 3" I said "1... 2... 3" and did our routine in sync "Yes!! Nailed it on the first run.. High-5" and smacked our hands together

"Nicely done ladies" said Robin

"Thanks" said Jessie as we stood up "We'll do more on Sunday after Haz & Izzie's photo shoot, okay?"

"Okay" I said "I missed you and I missed doing our routine's together - it wasn't as much fun without you"

"I know, I missed you too" said Jessie and set me on her lap "Why didn't you tell me when we met?"

"Because you had just flipped out when you saw Pamela's tattoo" I said "Had I told you then, you'd've gone to Lala Land, never to return" I said "That's why I said 'when you're ready we'll be as close as sisters'... I heard your song... its beautiful, in a sad way"

"So I heard" said Jessie "Haz told me you wrote a song too"

"Yeah, it was part of my music lessons" I said "We all had to write one and we'll all be playing our songs at the festival.... I just pray I don't start crying while I'm singing it"

"What's it called?" asked Jessie

" 'I want to write you a song' " I said "Ni is playing the guitar on it while I sing"

"Is that the song you've been working on Papa?" asked Jessie

"Yes poppet" said Ni "I'm adapting it for the guitar bc Sarah wrote it for the piano"

"Ah okay" said Jessie "I like it... it sounds better on the guitar"

"That's what I told her" said Haz

"Jimmy's awake" I said "and is trying to make a pot of coffee"

"I got this" said Louis and went inside

"What happened to Jimmy any way?" asked Haz "He was fine when he left"

"Jimmy screwed up - big time" said Pamela "Apparently Jessie's Grandpa was doing some shady things that Jimmy knew about and didn't tell Jessie"

"That's not good" said Liam "How did you find out?"

"Mack went to Gammie & Pappie's to get the stuff I asked him for and said the boxes were heavy, so he opened them" said Jessie "and found 300 satin purses full of gemstones - that's when I called Jimmy... Grandpa made a list of where he put the rest - 12 houses with 300 purses in each one - minus the main house"

"Oh good God" said Louis "What are you going to do with all of it?"

"According to Jimmy, Grandpa had a buyer and was going to sell all of them and move to Ireland" said Jessie "So I'm taking Mack & Marcus with me to the states after Haz & Izzie's Wedding and we're bringing them all back and then once I see exactly what we've got then I'll decide whether to sell or not"

"13 houses, 300 bags each... that's 3,900 bags" said Louis "How many were in your hat boxes?"

"50" said Jessie "2 I gave to Rothsdale"

"With that many stones, you could open your own jewelry store" said Louis "just saying"

"I know... and I don't like the idea of keeping them here either" said Jessie "and I don't trust keeping them at the bank... I'd need at least 30 deposit boxes if not more"

"Or you could just get a safe and put it in the study" said Mary "I don't mind, I hardly use it as it is and then you can take your time to decide"

Jimmy came out with his coffee "Dang Doodlebug, What happened?" asked Jimmy and sat down "All I remember is standing up to get Ni & Marcus"

"You fell back into your chair and gravity flipped your chair backwards & your head hit the patio" said Jessie "knocked your butt out cold - Marcus had to carry you back here... How's your head?" as Jimmy groaned

"It hurts, but its tolerable" said Jimmy "so have you two declared a truce?"

"Yeah, for now" said Marcus "What on Earth made you decide to drink that much alcohol?"

"I didn't, I only had about 4 drinks, I swear" said Jimmy "There's still half a bottle left"

"Jimmy's a light-weight when it comes to any kind of alcohol" said Jessie "He usually doesn't drink... now I see why"

"I don't drink bc it messes with my ability to read" said Jimmy "which is odd bc my brain is really clear and I know I'm still drunk"

"Yeah, just relax Jimmy" I said "I'm just airing out your brain... there that's better"

"Wait... that was you?" said Jimmy in shock

"Yeah, I tucked your memories back in bed, so to speak" I said "Once that was done, the 'fog' went with them"

"How are you able to do that without physical contact?" asked Jimmy

"Concentration & focus" I said "I don't block people, so I'm able to do lots of things... I can read long distances and..." my soda bottle floated into my hand "I can move things, to name a couple"

"Oh crap... we're all dead men" said LOuis

"No Louis, you're safe" I said "I don't move things out in public, so I wont be doing that at the lake, just relax"

"Oh okay" said Louis"How are you able to be so calm if you don't block out the voices?" asked Jessie "I can't sleep if I don't block them out"

"I use silicone earplugs" I said "Momma got them for me years ago bc without them, I'm awake all night... I'm a really light sleeper so they block out the voices and sounds - its the best night's sleep you'll ever have"

"I'll give it a shot" said Jessie "What baby"

Duchess whined, then walked out to the yard and nudged Charlie - he didn't move "Woof!" barked Duchess and nudged Charlie again, but he still didn't move.

"Oh no" I said and went out to Charlie "Come on Charlie, look at me baby... Izzie" as Robin came over next to me

"I'm sorry Sarah" said Robin "He's gone Mary"

"Oh baby" said Mary softly "Go see Daddy Charlie, I'll be alright, I promise"

"Now he's gone" I said "I Love You Charlie" and kissed his head

"He loves you too petal" said Mary "He's had a good long life... we'll see him again"

"Liam, lets get a sheet & a shovel" said Louis "We'll bury him here in the yard under the tree"

"Okay Louis" said Liam and went in the house and the garage as Mary pulled out her phone

"Who are you texting Mom?" asked Pamela

"Father Donnelly... I told him about Charlie" said Mary "He'll tell the sisters tomorrow"

"What are you going to do now Mom?" asked Pamela "You need a therapy dog when you go to the hospital"

"She could train Duchess" said Jimmy "She loves kids and she learns fast"

"How is Duchess with car rides?" asked Mary

"She's great... tell her where she's going and why and she'll fall asleep till you get there" said Jimmy "and she loves to give presents to people"

"Does she get scared in hospitals or around wheelchairs?" asked Mary

"No, she's fine with them" said Jimmy "She'll make Charlie proud"

"I know she will" said Mary "we'll start her training tomorrow when we get back"

Liam & Louis came back with a sheet, paint drop cloth, shovel and rope.

"Lou, you dig the hole and I'll wrap up Charlie" said Pamela "make it at least 3 feet deep"

"Okay" said Louis and started digging as Pamela spread out the sheet

"Liam help me lift Charlie onto the sheet" said Robin "Tuck his legs in so it looks like he's sleeping"

"Okay" said Liam as Duchess ran to the house and let herself inside

"Where is she going?" asked Gem as Duchess came back out and dropped Charlie's teddy bear and dropped it on the sheet OH.. crap" and started crying

"Okay Duchess" said Pamela and put the teddy bear between Charlie's front paws, under his chin and wrapped the sheet around Charlie and then placed him on the paint drop cloth and looped the rope thru the holes in the drop cloth and tied a knot at each loop "Okay, Charlie's ready.. How's it coming Lou?"

"Almost done" said Louis and dug a few more shovels of dirt "okay, its ready... Haz, Ni, Liam carry him over"

"Okay" they said and grabbed a handful of canvas

"Gently lower him in" said Louis and guided Charlie into the hole

"Everyone join hands" said Jessie "Heavenly Father welcome Charlie home and look after him for us. Give him a quiet place where he can run and have fu, he's earned it... In Jesus name, Amen"

"Amen" said everyone as Louis covered Charlie up

"I'll make a grave marker tomorrow Mary" said Marcus "What year was Charlie born?"

"March 17th, 1992" said Mary and chuckled "on St. Patrick's Day... an Irish Setter born on an Irish holiday... Celeste, Charlie's Mother, had 4 puppies, all boys - Charlie was the only one that lived" and wiped her eyes "The postman left the gate open and Celeste got out and was hit by a car...when we got her to the veterinary hospital, they did a C-section and got the puppies out, but 3 of them were dead... the way they were positioned, they took the impact and Charlie was protected"

"What happened to Celeste?" I asked

"She had to be put down bc her spine was broken" said Mary " it was 6 months before we could bring Charlie home... by then Pamela was 7 months old and was crawling around the house chasing after Charlie and giggling... when she started walking Charlie would knock her on her butt when she tried to climb the stairs to find Louis... oh she did not like that and would pull hid tail to get him to leave"

"Charlie never let me climb those stairs" said Pamela "I think I was 2 when he finally let me and he was with me the whole time... I'd crawl up them and slide back down over & over till Grandpa said 'okay bouncy girl, that's enough for today' "

"That was rough having 2 toddlers in the house" said Zayn "between potty training Pamela and trying to keep Charlie from chewing up our shoes, they were conspiring to make life rough - two peas in a pod they were"

"And now you'll get to do that with Duchess while trying to potty train 3 toddlers all at the same time" said Louis "You're so lucky"

"Oh shut up Louis" said Zayn "at least Duchess is past the puppy phase"

"Um.. not quite" said Jimmy "as long as you have lots of chew ropes, she'll leave your shoes alone"

"Oh God" said Zayn

"And don't light off any fireworks around her - she's terrified of them" said Jimmy "Mack & I took her to a 4th of July party after we got her back and the minute the fireworks started, she bolted into the house and hid under one of the beds for 2 hours till we told her it was time to go home, then she came out of hiding"

"My poor baby" said Jessie "Did you get scared?... its alright there's no fireworks here"

"Yes there are, but only for the Queen's birthday and to celebrate New Years" said Haz "but you can find them year round if you look hard enough or if you know someone" and winked

"Oh reeeally… good to know" said Jessie

"Haz… shut...up" said Marcus and looked at Louis... Louis walked over to Haz and whispered in his ear then smacked the back of his head

"Not another word Haz" said Louis

"Louis, whispering doesn't prevent me from hearing you" I said "If I were you, I'd keep Haz out of the loop on your strategy till game day or else his mouth could run amok all over town... just saying... sorry Haz"

"Oh Christ" said Louis "What about Anne?... she can't keep a secret either"

"Anne has already been warned and I think she'll be just fine, right jellybean?" I said 

"Right petal" said Jessie "No worries there"

"Yeah right" muttered Haz "So what you're saying is that I can't be trusted to kepp a secret?"

"Yep" said Anne, Mary, Pamela, Gem, Maura, Gran, Jessie & I all in unison

"I can keep a secret, you just watch" said Haz "If I blab any of our strategy between now and game day, I'll let Sarah pick my next 2 tattoos... If I DON'T BLAB, then each of you ladies has to get me a bag of chocolate chips.... Deal?"

"Deal" I said and shook his hand "and I'll know if you do Haz"


	75. Chapter 75

Chapter 75

SARAH'S POV (Continued)

"Linda... How did Brian break his lag?" asked NI

"He interrupted Sarah's meditation" said Mom

"For the third time in 2 days" I said "I kept telling him to stop or next time I'd get him back for it... so I put his skateboard next to the bathtub while he was in the shower and when he stepped on it, he slid across the tile floor and snapped it like a tree branch"

"Damn... All bc he interrupted your meditation?" said Louis

"Yes, bc if I don't meditate, my ability to move things takes over the house" I said "When I get agitated, I can't control what my brain does... the meditation helps"

"Oh" said Louis "so what gets you agitated?... just so I don't cross the line"

"Usually, just Brian" I said "He thinks its hysterical to scare me or put me in 'High stress' situations... like locking me in the closet or hiding in the shower and scaring me when I'm brushing my teeth... other than that, I'm usually fine as long as I can meditate for an hour at some point"

"Oh okay" said Louis "I would think singing on stage would be one those 'High stress ' situations"

"For some people it is" I said "But I'm in the church choir so I'm used to singing in front of people"

"That's why I'm playing guitar on Sarah's song" said Ni "Sarah is having a hard time trying to sing while playing the piano... when she sings, she can't focus on the notes and hits the wrong keys, so Linda is allowing the students to have and accompanist of they need one"

"I was going to have Haz play the piano, but then Ni started playing it on his guitar, it sounded better" I said "and that's when Haz started tweeking Jessie's song... I told you Haz - if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

"Yeah, I know... I showed it to Jessie last night" said Haz "so I'm going to 'un-write' it and put the original down on sheet music for Jessie to have"

"Ah... good idea Haz" I said "a keepsake, if you will"

"Exactly" said Haz "and seeing as we already have the song Marcus sent us for Jessie written down, it just seems fitting"

"I like the idea Haz" said Jessie "Go ahead, I don't mind"

"Thanks peanut" said Haz

"You're welcome" said Jessie and yawned "Oh gosh, sorry about that"

"That's alright angel" said Marcus "Its been a long day for you"

"Yeah, it has, but I'm okay for now" said Jessie as her phone and everyone else's chirped "What the heck? and pulled out her phone "Bubba, I'm gonna kill you for this"

"Oh my God" said Gem "Is that you Jessie?"

"Yeah" said Jessie and put her phone away

"Holy crap" said Louis "you destroyed that kitchen"

"Yeah she did" said Jimmy "all bc I wouldn't give her ice cream for dinner"

"What did you feed her?" asked Mary

"Chicken noodle soup with crackers, pureed strawberries & bananas & a glass of grape juice" said Jimmy "Catherine said that was her favorite so that's what I made her... but its like the minute Catherine was gone, Jessie became a Holy terror and flung it all over the kitchen... I had to call Mack & Simon to come over and help me clean the kitchen and give Jessie a bath before Catherine got home"

"Oh God" said Mary and started laughing "What did you tell Catherine when she got home?"

"Jessie was an absolute angel the whole night, she ate all of her dinner and had her bath" said Jimmy "That's Babysitting 101 - lie to the parent about their little 'tazmanian devil', call in reinforcements to clean up any big messes, then go home, get drunk and swear off kids till you're 40... and so far that last part has been achieved"

"Oh shut up Jimmy" said Jessie "Simon told me all about the crap you pulled when you were that age... like the time you followed the ice cream truck for 10 blocks on your tricycle and caused Miss Jenny to have a near-fatal heart attack trying to find you... how about when you tried to give Gus a haircut using Mr. Richard's electric clippers bc Gus wouldn't play fetch... and last, but not least, the time you tried to clean the bathroom using a whole bottle of bleach & 8 rolls of toilet paper - he destroyed the floor, his clothes and had blond hair for 6 months.... compared to you, I WAS an angel"

"Yeah and I got a switch taken across my butt for it too - every time" said Jimmy "Daddy beat me to the point that I couldn't sit for a week... you got off easy"

"Yeah well be thankful that's all your Daddy did to you" said Jessie "Your Daddy never called you 'Satan's spawn' - did he?... Your Daddy never sexually abused you - did he?... now who got off easy?"

"You made you point Jessie, calm down darlin" said Jimmy

"Yeah right easy for you to say" said Jessie "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed" and got up and went to Anne's house and slammed the door

"I'll go talk to her" said Marcus and went to Anne's house

"I'll be right back" said Pamela and ran to Anne's

PAMELA'S POV

"Pamela, I can't get Jessie to calm down" said Marcus "She's blocking me"

"Okay" I said "Momma's here baby... look at me Jessie... that's my girl, just breathe... what happened?"

"She was ranting then just collapsed and couldn't breathe properly" said Marcus

"Okay, it sounds like a panic attack" I said "Go get Robin, quietly... I don't want everyone to worry and Jessie doesn't need everyone in here"

"Okay" said Marcus and left the house

"Shh, just keep looking at me baby" I said "Robin's coming, just breathe"

"It.. hurts... Momma" cried Jessie "really... bad"

"I know it does baby, just breathe as best you can" I said

"I'm here sweetie" said Robin "Marcus, my bag is in Anne's room - first door on the right next to the dresser"

"Okay" said Marcus and ran upstairs and came back with Robin's bag "Here you go Robin"

"Thanks" said Robin "Where does it hurt Jessie?"

"My... chest... just.. in.. my... chest" panted Jessie

"Okay sweetie, I need to listen to your heart" said Robin and put a stethoscope to Jessie's chest "has this happened before?"

"Yeah.. but... never... this... bad" panted Jessie

"Okay, I'm going to give you a baby aspirin" said Robin "Its going to thin out your blood a bit and help your heart relax so its not beating so hard, alright?"

"Okay" said Jessie and took the aspirin with some water "oh.. that's.. disgusting"

"Now just breathe slow & easy till it kicks in" said Robin and listened to her heart again "come on Jessie, slow & easy, just like you do during your headstands... that's it... try not to get worked up again and I want you to start doing your headstands when you feel yourself getting upset, okay?"

"Okay" said Jessie

"And no more ambushes - both of you" said Robin "The lead-up ends right now... Jessie has a busy week and needs to stay calm & relaxed... you two can hash this out next Sunday... understood?"

"Okay" said Marcus & Jessie

"Your heart has finally slowed down... I want you to be careful for a few days" said Robin "I gave you a blood thinner so you'll bruise easily till its out of your system so try not to bump into anything and when you go running, be mindful of your surroundings... drink lots of water and take your vitamins alright?"

"I will, I promise" said Jessie "Robin? Are my ears supposed to be ringing?"

"That can happen sometimes sweetie" said Robin "bc you couldn't breathe properly, your brain was slightly deprived of oxygen, it will pass shortly, just breathe normally... other than the ringing in your ears, how do you feel?"

"Achy & tired" said Jessie "but wired too"

"Okay... I'm going to draw some blood and I'll take it to the clinic in the morning and see what it tells me" said Robin "once I know what it says, we'll go from there, alright?"

"Okay" said Jessie as Robin took out a needle & vial and drew some blood from Jessie's arm, then put an alcohol pad & a cotton ball on the injection site and wrapped a gauze bandage around her arm to hold it in place

"Leave this on till morning and then put a band-aid on it afterwards" said Robin

"Okay... can I go back out and sit for a while?" asked Jessie

"Of course... can you stand up okay?" said Robin

"Yeah, I think so" said Jessie and tried to stand up "Okay, maybe not"

"I've got you angel" said Marcus and picked her up bridal style "We'll get you settled in a chair and I'll get you a water, vitamin & a banana"

"Okay" said Jessie and laid her head on Marcus's shoulder

I held the door for Marcus & Robin then we headed for the patio.

"Is Jessie alright poppet?" asked Ni

"Yeah, she had a really scary panic attack" I said as Marcus set Jessie in her chair "I'll be right back sunshine"

"Stay here angel" said Marcus and followed me in the house 

"I thought Lucifer took those memories" I said

"He did" said Marcus "I don't know why she still remembers the abuse... the only one that can answer that is Lucifer"

"Can I call him, like I called you?" I asked

"Yeah, he's always listening" said Marcus and gathered up the things he needed for Jessie and went back out to the patio "Here you go angel... Pamela & I need to talk to my old boss for a minute, stay here please, we'll be right back"

"Alright" said Jessie as we went back into Anne's yard

"Lucifer, Marcus & I need to talk to you about Jessie, please" I said 

"Of course Pamela, what do you want to talk about?" said Lucifer

"You took Jessie's memories of the abuse, right?" I asked

"Yes, I took them all... why?" asked Lucifer

"Because she still remember all of it" I said "Jessie had a severe panic attack tonight"

"That shouldn't be possible" said Lucifer "Once a memory has been removed it doesn't exist after 24 hours... may I talk to her?"

"I'll go get her... she's still pretty weak" said Marcus

"No Marcus, I'll go to her" said Lucifer "Its better if she's sitting when I read her"

"Yes sir... I should warn you sir, Jessie's best friend Sarah is here and can read also and she's very protective of Jessie" said Marcus

""Ah, that's why I'm getting the death stare" said Lucifer and chuckled "Duly noted Marcus" as we headed over to Jessie and sat down "Jessie, how is it that you still remember after I took those memories?"

"I don't know, but they're still there, clear & intact" said Jessie

"Okay... Is it alright if I read?" asked Lucifer

"Go ahead" said Jessie "Its alright Sarah.. you can hold my hand if you want, but you need to calm down petal"

"No, I'm going to go sit with Jimmy" said Sarah and stood up "You better not hurt her or so help me God, you'll be sorry Lucifer" and walked over to Jimmy and sat down, crossing her arms as her soda floated into her hand

"Oh bloody Hell" said Lucifer "Damn it Brooke, stop it... its unnerving when you do that"

"Then you had better behave or it'll get worse" said Sarah "You know what will happen Lucifer... I did it once, and by God, I'll do it again"

"I'm here for Jessie, Brooke, not to rehash old arguments with you" said Lucifer "Just calm down, I'm trying to read"

"Mhm... yeah right" said Sarah and looked at Jessie "You've been warned Lucifer"

"What in the Hell is going on Sarah?" whispered Louis

"A very old domestic squabble" said Sarah "One he started a long, long time ago"

"A... domestic... squabble?" said Louis slowly "No way... you two?... Damn - sucks to be you Lucifer"

"Which is why I went into retirement" said Lucifer "Now... if you don't mind, I'm a little busy here"

"Sorry... continue" said Louis

"Thank you" said Lucifer and closed his eyes "close you eyes please Jessie" and did so as Lucifer put his hand on her shoulder "Hmm... your memories are gone, but the echoes are still there... Do you want them gone as well?"

"Yes please" said Jessie

"Alright... this removal may irritate a little" said Lucifer "Just breathe slow & easy Jessie... okay?"

"Okay... go ahead" said Jessie and held Marcus's hand

"Okay, here it goes" said Lucifer and pointed at Jessie's forehead and slowly puled his finger away as a gray fog left her head - it looked like a dirty cotton ball "just keep breathing Jessie, you're doing great... just a little more... there, that's all of them... they should all be gone now - how do you feel?"

Jessie slowly opened her eyes "I feel a little dizzy" said Jessie "but it feels like they're gone now"

"The dizziness will pass in a few minutes" said Lucifer "Now, if you come across any more echoes, have Marcus call me and I'll come get them, alright?"

"Alright... Thank you Lucifer" said Jessie "You know you need to apologize for the squabble... right?"

"Jessie, I've tried to apologize for 1200 years she just wont listen to me" said Lucifer "Call if you need me" and disappeared

"Okay Sarah... What did Lucifer do to make you so mad?" asked Louis

"He forgot our Anniversary" said Sarah " So, I left... 125 years together, you would think he'd remember but Nooo he decided to take the goon squad upstairs and raise a ruckus... and that wasn't the only Anniversary he forgot either - he forgot our 50th and the next 3 after that - jerk"

"Daaamn" said Louis "No wonder you're mad at him"

"You need to let Lucifer apologize sweetie" said Gran "You don't have to forgive him, just let him apologize... Men screw up and forget things all the time, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to apologize when they realize their mistake"

"Gran's right petal" said Mom "At least think about it"

Sarah rolled her eyes "Fine" said Sarah and walked out in the yard "Lucifer, I'll listen if you want to apologize... I promise"

"Oh Brooke, I'm so sorry" said Lucifer and fell to his knees "I was trying to plan a surprise for you... I didn't forget our Anniversary, I swear"

"A surprise?" said Sarah "but you took the goon squad upstairs... why?"

"To plan a special Wedding... ours" said Lucifer "then you left with no explanation so I retired to look for you, but every time I found you, you would walk away or throw something at me"

"You could have told me before you went upstairs, I would've stayed" said Sarah "All you had to say was 'I have a surprise for you for our Anniversary'... 9 words Lucifer... 1 sentence and all of this could've been avoided"

"I know that now, please Brooke, please forgive me" said Lucifer and held her hand "I'll do anything, just please forgive me"

"I'll forgive you on one condition" said Sarah

"Anything, just name it" said Lucifer

"You'll ask my Father for permission to marry me when I turn 18... 12 years from now" said Sarah

"I will, I promise" said Lucifer

"Then I forgive you" said Sarah

"Thank you Brooke" said Lucifer and kissed her hand

"Um... boss, I don't mean to interrupt" said Marcus "but there's one small problem with Sarah's 'one condition' "

"What's that Marcus?" asked Lucifer

"You're an archangel and Sarah is human" said Marcus as they walked to the patio and sat down "Before you were both angels, which is no big deal, but now the dynamic has changed"

"Damn... he's right Brooke" said Lucifer "I didn't think about that"

"I have an idea" said Jessie "Its not the most pleasant plan I've ever come up with but considering what we have to work with, it may just work"

"What?" said Lucifer

"You ask Sarah's Father for permission when she turns 18 and then have a meeting with God" said Jessie "Tell him you have Tom's blessing and that you want to have a private ceremony... you'll say vows to each other and exchange rings - here's the unpleasant part - when Sarah reaches the end of her human life, you'll have the Wedding you wanted to have upstairs.... Like I said, its not the most pleasant idea I've ever had"

"What do you mean by 'private ceremony'?' asked Lucifer

"I mean no priest, no marriage license, just the two of you" said Jessie "say vows to each other & exchange rings... that's it"

"So would Brooke wear a Wedding gown?" asked Lucifer

"Don't get mad Luce" said Jessie "I know you see her as Brooke, but her name is Sarah now... this is your second chance to make a new Love Story.... and to answer your question, yes, she can wear one if that's what you both want"

"I'm not mad Jessie... you make a good point and your idea actually sounds like it could work" said Lucifer "and we have 12 years to work out the details & logistics"

"Exactly" said Jessie

"Thank you Jessie... for the idea and for your advice & understanding" said Lucifer

"You're welcome" said Jessie "um.. Damian is here"

"Sorry boss, but I need to talk to the boss lady" said Damian

"What's up big guy?" said Jessie

"It seems that 'Come to Jesus' you requested, didn't work" said Damian "Should I tell the boss?"

"Aw shit... shit... shit" said Jessie "Sorry y'all… Momma, Louis, this is your call bc Billy fucked up - again"

"He was warned Pamela" said Louis "You know how I feel on this subject, so the decision is yours little one"

"Go ahead and tell him Damian" I said and covered my eyes and tried not to cry

"Yes ma'am" said Damian "Sir, Can I speak with you privately please... the others shouldn't hear this"

"Of course Damian" said Lucifer and walked to Anne's yard with Damian "HE DID WHAT!?!?… WHERE IS HE NOW??"

"Oh is Lucifer pissed... Billy's a dead man" said Jessie as they came back

"I have to go for a bit" said Lucifer "I'll deal with this one myself"

"Billy gets violent when he's cornered Lucifer" said Louis "please be careful"

"Thank you Louis, I'll keep that in mind" said Lucifer and disappeared

"What was that all about Louis?" asked Liam

"Grandpa" said Jessie "stay calm and just read"

"Okay" said Dad and closed his eyes "Oh my God" and opened his eyes and looked at me "Why didn't you tell me baby?"

"Because I handled it Dad" I said "He was 'Uncle Billy' for Christ's sake... if I had told you, Pops or Louis, the outcome would've been the same - someone would've gone to prison for murder... just let it go Dad, please... its done"

"The guy didn't even make it 24 hours Li" said Louis "now he'll face Lucifer and his judgement"

"Grandpa, listen to me... Damian warned Billy and showed him what would happen if he did that to anyone else" said Jessie "Billy didn't take Damian's warning seriously and chose to do what he wanted... what happens now is no one's fault except Billy's"

"This is wrong" said Dad "since when do you get to decide who deserves to go to Hell?"

"Liam... stop and think about what you just found out" said Louis "Now ask yourself 'If he had actually done it, would you have allowed him to live to hurt someone else's daughter?'... He's hurt too many girls as it is Li, he needs to be stopped and you know I'm right"

"But this way is wrong Lou" said Dad "Its like you're play Judge, Jury & Executioner here"

"Liam, what's done is done" said Sarah "Lucifer has his reasons when it comes to Divine Retribution... When it comes to crimes against women & children, the punishment is severe, but justified bc those fall under his jurisdiction... all other crimes and offenses go upstairs for judgement & sentencing"

"And you're okay with this?" asked Dad

"Yes and I'll tell you why" said Sarah "bc I've seen what Lucifer goes thru when he has to 'deal' with a situation personally and its not something I would wish for anyone to go thru.... you remember how you felt when Dani died?"

"Yes" said Dad

"Multiply that by Infinity then rip your heart out" said Sarah "That's what Lucifer goes thru every single time"

"Oh God" said Dad

"Now you understand why I'm okay with it" said Sarah "Lucifer isn't the cold, heartless, evil monster history has made him out to be... He has a job to do, he may not like it at times, but he does it without complaint and without letting it kill his soul"


	76. Chapter 76

Chapter 76

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

"Come here Sarah" said Jessie "I'll take your hair down, its almost time for us to go to bed.... We'll stay up till Lucifer comes back so you can say goodnight"

"Okay" said Sarah and sat on Jessie's lap "Thank you for doing my hair tonight jellybean"

"You're welcome petal" said Jessie "It seems we both have a thing for the 'bad boys' huh?"

"Yeah... who knew" said Sarah and giggled "What is it about them that makes them so damned irresistible?"

"Maybe its bc deep down, they're just big old teddy bear's" said Jessie

"Hmm... maybe" said Sarah

"He's back" whispered Jessie "there, all done" as Lucifer sat down

"Its done" said Lucifer and buried his face in his arms "It was bad" and started crying "Oh God, it was so bad"

"Shh... Is she alright?" asked Sarah softly

"No.. I had to have Cassie escort the girl upstairs... she was only 14" cried Lucifer

"Oh no" said Louis and went to the picnic table crying

"Now do you think this was wrong Liam?" asked Gem "Don't ever say something like that again or I'll fucking punch you" and went out to Louis

"Shh... you did all you could for her my love" said Sarah "Cassie & the others will get her thru this"

"Damian, Come here please" said Jessie

"Yes ma'am?" said Damian

"Go upstairs and find Catherine & take her to Cassie" said Jessie "She'll help the girl understand what's happened"

"Yes ma'am boss lady" said Damian and disappeared

Lucifer lifted his head - he had tears streaming down his face "How is it that Damian does as you ask so easily?" said Lucifer softly

"We had an... altercation... a while back" said Jessie

"Ah, I see" said Lucifer "Is that why He's afraid of you?"

"Yeah, pretty much" said Jessie "I think of it more as a healthy respect for self-preservation"

Lucifer laughed "I love how you think Jessie... You are a breath of fresh air young lady" said Lucifer

"Thank you" said Jessie "Are you alright?"

"I will be in a few days" said Lucifer and wiped his eyes with a handkerchief "Once the girl is settled and I get her name & talk to her, I'll start healing again... This part of the job was always the hardest to deal with"

"May I make a suggestion... to make it a little easier?" asked Jessie

"Of course, please" said Lucifer

"Loose the suit... its a little creepy" said Jessie "If you dressed more casually when you went to deal with these types of situations, things would go more calmer... keep your suit for the judgement & sentencing... trust me, it worked for Marcus - a haircut wouldn't hurt either"

"Hmm... okay, I'll try it" said Lucifer "What do you think I should wear>"

"I don't know.... Zayn, what do you think would look good on Lucifer?" said Jessie

"Hmm" said Pops "I'd go with a pair of black jeans, a long-sleeved white t-shirt paired with a dark green or blue paid shirt over it and a nice pair of black suede boots"

"Ooo I like it" said Jessie "casual yet classic... meet us here tomorrow - Zayn, would you & Liam mind helping Lucifer pick out a few outfits where we took Marcus?"

"No, we don't mind" said Dad & Pops

"Do you want the full works? or just the basics?" asked Pops

"The full works" said Jessie " Oh gosh.. wait a sec... why didn't I think of this before" and smacked her forehead - hard "Jessica you idiot - YO! GOON SQUAD - FRONT & CENTER BOYS... ALL OF YOU!!"

"Gee whiz boss lady... What now?" said Davis "We were doing our paperwork"

"Oh.. sorry, this will only rake a minute" said Jessie "I need your clothing sizes bc you're getting a new wardrobe policy - casual dress, complete with a haircut... Lucifer will inform you as to when you'll be wearing your suits"

"Seriously?" said Damian "Its about damn time...When do you need them boss lady?"

"Tomorrow morning" said Jessie "I need sizes for shirts, pants/jeans & shoes... if you don't know what sizes you need, tell Zayn & Liam bc you'll need to try the items on so that we get the proper fit... alright?"

Yes ma'am" said Damian & the boys

"I want you here by 10am with your sizes written down... you'll be on stand-by and Liam & Zayn will call you and get you all set up, okay?" said Jessie "Go ahead and do your paperwork"

"Yes ma'am... we'll see you at 10am" said Damian and disappeared

"Oh, this is going to be a riot" said Pops "y'all have no clue what's in store - thkis going to be epic"

"Come on Zayn, lets go to my room" said Jessie "I'll get you set with my backpack and funds"

"Okay princess" said Pops and walked over to help Jessie into the house" May I escort you m'lady?"

"Why thank you kind sir" sand Jessie and slowly stood up "Whoa.. just a sec.. the ground is dipping & spinning" and closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths then slowly opened her eyes "oaky, lets go"

"Easy goes it princess" said Pops "Oh Hell, its gonna take us an hour to get to the door" and picked Jessie up bridal style "Don't give me that look, you can shoot me later... I'm just going to get you to the stairs"

"No Grandpa, put me down" said Jessie "Dr. Carlisle said no heavy lifting bc its not good for you or the babies... Grandpa, little help here please"

"I'll carry her babe" said Dad "Jessie's right - no heavy lifting, Dr.'s orders"

"Nope... not happening sweet cheeks" said Jessie "pass me over to Grandpa"

"Fine" said Pops and handed Jessie over to Dad and crossed his arms "The next pregnancy is on you sweet cheeks"

"We'll see about that one babe" chuckled Dad

"Marcus... show Lucifer the nursery" said Jessie as she went in the house

"Is Jessie always like that?" asked Lucifer

"Yep, all the time" said Mom "24/7... Hurricane Jessie is on the move again"

MARCUS'S POV

"Come on boss, I'll show you Zayn & Liam's nursery" I said 

"Lead the way" said Lucifer and followed me to the nursery

"Have a look" I said and opened the doors "I started it yesterday evening and finished it this afternoon"

"You did this?" said Lucifer

"Yes sir" I said "Liam & Zayn saw some photos of some murals I did at Jessie & I's cabin and asked me to paint one for the nursery... that's our cabin right there" and pointed to it

"This is incredible Marcus" said Lucifer "Where is this cabin located?"

"Up in Alaska" I said "I left the address on your desk in case you ever wanted to get away from the office for a few days - its your to use.... its quiet and there's no one around to bother you, except for the wildlife"

"Thank you Marcus" said Lucifer "These faeries... is that Jessie & Pamela?"

"Yes... and Mary, Anne, Maura & Beth" I said "and over here, I painted the men as gnomes,,, I even included Mary's dog Charlie & Jessie's dog Duchess"

"Can I meet the dogs?" asked Lucifer

"You can meet Duchess" I said "Unfortunately, Charlie passed away earlier this evening"

"Oh, I'm sorry" said Lucifer

"Its alright" I said "Mary said he had a good long life... Charlie was born when Pamela was 6 weeks old - he was 19 years old"

"So? What do you think Lucifer?" asked Jessie

"Its incredible" said Lucifer "A true masterpiece that would make Michael Angelo weep"

"Did you see the door?" said Jessie as Lucifer looked at it

"Oh, its beautiful" said Lucifer "Why do I smell perfume?"

"Oh... The lasies & I ambushed the guys with perfume bombs earlier" said Jessie "Louis had to wash their clothes... Marcus was coated in it"

"What's in a perfume bomb?" asked Lucifer

"Perfume, flour & water contained in a balloon" said Jessie

"Yeah.. Sarah hit Louis in the face with one - he was mad" said Zayn "He was puking in the sink bc some got in his nose & mouth... I didn't get hit as bad as everyone else did... Thank God"

"So are you all set for the epic shopping excursion tomorrow?" I asked

"Yep, they're all set" said Jessie "They have their list of what to do and get and enough cash to fund a third-world country... now, lets got outside so Lucifer can meet Duchess"

"Yes ma'am" I said as we all left the nursery

As we cam thru the back door Jessie let out a loud whistle.

"Duchess... come here baby" said Jessie as Liam set her in her chair - Duchess came running from the far end of the yard and right up to Jessie "Good girl... you're all dirty - were you sleeping with Charlie?"

"woof! woof!" barked Duchess

"Hmm.. okay... Can you sit pretty? There's someone I want you to meet" said Jessie as Duchess sat down "Good girl... this is Lucifer - he's a friend - be nice and say hello"

"woof!" barked Duchess and held up her paw

"She wants you to shake her paw" said Haz

"Hello Duchess, its nice to meet you" said Lucifer and shook her paw "You are a very pretty girl"

""woof, woof" barked Duchess

"You're welcome" said Lucifer

Duchess looked out at the yard and then at Jessie "whine, woof?" barked Duchess

"You can go back to Charlie, but no digging, alright?" said Jessie

"woof" barked Duchess

"Then go ahead" said Jessie as Duchess ran back out to the yard

"She's beautiful & smart too" said Lucifer

"Thanks... she's my baby" said Jessie "I just got her back last weekend when Jimmy came to see me"

" I was sorry to hear about Charlie Mary" said Lucifer "I saw him in the mural... he was a beautiful dog"

"Thank you Lucifer" said Mary "He was the best dog I've ever had"

"What will you do now that he's gone?" asked Lucifer

"I'm going to train Duchess as a therapy dog" said Mary "then when she's ready, we'll make our rounds at the hospital & senior living center.... eventually, I'd like to start breeding dogs again and start a training facility for therapy dogs, but that will have to wait till our baby starts school and Haz finishes University"

"I thought the nursery was for Liam & Zayn?" said Lucifer

"It is... Zayn's babies are due in March" said Mary "Haz & I have a Dr.'s appointment on Monday... I'm guessing I'll be due sometime in April - we're hoping for a girl"

"Congratulations" said Lucifer "wait... babies?... How many?"

"3 babies" said Zayn "According to Jessie & Jimmy, they're all girls... we'll find out for sure in November"

"Amazing... Congratulations" said Lucifer "4 babies in one house... its a good thing you have such a large family to help out so you aren't so sleep deprived"

"Yes, it is" chuckled Mary as Louis & Gem came back to the patio and sat down "Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Mom" said Louis and wiped his eyes

"I'm fine Mary" said Gem and smiled when Anne hugged her and kissed Louis's head

"I know sweetie" said Anne as a single tear ran down her cheek "just know she's not in any more pain... Catherine will take care of her and she will see her family one day... promise"

"I know Mum" said Gen and wiped her eyes

"I've got a joke Mum.. you want to hear it?" said Haz

"Oh no" said Ni and covered his face

*****NOTE: I know this is considered plagerizing, but this joke was in a previous fanfic and I thought it was so cute & dorky I just had to borrow it... I don't remember the story name or author, but I hope y'all enjoy it <3*****

"How do you make a snow angel?" asked Haz

"I don't know,,, How do you make a snow angel" said Anne

"Kill a snowman" said Haz

"That's a good obe Haz" chuckled Louis

"Haz, mate, do yourself a favor and get some new jokes" said Ni

"What was wrong with that one?" asked Haz "I've been holding onto it for 6 months"

"Its summer Haz" said Ni "6 months ago, it was winter... get some new jokes mate"

"Oh dammit" said Haz "Okay Ni"

"I've got a joke for you Haz" said Jessie

"Shoot peanut" said Haz

"How do you make God laugh?" said Jessie 

"Oh dear God" laughed Jimmy

"I don't know... How?" said Haz

"Tell him he has something in his teeth" said Jessie

"Oh, that's a keeper" said Lucifer and laughed

"Where did you find that joke? That's a good one" said Haz

"Dude... I'm a southern Catholic" said Jessie "When we go to Ireland in a few weeks, visit a church and ask the priest for his best joke... Catholic priests are a trip... and just between us? If you can get one drunk enough, you could come back with enough jokes to last you a couple of years"

"Oh no you didn't" said Louis in shock

"Oh Hell yeah I did" said Jessie "Father Flannery LOVES his Irish coffee, so, I used Grandpa's credit card and sent Father Flannery 2 cases of Irish whiskey for Christmas"

"Oh my God" said Louis

"For 6 months, he would end every mass with a joke" said Jessie "2 cases of whiskey - $300... 1 drunk priest - $0... 6 months of jokes - priceless"

Everyone was laughing "You're crazy" laughed Louis

"I may be crazy, but I've got jokes to last a lifetime" said Jessie "and stories... oh, the stories I could tell you... those are the best bc unless you were there, they're unbelievably funny"

"Tell us one" said Haz

"Yeah" said Gran

"This one time, Father Flannery was supposed to be taking confessions, but no one could find him" said Jessie "so Me, Dustin Brooks & his older brother Dexter volunteer to help find him so we decided to go look out in the community garden to see if Father Flannery was there and had just lost track of time - its happened before - so we looked, he wasn't there... Dustin noticed a long ladder next to a tre - we just looked at each other like - sorry Papa - 'no fucking way' and went over to the tree and looked up.... there was Father Flannery - naked as the day he was born and out cold sitting on a tree branch"

"You're kidding" said Louis

"Nope" said Jessie "so, bc I was the only girl in our group, I had to go tell Mother Superior that we found him and to call 9-1-1 so the Fire Department could get him down... well after a rousingly drunken rendition of 'Danny Boy' and an hour & a half of playing rock, paper, scissors with the Fire Chief, they finally got him out of the tree and into some clothes and bc no one got hurt, the police let him go back to the rectory to sleep off his drunken stupor..... 4 hours later, we hear laughing and crying coming from one of the confessionals so my Daddy went to go check it out and there was Father Flannery, on his cell phone, talking to God... or so he thought... turns out he had called a phone sex hotline instead"

"No... way" said Louis "In church?"

"Like I said... priests are a trip" said Jessie

"She's joking, right?" said Louis

"Nope, that really happened - Mack told me all about it" said Jimmy "Father Flannery passed away last year from a massive heart attack"

"Damn... he was the coolest" said Jessie and crossed herself "Rest in peace Father and go easy on the Irish coffee"

"Amen" said Gran and crossed herself as well

"Well ladies, we had better get some sleep or we're gonna look like a bunch of zombies in the morning" said Gem "Its almost 1am"

"Is it that late?" said Pamela and pulled out her phone "damn it is... okay Gem"

"Do you want to stay here poppet?" asked Ni

"I want to, but Jessie still isn't walking on her own, so I'm going to stay with her" said Pamela

"Okay poppet" said Ni and kissed Pamela's head "I'll miss you"

"I know sunshine, I'll miss you too" said Pamela "I Love You"

"I Love You too poppet" said NI

"Oh get a room you two" said Louis Its one night... wait... not even - its more like 11 hours till you'll see each other again... get a grip"

"Kiss my ass Louis" said Pamela "Its our first night apart"

"No thanks, I'll pass" said Louis "Fine, just keep the PDA to a minimum then"

"Come on angel" I said "I'll take you over to Anne's"

"Okay, but I need to walk" said Jessie "Or else I'll be a mess in the morning"

"Okay angel" I said "I'll walk with you"

"Okay... Goodnight Lucifer" said Jessie and kissed his cheek "I'll see you in a few hours... get some rest"

"Good night Jessie... I will" said Lucifer

"Goodnight Papa" said Jessie and kissed Ni's cheek"Good night y'all, see ya in a few hours"

"Goodnight poppet" said Ni

"Momma, can you grab me an orange juice before you head over" said Jessie

"Sure baby" said Pamela

"Thanks Momma" said Jessie

"Sarah fell asleep" I said 

"No I didn't" said Sarah "I need my earplugs to sleep... I was listening to one of the angels singing"

"That's my Mom - Catherine" said Jessie "She always sings when someone is scared or sad... that's her favorite song"

"She has a beautiful voice" said Sarah "I could listen to her sing for hours"

"I know... I'll see you in a bit petal" said Jessie

PAMELA'S POV

"I'll be right there jellybean" said Sarah as Jessie & Marcus headed towards Anne's "I have to go my love, but I'll see you before we leave, okay?"

"Okay beautiful" said Lucifer and kissed her head "I Love You Brooke"

"I Love You too Luce" said Sarah and kissed his cheek "Goodnight my love"

"Goodnight beautiful" said Lucifer and disappeared

"Goodnight everyone" said Sarah and headed over for Anne's house

"Sarah is carrying some major guilt" said Jimmy "The next 12 years are going to be rough - for both her & Lucifer... they love each other so much it hurts to be apart"

"How can I make it easier for her?" asked Linda "I'm outside of the box when it comes to Sarah... How many 6 year old's do you know that can do high school level calculus, trigonometry, physics and can read, write & speak 9 languages?"

"I know what you mean... Jessie can too and she know gemology better than most professionals do" I said "Jessie & Marcus are in the same situation as Sarah & Lucifer"

"Sometimes it feels like she's the parent" said Linda "I try not to take it personally, but its hard"

"I know Linda... Ni & I are learning to be parents... sometimes we think we've got it and then something happens and we're back at square 1" I said "They're adults stuck in a child's body.... I've found that if you talk to them adult to adult and be respectful of their feelings, they'll do the same in return... In Jessie's case, part of her is 10 years old and needs to be parented, but the part that isn't needs a sister/friend - someione who has been thru that 'first love' phase and can help her navigate thru it... Jessie is a take charge, independent person who knows her limits, but her mouth gets her in trouble sometimes"

"I notice she apologizes before she swears" said Linda

"Yeah... we don't lkike it, but as we've realized, if she gets really angry or upset, the words just come out and she can't stop them till its too late" I said "but she's gettingbetter at trying not to swear too much"

Our biggest problem right now is Sarah's 'agitation' issues" said Linda

"How long has that been going on?" I asked

"Since school ended" said Linda "We went online and tried acupuncture, aroma therapy and then meditation.... so far the meditation is working as long as Brian leaves her alone"

"Why don't you let Sarah stay with us for the week" said Mom "We'd love to have her and it will give Sarah & Brian a chance to miss each other... talk it over with Tom and the kids"

"Okay... thank you Mary" said Linda

"You're welcome" said Mom "Duchess, come on baby, its time for bed" as Duchess came running from the back yard "Good girl, lets go baby, Jessie & Sarah are waiting for you" and went to Anne's house and waited for us as we opened the door

"They both fell asleep the minute they laid down" said Marcus "So I waited toil you got here"

"Thanks Marcus" I said "Go get some sleep"

"Okay" said Marcus "Duchess, keep an eye on Jessie and wake up Pamela if there's an emergency, okay?"

"woof" barked Duchess softly and laid down next to Jessie on the floor

"Good girl" said Marcus "Goodnight ladies"

"Goodnight Marcus" said everyone as he went to the back door and left the house

"Maura, Gran, you can sleep in the guest room at the end of the hall... Mary, you can sleep in my room with me... Pamela, you can room with Gemma and Linda, you can sleep in Harry's room... the girls have Duchess watching over them, they'll be fine down here" said Anne

"Thanks Anne, but I'm going to sleep on the sofa" I said "something doesn't feel right"

"Me too Mum" said Gem "I'm with Pamela, something feels off" and pulled out her phone "Hey Louis... can you bring over that baseball bat and a few zip ties from your toolbox?... Thanks baby" and hung up "Pamela come with me" and headed for the laundry room

"What's up Gem?" I said as Gem looked into the kitchen

"Don't say anything" whispered Gem "Did you smell anything when we were in the kitchen?"

"Yeah... like smoke & eggs" I whispered

"Okay, then its not just me" whispered Gem "We need to get out of here as quickly & quietly as possible and we need to open the windows"

"Okay" I said as Loiuis came thru the door "Shh Louis... just listen"

"Ugh... what stin" said Louis and stopped "you need to get out of here... now"

"Shh we will, just listen for a sec" I said "Jessie & Sarah are sleeping - Gem & I will get them... open the windows and do a room by room sweep if you find anything, lock that room and call Rothsdale and stand guard.... DO NOT ATTACK... got it?"

"Got it, now go" said Louis

"Ladies, we have a problem" I said "We need to get out of here … Gem & I will will get the girls... don't panic & don't run, now go" I picked up Jessie & Gem picked up Sarah... I nudged Duchess "wake up Duchess, we have an intruder, go find him girl"

"woof" barked Duchess softly

"The gas was turned on" said Louis "Mom has 3 bats in the storage pantry... give one to Marcus and have him guard the fron door... give one to Ni and have him guard the back door and you keep the last one and hold the fort Captain"

"Got it Colonel" I said "Good luck Dad... stay safe"

"You too baby girl" said Louis "Get out of here"

We left Anne's and went thru the back door of the house. We laid the girls on the sofa and I grabbed the baseball bats.

"What's wrong Pamela?" asked Marcus

"Someone got into Anne's House and turned the gas on" I said "Take this and guard the front door"

"Yes ma'am" said Marcus

"Ni, take this and guard the front door" I said 

"Yes ma'am" said Ni

I grabbed a handful of zip ties and my handcuffs and did a room by room search. All of the rooms were clear as I headed to Jessie's room... someone was in Jessie's room.

"Come out of the closet.. slowly and put your hands up" I said as the man stood up "You make any sudden movements and I'll crack your skull open... turn around and put your hands on your head & interlock your fingers" and did as he was told.

I read him his rights as I handcuffed him "You are under arrest for Criminal trespassing & burglary... You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law... you have the right to an attorney, if you can not afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you... Do you understand these rights as I've explained them to you?"

"Yes" said the man

"Do you wish to make a statement?" I asked

"No" said the man

"Lets go" I said and led him downstairs "I found this guy in Jessie's room"

"That's the guy from the department store Thusday" said Pops "The one that was listening to Jessie & Marcus's conversation"

"Haz call Rothsdale" I said "Sit down asshole"

"You can't talk to me like that, you're a cop" said the man

"Not here I'm not" I said "Or was my lack of a British accent confusing to you?... asshole"

"Oh bloody Hell" said the man "You're an American?"

"Yep, born & raised in the U.S.A." I said "Now shut the fuck up before I follow thru and crack your skull open" my phone rang

PAMELA: Hey Louis... Find anything?

LOUIS: Yeah, I found 2 guys in Anne's room... Duchess is guarding them while I cuff them

PAMELA: We got one here too... He was in Jessie's room... he's cuffed too

LOUIS: Son of a bitch... you read him his rights?

PAMELA: Yeah... you?

LOUIS: Yeah... you call Rothsdale yet?

PAMELA: Haz is on the phone with him now *Hey Haz tell Rothsdale we got 2 more over at Anne's house, bring back-up and light it up*

HARRY: Yes ma'am Captain *You hear that?.. okay see you soon*

LOUIS: Have Jessie & Sarah woken up yet?

PAMELA: Not yet but they're breathing so I'm not worried yet

LOUIS: Okay... I'm gonna hang up now see ya in a while b aby girl

PAMELA: Okay Dad see ya soon

and hung up "I see you finally got to use your handcuffs" said Dad

"Yeah, now if I knew where the key was, I'd be set" I said 

"Its on your bookshelf in your room... 2nd shelf from the top in the cut glass bowl" said Pops

"Thanks Pops" I said "Here Dad.. watch him" and handed the bat to Liam "If he moves, crack his skull open"

"Yes ma'am Captain" said Dad "please, don't make me have to hurt you"

"Okay" said the man "Just my luck to pick a cop's house and an American one to boot"

"Ow... shit my head hurts" said Jessie "What the fucking Hell... Why are we back home?"

"Someone broke into Anne's house and turned on the gas" said Maura "You & Sarah were knocked out... this guy sitting on the stairs broke in here... Pamela found him in your room"

"Seriously?... My room?" said Jessie "Oh no" and flew off the sofa and ran up the stairs to her room "WHERE IS IT!?!? YOU COCK-SUCKING-MOTHER-FUCKER.... WHERE'S MY RING???"

"My coat pocket" said the man

"JESSICA RENEE HORAN" yelled Ni "THAT WILL BE ENOUGH"

"Sorry Papa" cried Jessie "But I need that ring... It was the last thing Marcus gave me before I had to leave... please Papa"

"Give me her ring" said Ni "Which pocket?"

"Left front coat pocket" said the man as Ni reached in and took out the ring, Jessie ran down the stairs and into his arms sobbing

"I'm sorry Papa" cried Jessie "I'm so sorry"

"Shh... its alright poppet" said Ni and rubbed her back "We got it back... shh... I'm sorry I yelled at you... hey, hey, calm down baby.... come on baby, just breathe... that's my beautiful girl... shh... that's it Jessie, just breathe"

"Is that the only thing you took?" asked Jessie and looked at the man "Tell the truth or I'll do more than just crack your skull open with a baseball bat" and wiped her eyes

"Yes.. I swear" said the man

"What's your name?" asked Jessie

"Evan St. James" said the man as tears ran down his face

"Why are you crying?" asked Jessie softly and walked over to Evan

"I am so sorry Miss" said Evan "Please forgive me"

"I forgive you... Apology accepted" said Jessie "Momma, can you take the handcuffs off Mr. St. James please"

"Are you sure baby?" I said 

Jessie put her hands on either side of Evan's head and closed her eyes, then reopened them slowly.

"I'm sure Momma... trust me" said Jessie

"Okay baby" I said and took the cuffs off Evan's wrists "Be have Mr. St. James or the cuffs go back on, understood?"

"Yes ma'am, Captain ma'am" said Evan

"What do you do for a living Evan?" asked Jessie

"I used to be a driver for the Manchester Hotel" said Evan "but I had to take care of my Mum... she had Cancer"

"I'm sorry for your loss" said Jessie "Can you get your job back?"

"No they already filled my job" said Evan "and no one will hire me bc I have my brother & sister to take care of and I need a more flexible schedule"

"I see... How long have you been out of work?" asked Jessie

"Almost 2 years Miss" said Evan

"What have you done for work since then?" asked Jessie

"I've worked a bunch of temp jobs" said Evan "Day carfe assistant, pizza delivery driver, Assistant Footie Coach, and as a volunteer driver at our church for Sister Grace"


	77. Chapter 77

Chapter 77

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

"Okay... Have a seat Evan" said Jessie "Mary, Momma, Papa, can I talk to you in the kitchen?"

"Sure baby" I said "What's on your mind?"

"Evan needs a job" said Jessie "He's not a criminal Papa, but I want to hire him... I can call Mr. Thompson & Sister Grace for references & work history... He has a brother & sister to take care of... please Papa, Momma"

"What do you think Mom?" I said "Do you think he can be trusted?"

"I think so... If Sister Grace trusts him, I think we should give him a chance" said Mom "Its up to you & Ni"

"Ni?... We know Mr. Thompson only hires the best" I said "What do you think?"

"Just a minute" said Ni and walked over to Evan "How is your driving record Evan?"

"Perfect sir... no infractions, accidents or tickets" said Evan

"And where do you live?" asked Ni

"Just down the road from Our Lady of Peace on Peachtree Lane" said Evan

"Okay wait here" said Ni and came back to the kitchen "Well he lives close by and has a perfect driving record... Okay Jessie, you can hire him for $500 a week, but no more than that... okay?"

"Yes sir" said Jessie "Thank you Papa, Momma, Mary"

"You're welcome" We said and went back to the Livingroom to talk to Evan

"Okay Evan... Here's the deal" said Jessie "We'll drop the charges... If you come work for me as my driver"

"Seriously?" said Evan, in shock

"Seriously" said Jessie "I'll pay you $500 a week... you'll have to keep your volunteer commitments to Sister Grace and you can bring your siblings with you when they aren't in school... Do we have a deal?"

"Yes ma'am" said Evan "Thank you... all of you"

"You're welcome" I said 

"Do you have any outstanding bills that need to be taken care of Evan?" asked Mom

"No ma'am" said Evan "Father Donnelly took care of that for us"

"Okay then... How old are your siblings?" asked Mom

"Charlie & Meghan are both 12... I'm 23" said Evan "They're twins"

"I'll be right back" said Jessie and went upstairs and came back with her phone and some money "put your number in my phone and here's $1,000 dollars for the last 2 weeks... I want you to get groceries, personal needs, etc. and keep your receipts & invoices... okay?"

"Yes ma'am... Thank you" said Evan

"My wife & I are leaving tomorrow for business" said Ni "We'll be back late on Monday... Jessie, her Uncle's & Grandmother are taking a day trip to London so I'm trusting you to get them there and back safely Monday morning"

"Yes sir" said Evan "Do you want me to pick you up at the airport sir?"

"No, thank you Evan, we have a car there already" said Ni

"Okay sir" said Evan as the door opened and Rothsdale came in

"Hey kiddo... busy night, huh?" said Rothsdale

"Isn't it always?" said Jessie "I need to talk to you for a minute before we go any further"

"Okay kiddo" said Rothsdale and followed Jessie into the kitchen "What's up?"

JESSIE'S POV

"Do you believe in giving someone, who made one bad choice, a second chance?" I said 

"You mean the kid in there?" asked Rothsdale, I nodded "Sure Jessie, we all deserve a second chance"

"Okay good bc we're not pressing charges" I said "He has younger siblings that depend on him... They lost their Mom to Cancer"

"Damn... poor kid" said Rothsdale "I'll let him off with a warning"

"Thanks" I said "Louis & my dog Duchess have 2 burglars over at Anne's house" and felt a jolt run down my spine "Oh shit, sorry Papa" as I ran for the door

"JESSIE... WHAT'S WRONG?" yelled Rothsdale

"COME ON... HURRY" I yelled as I hit Anne's porch and busted thru the door "Oh God"

SHE'S NOT A VIOLENT DOG!!" yelled Louis "LEAVE HER ALONE!!"

I gave a loud whistle "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY DOG?" I yelled

"This is a dangerous animal... it tried to bite me" said one of the Officers

"YOU'RE A FUCKING LIAR!!!" yelled Louis "YOU DIDN'T EVEN GIVE ME A CHANCE TO GET HER OUT OF THE ROOM BEFORE YOU BARGED IN"

"Officers, get out in the hall and wait... NOW!!" said Rothsdale as the Officers stepped into the hallway

"Duchess... shh... its alright baby, Mommy's here" I said and sat down "Louis, go get Robin... its okay baby, Mommy's here" as Louis left, I held her head in my lap and looked at the Officers "Have them come in here Mr. Rothsdale, please"

"You two, get in here" said Rothsdale as the men came back in the room

"I want to know why she isn't moving" I said calmly

"We had to taser the animal" said one of the Officer's 

"The animal is a dog and her name is Duchess" I said "She's a 3 year old Great Dane you fucking jackass... If she dies bc of your assinine stupidity, I'll shove a taser up your ass and pull the trigger and see how you like it... Mommy's right here baby" and started crying as I felt her slip away

"LET ME THRU" yelled Robin as he camr in the room "Oh no.. Jessie sweetie" and put his hand on my shoulder

"They killed my baby" I sobbed "They killed my beautiful sweet baby" as Robin pulled out his phone

ANNE: Hello?

ROBIN: Annie put me on speaker darling

ANNE: Okay... go ahead Robin

ROBIN: Pamela, Niall, Jessie needs you

PAMELA: What happened? Where's Jessie?

JESSIE: MOMMA!!… THEY.. KILLED.. MY.. DUCHESS.... MOMMA... I... CAN'T... BREATHE

PAMELA: I'M COMING BABY

NIALL: Just breathe baby, slow & easy Papa's right here

"JESSIE!!" yelled Momma

"ANNE'S ROOM PAMELA" yelled Robin

PAMELA'S POV

"GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY" I yelled "Oh baby, Momma's here... shh... I know, look at me Jessie... there's my girl, just breathe baby, slow & easy, that's it" and put her hand on my heart "feel my heartbeat... come on Jessie, focus... that's it, in thru your nose and out thru your mouth... there you go, slow & easy"

NIALL: Is she okay Pamelka?

PAMELA: Yes physically... Mentally, she's gone again... Send Louis & Marcus over to get Duchess

NIALL: Okay poppet

"Rothsdale, I need you to take Jessie back home" I said 

"Yes ma'am... come on kiddo" said Rothsdale "You two are on suspension till further notice"

"But sir-" said one of the Officers

"Do you want to be fired?" said Rothsdale

"No sir" said the Officer

"Then I suggest that you keep your mouth shut" said Rothsdale "You've already killed the girl's dog, so unless you want her Mother to kill you, I'd be quiet... you can give your badges & tasers to Pamela, seeing as my arms are full... now gentlemen"

The Officers removed their badges and set them in my hands "Be sure to set the safeties on those tasers gentlemen" I said as they did so "Thank you... I'll be calling your Chief shortly and if the investigation finds both of you at fault here, not only will you be fired, but the only job you'll be able to get will be cleaning bird shit off of Big Ben - without pay and that's a guaranteed promise now get out of this house" and we headed out of the house

"Baxter, take the keys to their car and call the Chief" said Rothsdale "Tell her she needs to come to 4132 Apple Grove Lane immediately and that 2 Officers killed a dog and have been suspended"

"Yes sir" said Baxter

"Here's their badges & tasers" I said 

"Thank you ma'am" said Baxter and took them "Is your daughter going to be alright ma'am?"

"I don't know" I said 

"I'll be praying for her ma'am" said Baxter

"Thank you Mr. Baxter" I said as we headed back to the house "I had her Ni.. I had her and then she just slipped away" and collapsed into his arms

"Its alright poppet" said Ni "Jimmy's here, he'll find her"

"Here Steven, set her in this chair" said Jimmy "Has she said anything?"

"No not since she called out for Pamela" said Rothsdale "She just went limp like a ragdoll"

"Okay" said Jimmy and put his hands on either side of Jessie's head and closed his eyes "I see her, but I can't reach her" and opened his eyes "Pamela, go get Luce"

I ran outside "Lucifer, I need your help" I said "Jessie shut down again"

"What happened?" said Lucifer

"There was an accident" I said "Duchess is dead and Jessie slipped inside herself... Jimmy found her but says that he cant reach her... please bring Jessie back, please"

"I will" said Lucifer as we went inside "Where is she Jimmy?"

"Straight ahead, just past the place where the bad memories were" said Jimmy

"Okay" said Lucifer and held Jessie's hands and touched their foreheads together "Jessica... take my hand and come back with me"

"I can't... I can't move" said Jessie "I'm scared Luce"

"Okay Jessie... its alright to be scared" said Lucifer "but you can't let that fear control you sweetie... come on, take my hand, I wont let anything happen to you"

"Do you promise?" said Jessie

"I promise Jessie" said Lucifer "Now take my hand and hold on with both hands... here we go, on 3 - 1... 2... 3 and pulled her into his arms "I've got you Jessie.. I've got you.... shh, its alright sweetie... I know, I'm sad too but Catherine is taking care of Charlie and they'll take care of Duchess too... Are you ready to go home now?"

"Yeah, I'm ready" said Jessie

"Then take my hand and lets go see your Momma & Papa" said Lucifer and we walked to the door "Ladies first"

"Okay" said Jessie and walked thru the door with Lucifer right behind her "Welcome back" and Jessie hugged him

"Thank you Luce" said Jessie

"You're welcome my sweet girl" said Lucifer "Now go see Niall & Pamela and lets not have to do this again, alright?"

"Okay" said Jessie and kissed his cheek

"I have to go now, but I'll be back" said Lucifer and disappeared

"Oh Momma, I'm so sorry" said Jessie and ran into my arms "I didn't mean to leave, please forgive me"

"That's alright baby" I said "I forgive you... to the moon and back and around again... you're my baby"

"Are you okay poppet?" said Ni

"A little bit Papa" said Jessie "I'm sorry for swearing again"

"That's alright... I'll let that one slide" said Ni

There was a knock on the door as it opened "Excuse me sir" said Baxter "The Chief is here and wants to see the dog"

"Thank you Baxter, I'll be right over" said Rothsdale "I'll be back in a bit Jessie"

"Okay" said Jessie "Momma, go with him and make sure she's okay...please?... I can't see her like that again"

"Okay baby... stay with Papa" I said 

"I will" said Jessie

JESSIE'S POV

"Where's Evan?" I asked

"I sent him home... his sister called" said Papa "She was worried bc he hadn't come home yet"

"Oh okay" I said "Mary, can you call you auto dealer friend and tell him we need an SUV that seats 8 people by 9am Monday morning please... I'll pay whatever deal he can offer"

"Okay, I'll call him when we wake up... if we ever get to go to sleep" said Mary "What color would you like?"

"Either black or silver - silver preferably" I said "Whichever he has"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "Ni... Why did you refer to Liam & Zayn as Jessie's Uncles when you were talking to Evan?"

"Because Evan was feeling overwhelmed with getting a job and not going to jail" said Papa "I'll explain the family dynamic when we get back... promise"

"Ah okay" said Mary "He was in a bit of a shock, wasn't he?... especially when Jessie flew out of here in a dead run"

"I thought he was going to faint when Jessie went ape-shit over her ring" said Liam "Do you still have it Ni?"

"No, I gave it to Marcus to put back in Jessie's room after Evan left" said Papa "I didn't want to loose it"

"Thank you Papa" I said and yawned "Oh gosh... sorry"

"That's okay poppet" said Papa "as soon as the police leave, you can go back to sleep... it shouldn't be too much longer"

"What's that on your arm Jessie?" asked Gem

"Robin drew some blood bc I had a bad panic attack after Jimmy had our conversation" I said "He gave me a blood thinner bc my heart was racing so bad... he just wants to make sure it wasn't something worse... I'm fine Gem"

"Oh okay" said Gem as Momma, Louis, Rothsdale & Marcus came thru the door followed by a man and a woman.

"Jessie, this is Detective Baxter & Chief Montgomery" said Rothsdale

"Hello" I said and shook their hands "Have a seat... Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, thank you" said the Chief "I'm so sorry for your loss Jessie... Do you have a picture of her?"

"Yes, thank you" I said and pulled out my phone and showed them the photo "Duchess was a year and a half old when this was taken... Momma, where's my photo album?"

"Its right here sweetie" said Mary and handed it to me

"Thanks Mary" I said and opened it to the middle of the book "That's Duchess when I got her... she was so tiny... My Grandpa made her a bed in one of his shoe boxes... we had to bottle feed her for 3 months till she started gaining weight and growing... I had to pull her around in my wagon till she was strong enough to walk and when she got too big for a shoe box, she slept in my bed... Grandpa had to get me a king-sized bed so there would be enough room for both of us bc she was a bed hog and always pushed me out of my bed - she was my baby... When she got to be full grown, she'd carry me around the house on her back, like a horse... we'd go swimming in the pool - she loved to do that and when she was bored, she'd hop the fence and chase the neighbor's chickens"

"She's beautiful" said the Chief "What happened to Duchess 2 years ago?"

"Our house was broken into and Duchess got out" I said "We looked for her for 6 months when my Mother & Grandparents were killed in a car accident... she was still missing when my Daddy & I moved here... Jimmy told me she was found in Mississippi 3 months later by an animal rescue group... they called him and he went to get her and has been taking care of her since last weekend when he brought her back to me" I said as Momma pulled out her phone

"I took this when they were reunited" said Momma and played a video "Does that look like a dangerous animal to you?... When those Officers busted into that romm, they scared her and she tried to run... Had they bothered to listen to my Uncle and let him guide her out of the room quietly, your Officers would still have their jobs"

"Agreed... they'll be charged with animal cruelty resulting in death" said the Chief "I am so sorry Jessie, this should never have happened"

"Could you do something for me?" I asked

"Of course sweetie" said the Chief 

"Can you yell your officers to slow down and listen when a dog is involved?" I said "They don't need to be so trigger-happy... Dogs aren't dangerous - ignorant people are"

"I can do that, I promise" said the Chief

"Thank you" I said and yawned again "Dang... sorry about that"

"That's alright, its getting late" said the Chief

"Jessie... we need to lay Duchess to rest" said Papa

"Okay Papa" I said "Would you join us?"

"I would be honored Jessie" said the Chief "Lead the way" as we went out to the back yard where we buried Charlie

"Did you put her puppy dog with her?" I asked

"Yes baby, just like we did with Charlie" said Momma

"Okay... everyone join hands" I said and took a deep breath 

"Heavenly Father please take care of Duchess and welcome her home... Shower her with all of the Love she gave me and don't let her chase the chickens too much... I Love You Duchess - go find Mom & Charlie... In Jesus name, Amen"

"Amen" said everyone

"Amen" said Lucifer

"Back so soon?" I said 

"I brought Mary a gift" said Lucifer "I know its probably too soon, but I went to Alaska to see Jessie's cabin and found her... and I thought of you" and held out a basket with a puppy in it

"Oh Luce… she's beautiful" said Mary and picked up the puppy "Hello little one... Oh you're sleepy aren't you?... Thank you Luce" and kissed his cheek

"You're welcome Mary" said Lucifer "Now go get some sleep... I wont be back till the sun is up, I promise" and disappeared

"Oh she's a cutie... What are you going to call her Mom?" said Momma

"Hmm... I'll call her Chelsea" said Mary "Haz isn't she the prettiest little thing ever?"

"She sure is" said Haz "What breed is she?"

"That's a Siberian Husky" I said "They're working dogs and are mostly used as sled dogs in Russia, Alaska and in parts of Canada... and boy do they like to talk... What color eyes does she have?"

"I don't know" said Mary

I walked over to Mary and tickled the puppy's chin "Chelsea... hey pretty baby... can you show me your eyes?" I cooed as she yawned and opened her eyes "Ice blue... good girl Chelsea, go back to sleep pretty baby" and tucked her nose in the crook of Mary's arm and went back to sleep

"I have to stop by the clinic in the morning Mary so I'll take Chelsea with me and give her a check up and her shots" said Robin

"Sounds good, thank you Robin" said Mary "Lets get this little girl in bed... Is it okay to go back to Anne's house Chief?"

"Yes ma'am" said the Chief "Pamela, thank you for your assistance this evening"

"You're welcome Chief" said Momma "I'll walk you to your car"

"I'll make her a special breakfasting the morning" I said "We'll need to pick up some canned dog food and a garbage can with a lid for the kitchen bc she'll knock it over to get in it... Huskies are curiosity seekers so we need to keep the bedroom doors shut at all times during the day & keep our shoes in our rooms too or she'll tare them up"

"Oh Li, look at her" said Zayn "Isn't she adorable?"

"Yeah she is and her fur is so soft too" said Liam

Chelsea raised her head and barked "What baby?" I said as Chelsea started squirming in Mary's arms "Chelsea... Do you want to run around and go potty?"

"arf, arf" barked Chelsea so Mary set her down in the grass and she took off running and sniffing the grass till she finally peed. She ran around the yard and found one of Charlie's chew ropes and started attacking it like it was going to get her... she was having fun.

"Chelsea, come on baby, its time for bed" said Mary "You can play in the morning sweetie, lets go" and followed Mary to the gate then stopped. She sniffed the grass, backed up and started whining and wouldn't go near the gate "What's wrong baby?"

"She doesn't like the smell of the perfume bombs" I said chuckling and picked her up "Its okay Chelsea, lets get you past that yucky stuff" and set her down in Anne's yard "There you go pretty baby"

"Oh.. I forgot about that" dsaid Mary

"I'll rinse that area tomorrow princess" said Haz

"Okay" said Mary "I Love You Haz"

"I Love You too princess... get some rest" said Haz and kissed her head "Go on... Chelsea's waiting"

We went inside and I checked my bag "Oh thank God" I said and sighed "The money & gemstones are still here"

"The dresses & Maggie's pearls are still here too" said Momma "The burglars were found in Anne's room... Anne lets go see if anything's missing"

"Okay Pamela" said Anne as we went upstairs. Anne went to her jewelry box "MY rings from Des are gone" then went to her bed and lifted her mattress "my necklace from Mary are still here... other than my rings, nothing's missing... What were they looking for?"

"Um... they were looking for you, Haz & Gem" I said "I suspect that Des hired them"

"Oh, that's it" said Anne "I'm so done with his bullshit... Unless this house burns to the ground, I am never coming back to this house... its cursed, I swear it is"

"Anne, don't tell Haz" I said "You can tell him after we testify at Des's arraignment... if you tell him now, it will only upset him and he'll do something stupid"

"I wont sweetie" said Anne "This can wait till after the wedding... I want him to be calm and happy"

"Okay" I said and yawned "I'm going to go to bed... Goodnight Anne" and kissed her cheek and Momma's

"Goodnight sweetie" said Anne

"I'll be down in a minute baby" said Momma

"Okay Momma" I said and went downstairs "Anne's not missing anything"

"Oh my God" said Gem "They weren't here to steal anything were they?... Jessie... tell me"

"No, they weren't" I said "And Anne doesn't want Haz to know till after the wedding"

"Okay" said Gem & Mary "Tell us"

"They were here to hurt Haz, Gem & Anne" I said "That's why the gas was turned on... eventually the gas would've filled the house and killed all of you then no one would've been able to testify against Des - I suspect that Des hired them to do this"

"That son of a bitch" said Gran "I'll kill that man myself"

"Mum's not coming back here is she?" said Gem softly

"No... not unless this house burns to the ground" I said "that's a direct quote"

"I knew this was coming the minute he showed up" said Gem "Damian needs to punch his ticket for a one-way trip to Hell"

"We wont see Des for a long time... if ever" I said "If there's one thing I've leard, its that murder-for-hire is a punishable offense - life in prison without parole... Des wanted you 3 gone and almost killed Sarah & I - that makes 5 counts of attempted murder... 11 counts if we had all gone to sleep"

"11?" said Mary "Don't you mean 10?"

"I included your baby" I said 

"Oh my God" said Mary and put her hand on her stomach "Oh my God"

"Mary, look at me" I said "She's fine... the baby is safe & sound - just breathe Mary" Mary nodded

"She's safe & sound" said Mary over & over as tears ran down her cheeks

"Shh... you're alright Mary" said Gran "Gem can you make Mary a cup of tea please... come on honey, sit down" and led Mary to the couch

"Okay Gran" said Gem "Would anyone else like a cup?"

"Yes please" said the Moms

"I'll make us all one" said Gem "I'm too angry to sleep and I think all of us ladies need to calm down and decompress"

"I'm gonna lay down with Sarah & Chelsea" I said "so y'all can talk & decompress"

"Goodnight munchkin" said Gem 

"Goodnight Gemmie" I said and laid down... Chelsea curled up between Sarah & I's pillows and went to sleep "Goodnight pretty baby" and drifted off to sleep.


	78. Chapter 78

Chapter 78

MARY'S POV

"That man is evil & vile" I said and sipped my tea "Sorry Anne"

"Don't be sorry Mary, you're right" said Anne "This isn't the Des I married... This Des is a monster"

"Dad changed when Haz was born" said Gem "The minute he saw Haz, he hated him bc Dad was no longer the only man in Mum's life... all he saw was that he had competition and he was going to win - no matter what"

"Des didn't expect Harry to fight back" said Anne "When Harry threatened Des, I think that was when he decided that he was going to get rid of Harry... and I did nothing"

"Anne, you had 2 children to take care of" said Gran "How much did you sacrifice so that they had a home and a loving parent? You did everything you were supposed to do and now look at them... They're confident, smart and have happy & healthy relationships and your love & support made that possible"

"Gran's right Mum" said Gem "You need to quit blaming yourself and start living your life... you have Robin now so go after your 'happily ever after' and build a life with him"

"Gemma's right Anne" I said "Haz wants you to be happy so when you pack up on Sunday, pack everything - not just your clothes... its not like you're leaving the country, their home is wherever you are so relax and enjoy your second chance at Love"

"What was it that Jessie said?" said Pamela "oh yeah... paint the walls wild colors, try new things, make new memories and have fun so one day you both can look back & say 'damn that was a wild time - lets do it again'... now is that time Anne"

"You were right Pamela" said Linda "Parts of Jessie isn't 10 years old - she gives good advice... we could all use some fun in our life"

Jessie has suggested that around October - after NI & I get married - that all of the 'married couples' have a date night once a week to go have some fun" said Pamela "so late Thursday night, we put our mattress from our room in the back of the truck & spent the night at the lake.... it was amazing... we took some leftover Chinese & sodas, we went swimming, danced under the stars, and watched the sun come up" and pulled out my phone

"Oh wow... look at that sunrise" said Linda

"I thought you forgot your phone?" I said 

"No... that's what I told Ni" said Pamela "I knew no one would call us and unless I go for a run, I always have my phone with me"

"So how did you take that picture?" I asked

"Ni fell asleep" said Pamela "When he started snoring, I snapped the picture and then I fell asleep"

"That was sneaky Momma" mumbled Jessie and sneezed "damn dog fur" and sneezed again "ugh.. I've got fur in my nose" and sneezed a third time

"Here's a tissue baby... blow your nose" said Pamela as Jessie did as she was told

"Ahh that's netter... thanks Momma" said Jessie and rolled over and went back to sleep

"God she's so cute" said Gem "I hope I have one like her someday"

"Those two are a rare treasure" said Gran "They live in the present & the past, yet they stay grounded to their family & to each other and they Love unconditionally with their whole heart"

"Did you see the look on Ni's face when Jessie went off On Evan over that ring?" said Gem "He went red as a tomato... I'm surprised he didn't go ballistic more than he did"

"Ni doesn't like it when she flies off like that" said Pamela "He was beyond livid till she punched the wall - that scared him.... we talked later that night and decided that, depending on the situation for the outburst, we're just gonna let it go and deal with the fallout later or she could blow up over a paper cut"

"Jessie's anger comes from the repeated reincarnations she's gone thru" I said "The swearing comes from the abuse and not being able to stop it... over time, both will become less & less... we just need to be patient with her"

"How many times has Jessie died?" asked Linda

"17 times... starting with her first birth in 1901" I said 

"Oh dear God, that poor girl" said Linda "How is it that she hasn't gone completely crazy?"

"I don't know" I said 

"She had Marcus" said Pamela "He was her constant - the one person who was always there for her and got her thru it all... I suspect that's when they started falling in love with each other"

"How is that possible? Marcus is human" said Linda

"Marcus wasn't always human" said Pamela "Marcus died in 1857... when Lucifer retired to look for Sarah, Marcus volunteered to take over the job - they're in charge of tracking the souls that choose to be born... Jessie survived the car accident that killed her Mother & Grandparents and as a result, Marcus's ability to track her was gone so when Jessie's Father was killed a week ago, Marcus sent him to find Jessie... after that, Marcus decided to ask God to allow him to be human again and God said yes - that's why Lucifer is back at work... and here we are"

"Oh gosh" said Linda "Where does Marcus live?"

"He lives with us" I said "Marcus & Jessie lived together for 9 years before she had to leave to be born in 2001"

"He was supposed to live here with Anne, but Ni & I were concerned about Jessie sneaking out to see Marcus" said Pamela "Or Jessie trying to sneak him in so we allowed him to stay with us with the stipulation that they not have sex till Jessie was 18... they both agreed and so far have been abiding by the rules"

"Holy cow" said Linda "You have a better handle on things than I do... we need to get together more often so I can ask questions & take notes bc the parenting books don't know crap in this type od situation" and chuckled

"Absolutely" said Pamela "That would be great and as soon as my helicopter is fixed, I owe you & Sarah a fly around"

"Ni told me about that... How is it going?" said Linda

"I don't know yet" said Pamela "The mechanic & his crew just arrived yesterday so I'll find out when we get back... whatever it was, I hope its not bad"

"Well don't rush it" said Linda "We'll be ready when it is"

"I wont" said Pamela "I can't wait till Sunday when I get to fly the plane home from Georgia... I just hope & pray that Ni doesn't worry himself into a panic attack - he's never flown with me as the pilot"

"Niall will be fine dear, if he wasn't he wouldn't be going with you" said Gran 

"Pamela, Ni was in awe when he watched you & Gran lift off in the helicopter" I said "When you called with engine problems, he was worried, but when he realized that you weren't panicking, he relaxed... I think that's when he decided next time, he was going with you"

There was a knock at the door "I'll get it" said Pamela and went to the door... it was Ni

"Sorry poppet" said Ni "Anne, Haz needs you"

"What's wrong Niall?" said Anne

"Rothsdale called and told him why the burglars were in your house and started flipping out" said Ni "I've never seen him like this"

"Okay Niall, lets go" said Anne "Mary, stay here sweetie"

"Call me if you need me" I said 

"I will" said Anne as they left

NIALL'S POV

"He keeps saying how he's gonna kill Des" I said "Louis, Liam & Robin are trying to keep him from leaving... I really hope you can get him to calm down & think rationally"

""Harry's just scared" said Anne "I'll get him to listen" as we walked in the house

"LET GO OF ME LOUIS" yelled Haz "LET ME GO"

"Don't make me tackle you to the ground Haz" said Louis "I wont hesitate to handcuff you to the stairs till you calm down bc I'll do it"

"Harry... What's wrong?" said Anne calmly ""Harry, come on baby, look at me" and held his face

Haz broke down "Oh Mum" said Haz and fell into her arms

"Shh.. its alright baby, I'm here" said Anne and rubbed his back "I'm here... shh... we're all safe... Des can't hurt us any more"

"He tried to have us killed" sobbed Haz

"I know baby, I know" said Anne "Harry, look at me" as she pulled away and wiped away his tears "Des is going to pay for what he's done... you need to calm down... that's it, just breathe and listen to me, okay?"

"Okay" said Haz "I'm listening"

"You need to let the police and the courts deal with Des" said Anne "Think about Mary and the baby... If you try and go after Des, you'll loose them and go to prison... Do you want that to happen?"

"No, God no, I Love them" said Haz

"Then let this go Harry" said Anne "I'm angry with Des too, but unless we want to loose every precious second of our lives to get revenge, we need to let Justice do its job"

"How are you so calm about this?" said Haz

I have you & Gemma to worry about" said Anne "How can I be there for you if I'm a non-functioning basket case?""

Haz chuckled "Good point" said Haz "Okay Mum, I'll let it go"

"Thank you Harry" said Anne and kissed his head "My sweet baby boy... my gentle giant"

"Mum... Do me a favor, please?" said Haz

"Of course sweetie" said Anne "I'd do anything for you - within reason, of course... What's on your mind?"

"Leave that house for good and live with Robin" said Haz "If by some chance Des doesn't go away, don't ever come back to that house... please?"

"Are you sure?" said Anne

"I'm sure" said Haz "Robin, keep her safe and don't let her come back... for forever please"

"I will Haz… I promise" said Robin

"Its your turn to be happy Mum" said Haz "go places, make new memories with Robin and don't worry about me & Gemma, we'll be alright"

"I'm your Mum... Its my job to worry about you two" said Anne "I'll do as you ask Harry and live with Robin"

"Thanks Mum" said Haz and hugged Anne "I Love You Mum"

"I Love You too Harry" said Anne "Now go get some sleep and I'll see you at breakfast" and kissed Haz's cheek

"Yes ma'am" said Haz and went upstairs to his room

"Anne, you are a miracle worker" said Louis and kissed her hand

"And you are a flirt Louis" chuckled Anne "Goodnight boys, get some sleep" and headed for the door

"Goodnight Anne" we all said 

"That woman is a godsend" said Louis "Grace under pressure personified"

"That she is Louis" said Robin "That she is"

PAMELA'S POV

Anne came back and sat down "How's Haz?" said Gem & Mom

"He's fine" said Anne "He calmed down and went to bed"

"He told you not to come back... didn't he?" said Gem "I can tell... you're smiling that wistful 'Mum' smile you get when Haz asks you for a favor"

"Yes... He made Robin promise to keep me safe" said Anne "For forever"

"Haz did what?" said Gem "Holy crap... Mum, Haz just gave you & Robin his blessing"

"No he didn't.. did he?" said Anne

"Mum, you know how Haz is" said Gem "He wont come right out and say it... the keyword there is 'forever' Mum and I know Robin got the message - loud & clear"

"Oh.. my.. God... Is this really happening?" said Anne in a slight shock

"It sure sounds like it Anne" I said

"Yay... I get to plan another wedding" mumbled Jessie "woohoo" and pulled the blanket up over her head and went back to sleep

"What did Haz say exactly Anne?" I said 

"He said that he didn't want me to ever come back here on that off chance that Des doesn't go away" said Anne "That's when he told Robin to keep me safe for forever... and to go places, make new memories with Robin"

"Yep, he gave you his blessing alright" I said "How do you feel about that?"

"I'm not sure... I mean, Robin is great and we have a lot in common" said Anne "but he doesn't deserve to be in the middle of all of this"

"That's the special thing about Love Anne" said Mom "It makes a person re-evaluate their priorities... Robin knows he doesn't need to be apart of all of this, he wants to be... bc of you... I see how Robin is around you - you, Haz & Gem have become his whole world... I think he finally realizes how much he has missed by not having a family"

"Oh gosh" said Anne "Is that why Jessie is having Robin be apart of the photo shoot?"

"Yeah" I said "Jessie said that including him in it is a good way to show you how you all look as a family... she's pretty observant, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is" said Anne 

"Remember what Jessie said Mum" said Gem "Des wasn't your soulmate - Robin is"

"Mom... I need you opinion on something" I said

"What is it sweetie?" said Mom

"Chief Montgomery offered me a job" I said and took a deep breath "As a Detective with the police department"

"Are you serious?" said Gem "What did you tell her?"

"I told her I had to talk it over with Ni first" I said "What do you think Mom? Should I consider it?"

"Well, you're right, you do need to talk this over with Ni first" said Mom "Why are you asking me sweetie?"

"It feels strange having 2 possible jobs in my degree fields" I said "I guess, I'm just nervous and I know you'd never tell me what I want to hear"

"I see" said Mom "Well let me ask you this... Which one did you love most?... and Why?"

"The police academy" I said "There was always something new to learn and it was never boring"

"Then there's your answer sweetie" said Mom "I think you'll be great... When do you have to give her an answer?"

"By Wednesday" I said "I told her about our trip and the dates for the Weddings and she said I'll be able to have the time off for them... She also said that I'd have a partner, so I wouldn't be on duty alone.... and that if I take the job, I'll start a week from Monday"

"Well when you & Ni talk it over, you need to listen to him bc he's going to have questions & concerns" said Mom "And talk to him Pamela, tell him what you told me and talk about your concerns as well... this decision affects both of you"

I will Mom... I promise" I said "Thanks, I feel better" as Jessie's alarm went off "Damn what time is it?" and pulled out my phone as Jessie turned off her alarm "Oh crap - its 7am"

"Morning Momma" said Jessie and stretched "Dang sleeping on the floor puts a kink in your back... ow"

"Morning baby" I said "Other than your back being achy and the occasional sleepy comments, How did you sleep?"

"I sleepy okay all things considered" said Jessie "Did y'all have a nice night talking?"

"Yeah, it was really nice" I said "Why don't you gather up your things and go take your shower"

"Okay Momma" said Jessie and grabbed her shower bag & clothes "Be back in 20 minutes" and went upstairs

"Jessie's sure organized" said Gem "I wish I could be that way sometimes"

"Yeah, I know... she had her bags packed in less than 5 minutes" I said "It took Mom& I 25 minutes"

"Its all of those lists she makes on her phone" said Gran "How many is she up to now?"

"I'm not sure... the last time she mentioned them, she had 192 lists" I said "I've asked her if I can see them, but she keeps saying that they're 'a work in progress'... I think she's doing sneaky shit again - like she did with our Wedding plans"

"Has she asked you for anything?" asked Gem "Or told you to keep something a secret from any one of us?"

"No, not since she talked to Mom & I about doing the nursery for Dad & Pops" I said "Ni told me about her plans for buying Anne's house & the empty field next to Mom's house but she hasn't said anything specific to me"

"Then I wouldn't worry sweetie" said Maura "it sounds like she's making plans for the future and that's a good thing"

"Oh it is... but with us not knowing where Ni will be going for University yet, we don't want to commit to buying a house, in case we have to move closer to his school" I said 

"Ah okay" said Maura "you could always rent the house... that way you'd have you own place for a while until you know for certain"

"I never thought about renting the house" I said "I like that idea, but not till after the Wedding" I said "Jimmy & the guys will be staying here till then"

"That's fine sweetie" said Anne That will give me time to talk to Haz & Louis about doing some work around here" 

"Showers free" said Jessie as she came down the stairs and put her things away "Who's next?"

"I'll go" said Gem and went upstairs

"Oh my God... Anne, I LOVE your shower" said Jessie "Did you know it has several different shower settings?... I used a pulse setting and my back feels so much better"

"Yes, I know... Gemma installed it several years ago" said Anne and chuckled "Its very relaxing, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah" said Jessie "I almost didn't want to get out of the shower" and laughed

"Pamela says that you make lists a lot" said Linda "Why?"

"Yeah, I do... to keep my brain clutter-free" said Jessie "I have 320 lists for all kinds of things... holiday projects, Weddings, honeymoon destinations, baby showers, bridal showers, bachelor/bachelorette showers, birthdays, Anniversaries, photo shoots, possible business ventures & careers, bucket lists, pregnancy projects for Zayn & Izzie.... the lists are endless"

"Showers free" said Gem from the stairs and went to her room

"Looks like I'm next" I said and grabbed my shower bag & clothes "be back in 10" and went upstairs

JESSIE'S POV

"You all take quick showers" said Linda

"Yeah... with 8 people in a house with 1 bathroom, you have to" I said "When Marcus & I build our dream house, we're gonna plan it to have 2 bathrooms... one for us and one for the kids"

How many kids are you planning on having?" asked Gran

"I want 3... Marcus wants 5" I said 

"5 kids?" said Gran "Why so many?"

"Marcus said that his Mother had several miscarriages, before & after he was born" I said "He always wondered what it would've been like if they had lived"

"Oh gosh" said Mary "That poor woman... I only had 1 and I was devastated... I can only imagine what she went thru"

"I try not to think about it" I said "When I had mine, it didn't bother me that the baby was gone"

"That's bc you weren't ready to be a Mother yet" said Mary "You had a lot to deal with at the time and didn't even know there was a possibility of being pregnant till it was gone... When you & Marcus finally have those babies, you'll see what I'm talking about sweetie"

"Well I can't wait till you & Zayn have your babies" I said "I'm dying to see if they have purple eyes or not"

"That may not happen sweetie" said Mary "Pamela is the only one in my family, other than my Mother to have purple eyes"

"That's bc she's the only female of Scottish descent to be born to a set of parents with brown eyes" I said "You took after your Daddy and was born with blue eyes - Grandpa Liam got brown eyes from your Grandpa, which is why your Momma had purple eyes"

"Ah okay" said Mary "I hope this baby has Haz's eyes... I've never seen eyes as green as his before"

"I know... most of the green eyes I've ever seen have flecks of brown & gold in them" I said "but H'az's have flecks of blue and dark green in them so they look almost a greenish-blue"


	79. Chapter 79

Chapter 79

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

Sarah woke up and took out her earplugs.

"Morning petal" said Mary

"Morning Mary" said Sarah and stretched "Morning Mom"

"Good Morning sweetie... Did you sleep okay?" said Linda

"Yeah... ow... Why is my head hurts" said Sarah "What the heck?"

"Did she sleep the whole time?" I asked

"Yeah" said Linda "This is gonna be rough"

"Damn.. I got this" I said and sat down next to Sarah on the floor "Sarah... something happened last night"

"Oh no" said Sarah "No.. not Duchess"

"Yeah... we buried her with Charlie" I said 

"Oh Jessie... I'm so sorry" said Sarah... we hugged as she cried on my shoulder

"I know Sarah.. I know.. shh" I said, rubbing her back

"Arooo, ar-ar-arooo" howled Chelsea

"Are you sad too Chelsea?" I said

"Ar-ar-arooo" Chelsea howled

"Oh... Where did she come from?" asked Sarah as she wiped her eyes

"Lucifer found her in Alaska last night" I said "He gave her to Mary... She's a Siberian Husky"

"Oh... she's so pretty and look at those eyes" said Sarah "What's her name?"

"Its Chelsea" I said "Do you need to go potty?"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea

"Okay Chelsea... lets go outside" I said as Chelsea ran to the door and then out to the yard, peed twice, then came back inside and ran right over to Mary

"Jessie, did you bring any dog treats last night?" asked Mary

"Yeah, I think so... let me look" I said and looked in my bag "Yep.. Here Mary" and handed them to her

"Thanks sweetie" said Mary and opened the bag "Oh good, they're soft chews... lets see if she'll eat them" 

Mary held one in her hand. Chelsea sniffed it for a minute, gently took it out of Mary's hand, dropped it on the floor and walked away.

"Nope... she wants nothing to do with them" said Mary

"Duchess used to do the same thing... let me try Mary" I said

"Okay sweetie" said Mary and handed me the bag

I went to the kitchen and grabbed my orange juice and then sat back down on the Livingroom floor.

"Hey Chelsea... Are you sure you don't want one?" I said "They're really yummy" and popped one in my mouth and started chewing it "Mmm.. this is really good" Chelsea walked over, sat down and pawed the bag "Okay, but if I give you one, you gotta eat it all gone... got it?"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea

"Then here you go" I said as she ate the dog treat "good girl Chelsea.. you want more?"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea

"Okay sit pretty Chelsea.. like a big girl" I said as she sat down with her front paws raised "good girl"

"How can you eat those?" asked Gem

"TGhey're not so bad if you don't think about what you're eating" I said "When they see you eat one, then tey'll want one... Isn't that right pretty baby"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea

"Good girl Chelsea" I said and gave her the treat " "Okay Chelsea... this is your last one.. play dead" and held my thumb & index finger like a gun "PEW' and Chelsea fell over and didn't move "good girl Chelsea... here's your treat" and got up and ate it "Okay, you can have more later.. be a good girl and go see Mommy" and pointed to Mary as she ran over and sat down.

"Great job Jessie" said Mary and picked up Chelsea "You did a great job too Chelsea"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea

"Are you alright Jessie?" asked Sarah

"Yeah.. I'm fine" I said and wiped my eyes "Its just hard to be happy when all I want to do is cry"

"I wish I could make it better" said Sarah

"Only time can do that petal, and we have a lot to do today" I said 

"Showers free" said Momma and put her bag and clothes in her overnight bag "Who's next?"

"Come on Sarah, lets get you bathed & dressed" said Linda "Then I'll take my shower"

"Okay Mom" said Sarah and followed Linda upstairs

"Are you okay baby?" asked Momma

"No" I said and wiped my eyes again "I'll get thru it... I just need to stay busy so I don't have to think about it"

"Okay baby.. why don't we fold up you quilt and get this room put back together" said Momma

"Okay" I said as Momma picked up the quilt and we folded it together, then I put it in my bag

"Where do these pillows go baby?" asked Momma

"In my bag... I brought them" I said 

"Oh okay" said Momma and handed them to me

"Thanks Momma" I said and took my purse and items out of my bag "Can you hand me that purple tote bag please"

"Sure baby" said Momma and picked it up "Here you go"

I cleared my throat "Thanks" I said and put everything I needed for today in it "Anne, do you have an extra garment bag I can borrow? I need to take my dress so I get the proper size shoe heel"

"Yes I do... Do you need a hanger too?" said Anne

"Yes please" I said 

"Okay sweetie" said Anne and went upstairs

"Pamela, can you keep an eye on Chelsea? I'm going to take Grandma & Catherine's dresses back to the house" said Mary

"Sure Mom" said Momma

"Thanks sweetie" said Mary "Jessie, is this Catherine's box?"

"Let me check" I said and opened the lid "Yeah.. Can you keep it in your room for now?"

"Sure sweetie" said Mary and picked it up "I'll be right back"

MARY'S POV

I reached the front porch and used my key to unlock the door and went inside.

""Who the-?" said Louis "Oh.. sorry Mom... Morning"

"Good Morning sweetie" I said "I'm just dropping these dresses off so we don't have so much to bring back"

"Oh okay... Can I talk to you for a minute?" said Louis

"Sure sweetie" I said and set the boxes on the coffee table "Sit down... What's on your mind?"

Louis took a deep breath "I want to ask Gem to marry me" said Louis "Can I have your ring? I still have to talk to Haz, but it would be nice to have a ring to give her"

"Of course you can have it" I said "Let me take these upstairs and I'll get it"

"Okay" said Louis and went in to the kitchen "Okay"

I went to my room and set the boxes on the floor. Haz was still sleeping as I got my ring out of the safe and went back down to the kitchen.

"Here you go sweetie" I said and gave him the box "Do you know when you plan on asking her?"

"Yeah, this afternoon when everyone gets back" said Louis "That way I have time to talk to Haz and put something together"

"Okay sweetie" I said and gave him a hug "Just breathe... I Love You Louis"

"I Love You too Mom" said Louis and kissed my cheek

"I better get back so I can take a shower" I said 

"Okay Mom... see you in a few" said Louis as I headed back to Anne's

"I'm back" I said "Where's Chelsea?"

"Momma took her outside to go to the bathroom" said Jessie "She was barking at the back door... the dog treats kicked in"

"Ah okay" I said "I'm sorry Jessie"

"Its alright" said Jessie "Its not your fault this happened, as long as I stay busy, I'll be fine"

"Okay sweetie" I said as Pamela came back in with Chelsea

"Did she go?" asked Jessie

"Yeah... 4 times" said Pamela

""Good girl Chelsea" said Jessie "Do you feel better?"

"Arf, arooo, arf" barked Chelsea

"That must mean 'oh much better' " I said 

"Yeah, it must be" said Jessie "I'm glad Lucifer found her... she's a cutie and she'll be a great therapy dog"

"Or just a family pet" I said "Don't get me wrong, she would be great, but I had my heart set on training Duchess"

"Is anyone awake over there?" asked Pamela

"Louis's up, everyone else is still sleeping" I said 

"I'll take Chelsea and make breakfast and see what I can find to feed her" said Jessie ""I'm riding with Linda so can you make sure my dress gets in her car?"

"Sure sweetie" I said "And I'll leave Anne in charge of Pamela's dress"

"Okay, sounds good... breakfast will be ready in an hour" said Jessie "That way you, Gran & Maura have time to shower and get ready"

"Okay sweetie" I said "be a good girl Chelsea"

"Arf, arf, arooo, arf, arf" barked Chelsea

"Oh she's talking now" said Jessie and chuckled "I told ya... come on pretty baby, lets go see what we can find you for breakfast" and picked her up "dang, we need to get you a harness, bc you're heavy for a puppy" and opened the door for Jessie

"Just knock on the door and Louis will let you in" I said 

"Okay" said Jessie and headed for the house

JESSIE'S POV

I knocked on the door and waited. There wasn't any answer. 'Come on Louis', I thought, so I banged on the door this time.

"I'M COMING' yelled Louis and opened the door "oh hey munchkin... here, let me take her"

"Thanks Louis" I said "we don't have a harness for her yet and I didn't want her to head for the road"

"Its cool... I'm sorry for making you wait, I fell asleep at the kitchen table after Mom left" said Louis and closed the door

"What time did y'all finally go to bed?" I asked

"Bout 3-3:30am" said Louis "What time did you ladies go to bed?"

"Gem & the Mom's stayed up all night talking" I said "Sarah slept thru everything and I went to sleep about 10 after we got back in the house and woke up at 7am"

"Oh damn.. they're gonna need coffee" said Louis and set Chelsea down "I'll make another pot"

"I'm gonna take my bags upstairs.. keep an eye on Chelsea" I said 

"You got it munchkin" said Louis

I went to my room and set my bags down. Marcus was still sleeping so I decided to wake him up.

"Marcus... hey sleepyhead... its time to get up" I said softly "Breakfast will be ready in an hour"

"Okay angel" said Marcus "I smell coffee... What time is it?"

"Its 8:45am" I said 

"Oh God... Okay, I'm up" said Marcus and got up

"Why don't you go knock on the bedroom doors and wake everyone up" I said "I'll go start breakfast"

"Okay angel" said Marcus "I'll see you downstairs... If they don't kill me first"

"I chuckled "Blame me if it helps you live" I said "And if that doesn't work, tell them next time I'll just use the airhorn" and went down to the kitchen

"Okay pretty baby, lets see what we can find you some breakfast" I said and looked in the pantry

I found a can of dog food & a can of peas & carrots. Then I looked in the fridge and found some leftover fried rice. I opened the can of veggies and drained the liquid and grabbed a food bowl, a container with a lid and one of my multi-vitamins. I put a little from each can in the bowl and put the rest in the container. I added some of the rice and crushed up a vitamin and added it, then mixed it all up to hide it. then mixed everything up in the container and put it in the fridge.

"Wow.. that looks good... considering that there's dog food in it" said Louis

"Yeah I know, but she's gonna need this to get thru the day" I said "Okay Chelsea, try this... its really yummy and it will make you grow big & strong, just like a big girl"

Chelsea sniffed it and then sat down and looked at me.

"She's not buying it munchkin" said Louis and chuckled

"Seriously? You want me to eat this too?" I said 

"Arf, arf, arooo" barked Chelsea

"Okay pretty baby" I said, sighing and took a bite "Oh wow, this is really yummy... Mmm... try it" and Chelsea started eating the food "oh good girl Chelsea, eat it all up"

"That was just wrong" said Louis

"It got her to eat didn't it?" I said Chelsea doesn't trust us yet, so unless she sees us eat some, she wont believe that its okay to eat... kind of like trying to get a toddler to eat broccoli for the first time"

"Ah, I see" said Louis "but that's still gross"

"Like I told Gem - its not so bad if you don't think about what you're eating" I said "and if it gets her to eat, what does it matter"

"What else have you eaten?" asked Louis

"A dog treat" I said and got out the eggs, bacon and a bowl and started making breakfast "Why don't you make some toast and I'll do the eggs & bacon... we're going to be invaded soon"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis as the garbage can fell over "Chelsea.. bad girl, that's not a toy" and cleaned up the mess

"Put that in the storage pantry and close the door" I said "That'll keep her out of it... we're going to get a new trash can with a lid on our way home later"

"Okay Munchkin" said Louis and chuckled "life with a puppy is never boring"

"Yeah, its definitely a learning experience" I said "and Duchess taught me well"

"I'm sorry Jessie, that shouldn't have happened" said Louis "I could see she was scared, but they just wouldn't listen, they didn't give me a chance to get her out of there before they busted in" and started crying

"Hey.. its alright Louis, I don't blame you" I said and hugged him "shh, its alright Louis... its alright, just breathe"

"Ar-ar-aroooo… ar-ar-aroooo… ar-ar-aroooo" howled Chelsea

"Hey now.. What's all that for Chelsea?" said Marcus softly

"Louis was upset" I said "She did the same thing over at Anne's a while ago"

"Aw.. does that make you sad?" said Marcus

"Arooo, ar-ar*aroooo, ar-ar-aroooo" howled Chelsea and walked overt to Louis and pawed his leg, then sat down and held her paws up

"Aw.. she wants you to pick her up" said Marcus "Why don't you hang out with Chelsea and I'll make the toast"

"Okay" said Louis and picked her up "Come on pretty girl.. lets go outside so you don't have an accident in the house"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea and licked Louis's chin

"Aw.. Chelsea has a boyfriend" said Zayn "Isn't that sweet"

"Yeah, okay" said Louis "But Jessie is the 'puppy whisperer' " and went outside

"How are you doing princess" said Zayn and kissed my head

"I'm okay" I said "I just need to stay busy or I'll end up crying on the floor"

"Aw princess" said Zayn "any time you feel like crying, you come find me and we'll cry together... okay?"

I smiled "Okay Grandpa... take your vitamin and get something to drink" I said Breakfast will be ready soon"

"Okay princess" said Zayn "Did you get any sleep?"

"About 4 and a half hours" I said "I'll crash tonight"

"I think we all will" said Marcus "Did Chelsea eat?"

"Yeah... after she saw me eat some" I said 

"You didn't" said Zayn "Seriously?"

"Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet" I said 

"Oh yuck" said Zayn and shuddered

"It wasn't that bad... it was mostly rice & vegetables" I said "She wouldn't have eaten if I hadn't"

"Oh... that's still yucky tho" said Zayn

"Yeah well you just remember this when it comes time to feed the babies solid food" I said "Bc they wont eat it unless you do"

"Oh, I never thought of that" said Zayn "good point"

"So how do you really feel about taking Lucifer & the goon squad shopping?" I asked

"I'm really excited about this" said Zayn "I mean, How often do you get to help someone find a style thatg works, but doesn't make them look like something out of GQ?"

"That's true" I said "Well try not to overwhelm them too much... let them look around and see what they like to make it work for them"

"Okay" said Zayn "What do you want me to do if someone goes for the 'outlaw bad-boy biker type'?"

"Steer them more towards the 'construction worker after hours' look... you pull it off well" I said "Or the 'weekend sports guy' look that Louis goes for"

"Okay, got it... laid back & casual" said Zayn

"Exactly" I said "suede boots or tennis shoes... give them your opinion as to which style would look good with their outfits and is they want both, let them... I want them to feel comfortable"

"Yes ma'am" said Zayn

"And they can come back here when they're done" I said "Where's Jimmy?"

"He left after Lucifer got you back" said Marcus "He was a wreck but said that he would be back at 10am"

Oh okay" I said "And Robin?"

"He left to run your bloodwork" said Marcus "That panic attack scared him"

"Yeah well it scared me too" I said "Did Papa sleep okay?"

"He passed out" said Zayn "Liam & Louis had to carry him upstairs... Haz flipped out last night after Rothsdale called him, so Ni had to go get Anne to calm Haz down... after she left, Ni just fell over from exhaustion - the poor guy"

"Poor Papa... well he'll sleep on the plane" I said "Sarah & I were the only ones to get any sleep last night, so Momma will sleep when the plane takes off"

"Holy cow... this little girl is a pooping machine" said Louis "She went 5 times... I thought she'd never stop"

"Good girl Chelsea" I said "Do you feel better?"

"Arf, aroooo, arf" barked Chelsea

"Okay pretty baby" I said "go find some toys and play"

"Arf" barked Chelsea and ran off in search of toys

"Damn she's smart" said Zayn

"I'm gonna get a bag and clean up her messes so it doesn't kill the grass" said Louis

"Okay... there's 4 more piles in Anne's yard too" I said 

"Jesus Christ" said Louis "Okay, I'll get those too"

"Thanks Louis" I said

"Yep" said Louis and went back outside

"Well at least we know her bowels are working" said Marcus

"Yeah, there's no problem there" I chuckled "She slept on my pillow last night... I woke up sneezing cuz I had fur in my nose"

"She likes you" said Marcus

"I know, I like her too" I said "Its just hard to be upbeat all the time, I mean, its only been a few hours"

"Just take it minute by minute angel" said Marcus "No one blames you for not being upbeat all the time"

"Well that's done" said Louis and washed his hands "I'm going to go over to Anne's and see if Mom & the girls need any help... Is there anything that needs to be brought back?"

"The leftovers from last night, sodas, 2 tubs of ice cream, chocolate chips, popcorn & peanuts... please" I said

"Okay munchkin" said Louis "be back in a bit" as Papa came into the kitchen

"Morning poppet" said Papa

"Morning Papa" I said I heard you passed out last night... Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine baby" said Papa "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay" I said "What's Chelsea doing?" 

"I didn't see her" said Papa

"Oh crap" I said "Marcus watch the eggs" as I ran out the front door "CHELSEA!!!"

"What?" said Louis and looked at me "Wrong name munchkin"

"Chelsea... get over here" I said "She got out Louis"

"Oh damn" said Louis "Come on Chelsea... go see Jessie"

"Come on pretty baby" I said and picked her up "You need to stay in the house... Louis will be right back, I promise"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea as we went back in the house

"How far did she get?" asked Marcus

"To the driveway" I said "That was bad Chelsea... you could have gotten hurt"

"*whine* arf, arf" barked Chelsea

"I know baby, but you can't just run out of the door like that... okay?" I said 

"Arf" barked Chelsea and licked my chin

"Okay, okay, you're forgiven" I giggled "Now stay in here and play with your toys... Mommy will be here soon, I promise... be a good girl Chelsea"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea and ran off

"Oh she's gonna be a handful" said Zayn

"Yeah no kidding" said Papa

"Thanks babykins" I said "She's no different than a toddler pushing boundaries to see what she can get away with before she get in trouble"

"You're welcome angel" said Marcus

"Louis was right, you are a puppy whisperer" said Zayn

"No I'm not" I said "Duchess used to pull things like that all the time... she jusr misses Mary" as the door opened

"Where's my pretty girl?" said Mary

"Arf, arf, arf, arf" barked Chelsea, dropped her toy and ran to Mary

"See?... told ya" I said 

"Well I'll be damned... she did miss Mary" said Papa


	80. Chapter 80

Chapter 80

JESSIE'S POV Continued)

"Did she eat?" asked Mary

"Yep… I found a can of dog food and mixed it with some rice & a can of veggies" I said "There's enough in the fridge for a couple of days and Louis took her outside and she pooped... a lot"

"Oh good girl Chelsea" said Mary "go play pretty girl... Is Haz up yet?"

"I think he went back to sleep" said Marcus

"I'll go wake him up" chuckled Mary and went upstairs... and Chelsea followed

"Oh she's cute" said Zayn

"We need to start keeping the bedroom doors shut during the day so Chelsea doesn't get hurt exploring" I said "If you find her in one of the bedrooms, just tell her 'this is not you room' and shoo her out"

"I'll go close the doors" said Zayn and went upstairs. We heard barking & howeling coming from upstairs.

"No Chelsea, this is my room... go see Mommy & Daddy" said Liam loudly... we all started laughing

"Oh she didn't like that" said Marcus

"Wait till tonight when we all go to sleep" I said "we're going to need to put a dog bed in Mary's room or Chelsea will be howling all night"

"Oh Hell no" said Liam and grabbed Charlie's bed and took it upstairs and then came back down "I'm not going thru that again"

"What did she do?" asked Papa

"Zayn shooed her out of Jessie's room and she ran into our room and went under our bed... I had to lift the bed so Zayn could get her" said Liam "That's when the barking and howling started"

"That Chelsea is a feisty little girl" said Zayn "She's in with Mom & Haz now"

"The eggs and toast are done angel" said Marcus

"Thanks babykins" I said and pulled out my phone "Hey Momma... y'all almost ready? bc breakfast is... Okay" and hung up "they're on their way"

"Then lets set the table" said Liam

"Did y'all have any leftover veggies from last night?" I asked

"Yeah its in the fridge in the clear blue container" said Zayn

"Oh good... Louis is bringing ours so I'll heat them up and we can have them with breakfast" I said 

"Ooo that sounds good" said Zayn

"How were the steaks last night?" I asked

"Oh my God... they were Heaven" said Zayn

"Yeah they were really good" said Papa

"I'm glad they turned out" I said "The barbecued chicken we had was the best... better than Grandma's - hands down"

"Wow... looks like we all had a great dinner" said Liam

"You need to make those veggies more often" said Papa "I've never had broccoli like that before, it was really good" as everyone came thru the door

"Wait till you try the brussel sprouts" said Louis "They are good too"

"Perfect timing" I said as the microwave dinged "I need the container with the veggies... we're going to have with breakfast"

"Here ya go" said Louis and took it out of the box "I'll put this stuff away while that heats up"

"Thanks Louis" I said and put it in the microwave "Marcus get some plates and bowls... Papa, get the silverware... everyone get yourselves some coffee, tea or juice, breakfast is ready" and set the toast & strawberry jam on the table along with the bacon and containers of veggies

"What's on the menu baby?" asked Momma

"Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and the leftover veggies from last night" I said 

"Oh wow... that sounds good" said Momma and made a cup of coffee

"Arf, arf" Barked Chelsea

"No Chelsea, you had breakfast already" I said "Let Mommy & Daddy eat, now go play with your toys and be a good girl"

"Grr arf, arf, arooo, arf, arf, arf" barked Chelsea

"Chelsea, that's enough" said Haz "now be a good girl and go play"

Chelsea whined and went into the Livingroom and laid down on Duchess's bed. I put some eggs, bacon & Veggies in a bowl and set it in the microwave.

"Y'all go ahead and eat... I'll be right back" I said and went into the Livingroom and sat down on the floor "Come here baby" and patted my lap - Chelsea crawled up onto it and whined "I know baby... Daddy didn't mean to sound so harsh... look at me Chelsea" as she looked up "that's a good girl... now you need to listen when we tell you to go play... and no more back talking, okay?"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea

"Good girl... now you stay in here and play with your toys and when I'm done, we'll go outside and play... alright?' I said

"Arf" barked Chelsea and ran off to play with her toys... I got up and went back to the kitchen

"Haz, I realize that you're not in a good mood, neither am I" I said "But if you don't soften your tone when you talk to Chelsdea, she's not going to like you and eventually will stop listening to you"

"Sorry peanut" said Haz I didn't mean to snap at her"

"Well when you're done, its Chelsea you need to apologize to" I said and got my bowl and sat down "and try to remember she's just a baby and doesn't know what we've gone thru in the past 14 hours"

"Yes Ma'am" said Haz and wiped his eyes

NO one talkedpartly bc we were all tired and partly bc the happy mood kind of fizzled out of the room. The door opened and Chelsea started barking.

"Hey there Chelsea.. whatcha got?" said Jimmy "Is that your toy?"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea

'That's a pretty cool monkey" said Jimmy "Here ya go pretty girl... go play sweetie" and came into the kitchen "Hey y'all… hey Doodlebug"

"Hey Jimbo" I said "You okay?"

"Yeah... You?" said Jimmy

"Yeah... off & on" I said "Get some breakfast and sit down"

"Okay" said Jimmy "So are you ready for a wild & wacky day of dress shopping?"

"Most definitely" I said " I giggled "Are you ready for 24 hours of sleep at 30,000 feet?"

"Abso-freaking-lutely" said Jimmy "I spent the night on the phone with Mack... he keeps thinking someone is trying to break into the house so Simon & Jeff stayed with him"

"Seriously?" I said

"Yeah having all of those gemstone's in the house are making him skittish" said Jimmy

"Aw, poor Pooh bear" I said and pulled out my phone and called Mack

MACK: Hey care bear

JESSIE: Hey Pooh bear... I heard you're hearing things?

MACK: Its creepy... I'm seriously wigging out

JESSIE: Okay Pooh bear, calm down and just breathe... Go to your calm place... that's it, close your eyes and breathe slow & easy... that's it... tune out everything except the sound of my voice... that's it now let all of your fears & anxiety float away... let the ocean wash it all away - now you're completely relaxed... stay just like this for 5 minutes then slowly open your eyes and call me back

and hung up "Thanks Doodlebug" said Jimmy "I've been on the phone for the past 6 hours trying to calm him down and you did it in 1 minute"

"Next time, just conference call me" I said "Its cheaper"

"You can do that over the phone?" said Louis

"Yep... direct connection on a global scale" I said "I'm like an American Express card - I go everywhere you need me to be"

Everyone laughed "That's a good one princess" said Liam

"That's me... Queen of the wise cracks" I said as my phone rang

JESSIE: What's up Old Man? 

SIMON: What did you do to Mack?

JESSIE: Nothing... why?

SIMON: He's passed out on the sofa... snoring

JESSIE: Poor Pooh bear... Mack was wigging out so I had him go to his calm place... He must've fallen asleep - I tend to have that effect on people

SIMON: Oh thank God... I thought he got drunk again and passed out

JESSIE: Nope, he was 100% totally sober

SIMON: Okay NeeNee… I'll let you go... see you on Monday

JESSIE: See you Monday... I Love You Old Man

SIMON: I Love You too NeeNee

and hung up "I guess Mack will call when he wakes up" I said "Did you hear Simon?"

"Yeah... he was in panic mode" chuckled Jimmy "I haven't seen him in panic mode in ages"

"Make sure Simon takes a Zanax before he gets on the plane or he'll be a mess when he gets here" I said "He doesn't sleep when he flies without it"

"Okay baby" said Momma

We heard a lot of squeaking & growling in the Livingroom so I got up to look.

"Well, she's killed the monkey" I said, chuckling "Haz, quietly, come see" - Haz stood up and looked

"Oh shit" whispered Haz "What's she doing?"

"She's trying to find the squeaker inside of it" I said as she found it and hid it under the sofa, then took the monkey and laid down "Mission accomplished"

"What did she do?" asked Jimmy

"She tore the squeaker out of the money, hid it under the sofa, grabbed the monkey and went to bed" I said and giggled "apparently squeaky toys are not good to sleep with"

"I guess not" chuckled Jimmy "How did she do with dog food this morning?"

"She waited till I ate some before she'd touch it" I said but she ate what I gave her and according to Louis, she's a pooping machine"

"Well okay" said Jimmy "Why is it they wont eat it till we do?"

"Because if it kills us, then they can find another home" I said "Hell, I don't know, ask Sigmund Freud.. I've only had 1 puppy in my life" there was a knock at the door "I'll get it" and answered the door "Yes? Can I help you?"

"I have a special delivery for a Miss Jessica Horan?" said the man

"That's me" I said 

"This is for you Miss" said the man and handed me a huge cloth-covered basket with a note on it "The note explains everything... Have a nice day"

"Um... Thank you, you as well sir" I said as the man closed the door. I took the basket to the kitchen 

"What is it Jessie?" said Papa

"I don't know, but its heavy" I said and opened the note "Dear Ms. Horan, I was greatly saddened by your loss. Please accept this gift.... Sincerely, Elizabeth R. Windsor" I uncovered the basket and found a beautiful tan & white puppy with another note "My name is Trudy and I'm a 6 month old Corgi"

"A Corgi?... Holy shit" said Gem "Is there a phone number on the not?"

"Um.. yeah there is" I said "Why? Who is Elizabeth Windsor?"

"Jessie... sit down dear" said Gran as I sat down "Elizabeth Windsor is Queen Elizabeth II"

"Queen Elizabeth... THE Queen Elizabeth?" I said in shock "Oh.. my.. God.. no flipping way - Is she serious??"

"Yep... afraid so munchkin" said Gem 

I looked at the basket and was met with a pair of big brown eyes.

"Oh.. Hello there pretty girl" I said and picked her up out of the basket "Oh Momma, Isn't she beautiful?"

"She sure is baby" said Momma "Why don't we introduce her to Chelsea"

"I think I should make a call first" I said and picked up my phone "Oh gosh, my hands are shaking... Momma can you dial the number for me please"

"Sure baby" said Momma and dialed the number on speaker 

"Hello?" said the voice

JESSIE: This is Jessica Horan returning Elizabeth Windsor's call

"One moment please" said the voice

ELIZABETH: Hello Jessica... How are you doing dear?

JESSIE: Hello Elizabeth... I'm doing okay... How are you?

ELIZABETH: I'm fine dear... Did Trudy arrive safely?

JESSIE: Yes Ma'am... She just woke up... She's beautiful, Thank you

ELIZABETH: You are most welcome dear... Now, Trudy is up to date on her shots & vaccine's, she learns fast, and very calm for the breed. There's an email address on the back of the note, so feel free to send me a picture of the two of you & your family when you have the time

JESSIE: Yes Ma'am, I will, I promise... I apologize, but I have to go.. You have a wonderful day and I'll send those pictures soon

ELIZABETH: You as well dear... I look forward to seeing them... Good-bye

JESSIE: Good-bye

and hung up "I can't believe I just talked to the Queen and that she wants me to send pictures of us & Trudy too" I said 

"Why did you end the call so quick?" asked Louis

"I was starting to get nervous" I said "When I get nervous, I loose my train of thought, then I get mad at myself for it and sometimes swear words come out... and you DON'T swear at the Queen... EVER"

"I can't believe you called her by her name" said Gem

"I used the name that she wrote... she didn't correct me" I said "Had she signed it H.R.H Queen Elizabeth II, I would've called her 'Your Majesty'... Was I wrong?"

"Good point... No, you did great munchkin" said Gem

"Whew.. okay good" I said "Trudy is one of her dogs... oh gosh, y'all she's snoring"

"Oh how cute" said Momma "Are you okay?"

"Yeah *sniff* I'm great Momma" I said "She's perfect... from her tiny little legs to her tiny little ears and she has the biggest brown eyes I've ever seen... she's absolutely beautiful"

"Someone's in Love" said Haz

"You bet your ass I'm in Love" I said and kissed her head "My pretty baby... lets go meet your sister" and took Trudy into the Livingroom and sat on the floor "Chelsea... wake up baby... you have a new playmate"

Chelsea woke up and came over to me and sniffed Trudy "Arf, arf" barked Chelsea.. Trudy woke up and barked "Arf, arf" and climbed out of my arms as they started running around the Livingroom.

"Hey, you two want to go outside?" I asked

"Arf, arf" they barked

"Okay, lets go" I said and headed for the back door "Come on pretty babies, lets go play" and held the door open as they ran out into the yard... once they were outside, I took off my shoes & stockings and set them on the washer and ran outside.

MARCUS'S POV

"Well, that's something I haven't seen in a long time... not since we had Fritzy" I said 

"What's that?" said Mary

"Jessie taking off her shoes & stockings to go play in the yard" I said "I thought she had outgrown that"

"She's always done that" said Jimmy "It used to drive Catherine crazy... they'd be getting ready to go to church or somewhere and Jessie would be outside in her slip, barefoot and her dress, shoes & tights would be on the floor by the back door"

"How old was she?" asked Gem 

"3 maybe 4" said Jimmy "Back then Jessie hated to wear dresses - just hated them... She told Catherine that 'dresses were for hookers & white-trash skanks' and that she put another dress on her, she was gonna burn the house down"

"Oh dear God" said Mary

"Catherine was crushed" said Jimmy "Till Jessie was 6"

"So what changed her attitude about wearing dresses?" asked Pamela

"Maggie told Jessie that she had to wear a dress for her first Communion, she agreed - just this once - to wear one" said Jimmy "When we arrived at the church, Dustin Brooks saw her, fell to the floor and said that she looked like an angel and Jessie's face just lit up... after that, she started wearing dresses again"

"How old was Dustin Brooks?" asked Ni

"He was 4" said Jimmy "I think he was in Love with her bc he'd follow her all over at church... it was cute... he gave her a paper heart for Valentine's Day and she kissed his cheek - I swear, I thought the poor kid was gonna faint"

"Aw how sweet" said Gem "His first crush on an older woman"

"Yeah... he's 9 now and if you saw him back then, you wouldn't recognize him now" said Jimmy "before he was a shorty, now he stands at 6' 4" "

"Holy shit" said Louis "That's tall for 9 years old"

"He takes after his Daddy" said Jimmy "Derek is 6' 8" "

"Damn" said Pamela "and here I thought Haz was tall"

"I am" said Haz "I'm 6' 2"... other than dipshit, I'm tall for my age"

"That's true" chuckled Pamela

"What's funny?" said Haz

"You called him 'dipshit' " laughed Pamela "Sorry... I know I shouldn't laugh, but it just didn't sound right when you said it"

"Oh.. that's okay" chuckled Haz

"Oh she's loosing it" said Louis "This is what happens when Pamela doesn't sleep... she gets punch-drunk"

"No shit Sherlock" Laughed Pamela "Oh God.. I'm so tired" and held her head, still laughing as tears ran down her cheeks

"That's okay Pamela, just try and breathe" said Jimmy "You can sleep all the way to Georgia... we'll close the window screens, have Jake turn the cabin lights down low and then is 24 hours of peaceful sleep at 30,000 feet - its the best sleep you'll ever have, I promise"

"Oh God that sounds like Heaven" said Pamela and wiped her eyes "My brain feels like its mush... now I know how Jessie feels when she can't think straight"

"Morning everyone" said Robin as he came into the kitchen "Sorry I'm late, I needed to ask a doctor friend of mine for his opinion on Jessie's bloodwork"

"Was there a problem?" asked Pamela

"No, there's nothing wrong, it came back fine - no abnormalities" said Robin "I just wanted a second opinion is all"

"Oh thank God" sighed Pamela

"Come on pretty babies, Robin's here" said Jessie as she and the girls came thru the back door barking "Shh, not so loud - indoor voices girls" and the barking quieted down

"Oh and who is this?" said Robin

"This is Trudy - she arrived this morning" said Jessie "Special delivery from London" and showed Robin the note

"You're kidding" said Robin

"Nope.. I called her" said Jessie

"You talked to the Queen?" asked Robin in shock

"Yeah, but when we talked, she wasn't 'the Queen' " said Jessie "She was just Elizabeth... she's really nice - she even sent an email address and wants me to send her pictures of the family & Trudy when I get the chance"

"That's wonderful Jessie" said Robin "How old is Trudy?"

"She's 6 months old" said Jessie "Elizabeth says she is really calm for the breed, she learns fast and she's up to date on all of her shots & vaccine's"

"Arent you a special little girl" said Robin "Are they getting along okay?"

"Oh yeah, they're having a blast" said Jessie "Get yourself some breakfast, I have to go change... I slid in the grass and now I have grass stains & puppy paw prints all over my shirt & skirt"

"Okay sweetie" said Robin

"And don't let these two make you think they're hungry" said Jessie "They've had breakfast and 4 dog treats each... they're little piggies"

"Yes ma'am" chuckled Robin as Jessie went upstairs "Jessie seems to be happy again"

"Yeah, she is" said Pamela "Trudy & Jessie bonded instantly... I think Jessie was a little jealous of Mom & Chelsea, but she didn't show it and she's been great with Chelsea all morning"

"That's good" said Robin "It shattered my heart when I found her in Anne's room... it was like she was only holding it together so she wouldn't scare Duchess... and that scream - I can't get it out of my head"

Jessie came back down wearing a white dress with tiny yellow flowers on it "Robin, can you do me a favor when you're out today?" said Jessie

"Sure sweetie... What do you need?" said Robin

"Can you pick up harnesses & leashes for Chelsea & Trudy? asked Jessie "And a play yard from the baby store?"

"Absolutely... Do you need any dog food?" asked Robin

"Yes please - just can food for now" said Jessie

"Okay, and what color harnesses?" said Robin

"A pink one for Chelsea and a purple one for Trudy" said Jessie "Chelsea's already gotten out this morning... she tried to follow Louis over to Anne's"

"Ah okay" said Robin "When you feed them, feed them out on the patio, that way when they want to run, they're already outside... it'll also keep them from trying to get out... I'll pick up a couple of outdoor food & water bowls"

"Oh that's a good idea... I never thought to feed them outside" said Jessie "Thanks Robin"

"You're welcome sweetie" said Robin

"How did my blood work go?" asked Jessie

"It turned out clean, no abnormalities" said Robin "But I still want you to take it easy for a few days till the blood thinner is out of your system.. okay?"

"Yes sir" said Jessie and pushed up her sleeve "So I shouldn't worry about this bruise too much?" and revealed a bruise the size of a silver dollar "Only if it doesn't go away" said Robin "Keep an eye on it and tell Mary if it starts hurting or gets bigger"

"Okay" said Jessie and put her sleeve back down

"We better go get our things Ni" said Pamela "Its almost 11" and took care of their plates

"Okay poppet" said Ni as they went upstairs

"Jimmy... I was dead-ass serious" said Jessie "You better move Heaven & Hell to keep Papa calm on the return flight or I'll punch you... a lot"

"I will Doodlebug, you have my word" said Jimmy "We'll call when we land and before we take off"

"You had better" said Jessie "This is gonna be the longest 48 hours of my life... Oh this is gonna suck swamp water till y'all get home... and tell Mack wherever y'all take Momma & Papa, to take lots of pictures with his phone for the video.. 'kay?"

"Got it" said Jimmy "Anything else?"

"Don't toy with me Jimmy, you know there's always something else" said Jessie "When you get to Gammie & Pappie's house, go to Mom's closet... you know how she has it organized"

"Yeah, like a rainbow" said Jimmy

"Yeah... now each color has a white garment bag with a dress, shoes & accessories in them - grab ALL of them" said Jessie "Then go to Grandma's closet and get the navy-blue lace dress and the white one with lace & flowers on it that Grandma had made for Mardi Gras and bring them all back with you... and don't tell Momma what's in them - its all part of my Master Plan"

"Uh-oh... What are you scheming Jessie?" said Louis

"All will be revealed in due time Louis" said Jessie "Patience is a virtue - learn some"

"The kid is back" said Jimmy "Oh Hell yeah - High-5 ace" and smacked their hands together "New Year's is gonna rock - 2011 is going out with a bang"

"This Master Plan is for New Year's?" said Louis "That's 5 months away"

"No its not for New Year's... but that's not a bad idea" said Jessie "Nope - its bigger than New Year's but smaller than the 4th of July"

"Hmm" said Louis "Bigger than New Year's but smaller than the 4th of July"

"Oh Jimmy... read" said Jessie *Grab Grandpa's white suit too*

"Got it Doodlebug" said Jimmy and winked "This is gonna be colossally epic"

"Care to share with the rest of the class?" said Louis "bc you're killing me with all of this cloak & dagger crap"

"All.. in.. due.. time.. Louis" said Jessie "You can't rush perfection and this plan needs to be 100% spot-on so No, I'm not telling... yet" and pulled out her phone "Grandma can you call Denise and find out her ring size for her right hand and her dress & shoe size for the list please"

"Sure sweetie" said Maura and pulled out her phone "Hi sweetie... I'm fine... Gran's fine too... the reason I'm calling is bc I need your ring size for your right hand... size 6?... okay and what is your dress & shoe size?.... dress & shoes a size 8?... okay sweetie... yes, I'll send you pictures sweetie... okay, give Greg a kiss from me & Gran and I'll call you later... I Love You too sweetie.. bye now" and hung up

"Thanks Grandma" said Jessie as she typed it on her phone

"You're welcome sweetie" said Maura

"We're all set Jimmy" said Pamela "I brought my suitcase so we can put the boxes in it for the trip back"

"Oh good" said Jimmy

"Do you have a ride to the airport?" asked Louis

"No, I was going to call us a cab" said Jimmy

"I'll drive you" said Louis and got up and grabbed his wallet, keys & Phone "Jessie... come see this" as Jessie got up and walked over "They're sleeping together on Duchess's bed"

"Aw how cute" said Jessie and took a picture and showed it to Mary

"Oh... look at them" said Mary "sleeping angels"

"Aw they're so cute together" said Haz

"Do y'all got everything?" asked Jessie

"Yes baby" said Pamela & Ni

"Extra cash for food & coffee?" asked Jessie

"Yep... and passports, ID's, license, Ipod, sunglasses, chewing gum, eye drops, purse, wallets, phones, chargers, empty suitcases, and a carry on with a change of clothes for each of us" said Pamela

"Okay" said Jessie "I want you & Papa to relax and have some fun"

"Okay baby" said Pamela and hugged Jessie "I Love You Jessie"

"I Love You too Momma" said Jessie and then hugged Ni "I Love You Papa"

"I Love You too poppet" said Ni "Be good, mind the rules and try to keep the swearing & blow-ups to a minimum, okay?"

"I will Papa, I promise" said Jessie "If you feel anxious on the way back, tell Jimmy and he'll help, okay?"

"I will poppet, I promise" said Ni"Okay, get out of here and call if there's a problem at Gammie & Pappie's Jimbo" said Jessie

"I will Doodlebug" said Jimmy and hugged Jessie

"Keep them safe Jimmy" whispered Jessie

"I will Jessie" whispered Jimmy and kissed her head "Always & Forever"

"Come on Jimmy, before Jake & Tim leave without us" said Pamela

"Yes ma'am" said Jimmy "We'll see y'all on Monday"

"Have fun & be safe" said Gran, Maura, Mary & Anne

"We will" said Ni & Pamela and followed Louis & Jimmy out to the car, loaded their bags and left

"Good... they're gone" said Jessie "Linda, I need a super humungo favor"

"Okay... ask" said Linda

"So you teach Orchestra?" asked Jessie

"Yes... Why?" asked Linda

"Because I need them to accompany me at the Wedding" said Jessie "I'm playing the Cannon in D and it would sound incredible with an orchestra if we can pull it off... and they have less than 2 months to learn it"

"They already know it" said Linda "They play it every year at Christmas... When do you want to play with them?"

"Oh gosh... Tomorrow at 5?" said Jessie

"Okay" said Linda and pulled out her phone "I'll send a mass text and have them meet us at the school at 5 o'clock tomorrow" and sent the message... suddenly, Linda's phone started pinging like crazy "They say they'll be there... apparently, I've just saved them all from boredom"

We all started laughing as Lucifer and the guys arrived.

"Now that's a sound I like to hear" said Lucifer "Ladies, you look absolutely beautiful"

:Thank you Luce" said Mary


	81. Chapter 81

Chapter 81

MARCUS'S POV (Continued)

"Oh Luce… there's someone I want you to meet" said Jessie and took his hand "A vxery nice lady heard what happened and sent me a special gift" and picked up Trudy "Her name is Trudy and she's 6 months old"

"Oh Jessie, she's beautiful" said Lucifer "Hello there pretty girl"

"Arf" barked Trudy as Lucifer scratched her head

"A special little girl for a special young lady" said Lucifer "There's that smile... just like the one in your portrait at the cabin"

"You saw it?" said Jessie

"I did" said Lucifer "Its a beautiful mural"

"Thank you" said Jessie "Would you like to see the photo of it Sarah?"

"Oh yes please" said Sarah

"I'll go get it" I said and went upstairs and came back with my portfolio and opened it to Jessie's portrait

"Oh Marcus, its beautiful" said Sarah

"Thank you" I said 

There was a knock at the door "I'll get it" said Mary and opened the door "Hi Alex... Come in"

"Hi Mary" said Alex "I've brought the car you called about"

"Oh.. but we don't need it till Monday" said Mary

"I know, but my Mother-in-Law took a spill and we have to go to Doncaster and I wont be back till Thursday" said Alex "So I brought it on our way to the airport

"Oh, I'm so sorry" said Mary 

"Thank you Mary... It has a full tank and is properly tagged & Insured" said Alex "I'll call you Thursday when I get back to the office" and gave her the keys

"Alright Alex... be safe and I hope she gets better soon" said Mary

"Thanks Mary" said Alex and left

"Wow.. okay... Liam & Zayn, you take Lucifer and the boys in the SUV and drive carefully please, it hasn't been paid for yet" said Mary

"Okay Mom" said Liam "I will, promise" and kissed Mary's cheek as Zayn looked out the window

"Holy shit... that's not an SUV - that's a tank" said Zayn "Sorry Li, but you're not driving, I am and don't argue... I'm the only one here with a Commercial Driver's License"

"Okay babe" said Liam and gave the keys to Zayn

"Lets go men" said Zayn "And pray I find a parking spot big enough for this monster"

"Have fun boys and no disappearing... act human" said Jessie "Damian, I'm serious, no disappearing"

"Yes ma'am" said Damian and headed for the car

"Zayn wasn't kidding" said Haz "Its huge"

"What color is it?" asked Jessie

"Silver" said Haz

"Yes!!!" said Jessie "Thank you Alex"

"Well, that's one way to clear a house" said Robin "Okay Haz, do you want to come with me? and when we get back, I'll help you clean over at the house"

"Sure... Can we bring Trudy? She can help keep Chelsea occupied" asked Haz

"Of course we can" said Robin "You take Chelsea & I'll take Trudy"

"Be a good girl Trudy" said Jessie and kissed her nose "You be a good girl too Chelsea" and kissed her nose as well

"Looks like its just me till Louis gets back" I said "Is there anything you need done while I wait Mary?"

"Just the kitchen" said Mary "I'll show you how to work the dishwasher"

"Okay" I said and went into the kitchen "I've loaded it before with Jessie, but I don't know where the soap goes or what buttons to push"

"Okay... the soap goes in here and then push the cover closed... make sure the door clicks shut then push 'normal wash' and then the start button" said Mary "It has an automatic dry cycle, so don't put anything plastic in here or any pots & pans bc they'll melt and get warped"

"Okay... soap here... 'normal wash' & start" I said 

"That's it" said Mary

"Haz… I need the keys to the truck" I said

"Oh... I forgot" said Haz and took the keys out of his pocket "Here you go Marcus, have fun and relax, you'll do great"

"Thanks Haz… I hope so" I said and put the keys in my pocket "I sure hope so"

"Okay Ladies, lets get going" said Mary

"I'm riding with Linda & Sarah... I'll be right out" said Jessie

"Okay sweetie" said Linda "Don't take too long"

"I wont" said Jessie "Haz is right Marcus, just relax and have fun... you'll learn fast and you'll do great"

"Thanks angel" I said "I Love You"

"I Love You too" said Jessie and we kissed

"Oh come on you two" said Louis "Ni & Pamela haven't even been gone an hour... Jessie they're waiting... you two can make out later"

"You're a serious buzzkill Louis" said Jessie "You better propose tonight or I'm gonna kick your butt"

"I gotta talk to Haz first" said Louis

"Fine... I Love You" said Jessie and started to leave the house "be back soon"

"That girl is going to be the death of me" I said and leaned against the counter

"Yeah... I don't mean to sound creepy" said Louis "but if death looked that hot in a plain cotton dress, I'd be like 'oh what the Hell' and go willingly"

"Yeah, no kidding" I said and started rinsing the dishes & loading the dishwasher "Jessie's like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, but I don't know how much more I can take... God help me"

"Would you like me to have Zayn talk to her?" asked Louis "She'll listen to him more than she will me... just relax"

"No.. I'll talk to her" I said "She wont be so quick to blow up if it comes from me"

"That's true... okay" said Louis "let me know if it doesn't work as planned"

"I will... Thanks Louis" I said "lets finish up these dishes and then we can go"

"You're welcome" said Louis "You wash and I'll dry & put them away"

"Sounds good" I said "Did everything go okay at the airport?"

"Yeah... I met the pilots Jake & Tim" said Louis "They're cool and I found out they're married, so I invited them to stay with Jimmy & the guys at Anne's, seeing as she's moving out"

"I feel bad that she has to leave her home" I said 

"I know, me too, but Haz asked her to live with Robin" said Louis "She could've said no, but I think she had already decided to leave before he said anything"

"Yeah I think so too" I said "Did you see how quickly Anne got Haz to calm down?"

"Yeah.. like I said last night... Anne is the definition of Grace under pressure personified" said Louis "Moms are our first loves... I know I'd react the same as Haz if my Mom had a rabid ex-husband who wanted her dead, so I don't blame him for being scared for her"

"I don't know if I would feel the same about my Mother as you do for Mary" I said 

"Why?" said Louis

"Granted, it was a different time entirely, but my Mother wasn't like Anne & Mary" I said "My Mother was very cold and distant... When they died, nothing had changed - the house felt cold and empty, before & after... Anne & Mary are warm & loving and all you want to do is wrap it around you and live off of it as if it were a bottomless cup of coffee that never ends, but is always there to warm you up and make you feel better"

"Damn.. How did you survive in a house like that?" said Louis "I'd have gone insane"

"I don't know" I said "I like to think I had an angel looking out for me and kept me sane"

"When did you start being able to read?" asked Louis

"Not till after I died" I said "It came with the job bc until a soul is born, they can't speak, they're just a ball of energy with thoughts"

"Ah okay" said Louis "Is it hard to learn to do?"

"No, its really easy... I'll show you later" I said 

"Oh cool.. continue where I interrupted from" said Louis

"Okay, as I was saying, All souls are created with the ability to read people" I said "in some, the ability goes dormant and in others, it grows and becomes a sixth sense... then there's the rare ones, like Jimmy who nurture it and allows it to become a part of them"

"What about Sarah & Jessie?" asked Louis

"Sarah & Jessie are reincarnated souls" I said "which is beyond rare bc their lives ended & began again, their ability manifested itself into their very core and keeps them in touch with the other side... think of it as ESP (Extra Sensory Perception) & a sixth sense in overdrive"

"That's scary" said Louis "well that's all of the dishes"

"Okay... lets make ourselves a cup of coffee to take with us and head out" I said 

"Sounds good" said Louis "I'll get us a couple of go cups" and went to the storage pantry

"What's a go cup?" I asked

"Its a travel coffee cup with a lid" said Louis "That way you don't spill it all over you when you're driving"

"Oh okay" I said and watched Louis make his coffee "You're putting ice cubes in your coffee?"

"Yeah, its an iced coffee... You want to try it?" said Louis

"Sure" I said and took a sip "Wow... that's good... How did you come up with it?"

"I didn't" said Louis "The coffee shop back home serves it like this in the summertime... I use 2 spoons of sugar, some milk, ice & cold coffee - give it a stir and you've got a prime cup of iced coffee" and put the lid on the cup and handed it to me "This ones yours"

"Thanks" I said as he made his

"You're welcome" said Louis now these cups can be reused so don't lose it or throw it away.. we'll wash them up so that we can use them again next time"

"Ah okay" I said "lets go... here's the keys"

"Thanks" said Louis

ZAYN'S POV

"Thank God we found a parking spot big enough" I said "Okay men, the goal is to find 5 outfits each with shoes, socks & boxers... I have my orders from Jessie as to the type of look she wants for all of you... look around and if you find something you like, let me or Liam know and we'll go from there... okay?"

"Yes sir" said Damian and the guys

"Sounds like a plan" said Lucifer

"Then lets go inside" I said as we made our way to the Men's Department "You have a choice between blue jeans & black jeans... the blue jeans have different shades of blue and either one goes with everything here"

"Do we have to get jeans?" asked Collin

"No.. If you find pants or slacks that you like & that fit comfortably, get them, but I think you should try a pair, just to be sure that they're not your style" I said 

"Okay" said Collin "That sounds fair"

"Zayn, I can't find any pants in my size" said Damian

"What size do you need?" I asked

"28 waist, 42 inseam" said Damian

"Okay, jeans or slacks?" I said 

"Jeans - both colors" said Damian

"Skinny jeans or regular?" I said 

"I don't know.. I guess whichever fits better" said Damian "I'm not picky"

"Okay, I've got one of each in your size" I said "Go try them on in the changing room and see which style you like best"

"Thanks Zayn" said Damian

"You're welcome" I said as he headed to a changing room

"I think you just made a friend babe" said Li "He's smiling"

"He's a nice guy... a little repressed, but nice" I said 

"Collin.. eyes on the clothes, not the ladies" said Li "You can flirt later"

"Yes sir" said Collin as Damian came out of the changing room

"Regular - definitely regular" said Damian "Those other ones were so tight, I couldn't sit down properly"

"That's why you need to try them on" I said "Other than being too tight, did they fit?"

"Yeah they fit great" said Damian

"Excellent... Do you want to try a black pair or just stay with the blue?" I said 

"I'd like to stay with the blue but I'll try a black pair" said Damian

"Okay" I said and picked up a black pair of jeans "go try them on and see how they look on you"

"Okay" said Damian and went back to the changing room

"I think Damian is actually having fun" I said "How is your search going Collin?"

"I can' decide if I like the black or... What color is this?" said Collin

"That's khaki... its just a shade darker than beige" I said 

"Oh okay... and I found a white pair but they look too short" said Collin

"LI, can you go see if you can help and when he finally decides, have him try them on" I said "Okay Collin, Liam will help you, just relax"

"I'll try" said Collin "I make no promises"

"How's it going Luce?" I asked "Find anything you like?"

"This is very overwhelming" said Lucifer

"That's why I'm here" I said "Why don't we start with some jeans.. once you have those, it will get easier to pair them with shirts"

"Ah okay" said Lucifer "I need the same size as Damian, but I want just the black ones"

"Okay... Do you want skinny jeans or regular?" I said 

"Give me one of each to try" said Lucifer

"Okay, here you go" I said 

"Thanks Zayn" said Lucifer

"You're welcome Luce" I said "Hey Evan... How's it going?"

"Oh, hey" said Evan "I'm good... How's Jessie?"

"Jessie's good, she has her sad moments, but she's fine" I said "You doing some shopping?"

"I brought Charlie & Meghan to get some new clothes" said Evan "Charlie's outgrown his jeans"

"Ah.. okay... Did you tell them about the new job yet?" I asked

"Yeah... they were more excited than I was" chuckled Evan "Meghan started crying when I told them they were coming with me to London on Monday"

"Well I can't wait to meet them and we'll make sure they have fun Monday" I said "What are you guys doing for dinner tonight?"

"I don't know yet.. we're going to get groceries when we're done here... Why?" said Evan

"Why don't you come have dinner with us tonight... Jessie's making stroganoff and when she cooks, she makes a ton of food" I said "and you can get to know us better and wwe can meet Charlie & Meghan"

"That sounds great.... What time?" said Evan

"5:30?" I said

"We'll be there" said Evan "Thank you"

"You're welcome" I said "Ah... I'm being signaled... you have a great day and we'll see you at 5:30"

"You too sir" said Evan "See you at 5:30"

"What did you think of the black pair?" I asked

"They're not me" said Damian

"At least you tried them" I said "lets look at the blue jeans... there's different shades of blue so you have a lot to choose from and then we can find shirts to go with them"

"Oh wow... you weren't kidding" said Damian ""Okay.. lets go with the faded blue jeans - all 5 of them"

"Okay... 5 pairs of faded blue jeans, 28x42 regular" I said and put them in Damian's basket "Now lets find some shirts.. there's t-shirts, long-sleeved t-shirts, polo shirts, casual dress shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, hoodies and flannel shirts... take your pick bc they all go with jeans"

"Um... a polo shirt with a sweatshirt... a long-sleeve t-shirt with a flannel shirt... a couple of sweaters... a casual dress shirt and a hoodie please" said Damian

"Wow.. okay.. What colors? and what size?" I said 

"Size X-Large" said Damian "White for the polo shirt & long-sleeve t-shirt... black for the sweatshirt & hoodie... dark green & yellow for the sweaters.... blue checkered for the flannel shirt... and a white casual dress shirt"

"I like it... good choice of colors" I said "now when you pair a t-shirt with another shirt, you want the t-shirt to be one size smaller than the other shirt so that it doesn't bunch up at the arms and across your back"

"Oh okay" said Damian "Does that go for the sweaters too?"

"It depends on the style of the sweater" I said "If its a bujlky sweater like this one, no.. but if its like this one, then yes"

"Ah, I see what you mean" said Damian "Can I aske you something? and be honest"

"Sure" I said 

"Are we doing this bc of what happened with Stacey?" said Damian "The girl that Billy hurt"

"Ah.. yes, we are" I said "Jessie feels that if you guys hadn't looked so.. scary.. that things wouldn't have gone so bad"

"Ah.. okay" said Damian "So when we have to go on jobs, we should dress less formal in case we have to deal with a victim like Stacey again"

"Exactly" I said "You'll wear your suits for sentencing & judgement and when dealing with incidents involving inmates in prison"

"I like that idea" said Damian "I like Jessie... she makes the boss happy.. when she had to leave, he didn't talk to us, he didn't leave the cabin for a long time and he was in a bad mood... I felt bad for him"

"Marcus told us" I said "Have you seen the mural he painted at the cabin?"

"Yeah, the big boss showed it to us" said Damian "Its amazing how real he made her look... I hope I find someone like her one day"

"You will" I said "Jessie says that God creates someone for each of us whether its an angel or a human... you just need to look for them - and when you do? - make them feel loved & safe and don't be afraid to tell them how you feel"

"He's right Damian" said Lucifer "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt"

"That's alright Luce" I said "Which pair did you like best that fit?"

"I like the skinny jeans" said Lucifer "they fit really well"

"Okay.. 5 pairs of black jeans, 28x42 skinny" I said and put them in Lucifer's basket "go ahead and look at the shirts and see what colors & styles you like"

"Okay" said Lucifer

"How is it going over there Li?" I asked

"Its going good babe" said Li "Collins all set and I'm helping Davis & Stuart now and then we can head over to shoes and get socks & boxers"

"Excellent" I said "Collin let me see what you've got so we can get the right shoes for you"

"Okay" said Collin and showed me his basket "How did we do?"

"You did great" I said "Hmm... you need a jacket to go with these" and went to the coat rack "What size shirts did you get?"

"Large" said Collin

"Okay, try this on" I said and handed over the jacket as he put it on 

"Its a little tight fitting" said Collin

"Okay" I said and grabbed an X-Large "See if this is a better fit" as Collin took off the jacket and put the other one on

"Oh much better" said Collin "Wow.. this is comfortable... I like it""It looks good on you" I said "Go ahead and put it in your basket"

"Thanks Zayn" said Collin

"You're welcome" I said "Okay Lucifer, did you find anything you like?"

"I can't decide, I like them all" said Lucifer "You pick them for me... I trust you"

"Alright" I said "What's your shirt size?"

"X-Large" said Lucifer

"Lets got with a couple of long-sleeve t-shirts paired with solid colored flannel shirts... a couple of sweaters and a casual dress shirt with a jacket" I said "Do you want white long- sleeve shirts or a different color?"

"White is fine" said Lucifer

I grabbed a couple of white t-shirts and went to the flannel shirts "Okay a blue one and... a Scottish plaid... oh perfect" I said and went to the sweaters "Hmm... a burgundy & a dark Christmas green" and then went to the dress shirts "a slate gray - no.. no... What's Sarah's favorite color?"

"Purple... dark purple" said Lucifer

"Oh that's perfect" I said and picked up a beautiful purple shirt "Like this?"

"Yeah that's it" said Lucifer

"Yes!!" I said "lets go see about a jacket"

"Okay" said Lucifer.. I picked out a beautiful light gray jacket and let him try it on "its perfect... Collins right, this is comfortable"

"Yes!!… Damn I'm good" I said 

"But when you're bad, you're better" said Li and winked at me and grinned "I'm just saying"

"Oh be quiet Li" I chuckled & blushed "Sorry about that"

"That's okay Zayn, you two are in Love" said Lucifer "How did you two meet?"

"We met at an Amusement park back home" I said "we were on a water ride when it flipped over... Liam & I were helping get the other riders out of the water.. I was holding a little boy while his Mother was being treated for a head injury... He asked me if I was alright and that was it - I was in Love and we've been together for 18 years and were married 3 years ago"

"Its amazing how Fate works... isn't it?" said Lucifer

"Yeah, it is" I said 

"Okay, we're all set babe" said Li "Are you ready?" 

"Yep, we're all set" I said "Lets go find shoes then the socks & Boxers, then its off to get haircuts and off to the house"

"Wow... we get haircuts too?" asked Damian

"Jessie said she wanted 'the works' " I said "That includes a haircut"

"Woohoo" said Collin

"We should get Ms. Jessie some flowers" said Davis "as a way of saying 'Thank You' for all of this"

"That's a great idea" said Stuart "Does anyone know what her favorite flower is?"

"Asian Lilies & Magnolias" said Li

"Jessie also likes peach colored roses" I said as we got to the shoes department "She says they smell the best and remind her of the ones in her Grandmother's rose garden"

"Then we'll get her the roses" said Davis "They'll make her smile"

"Careful Davis" said Damian "Jessie's in Love with the boss"

"I know that... she still has a pretty smile tho" saod Davis "Her whole face lights up when she smiles... Remember when the boss gave her that dress for her birthday? She smiled for a whole week"

"I remember" said Damian "She looked like an angel in that dress"

"She still does" I said and pulled out my phone and showed them the photo of Jessie & Sarah "So does Sarah"

"Wow... they're both wearing the same dress" said Collin "How is that possible? the boss gave Jessie that dress years ago"

"The dress Sarah's wearing was given to Jessie by her Grandmother 4 years for Jessie's first Holy Communion" I said 

"No way" said Davis

"Leave it to the boss to put a thought or idea in someone's head" said Damian "Just like he did with that song her wrote for her"

"Okay men, lets get this done so we can get out of here" I said "LUce, what's your shoe size?"

"12 please" said Lucifer and handed him a pair of black suede boots

"Okay try these on and walk around a bit" I said 

"Okay" said Lucifer and put them on "Hmm.. they fit good but it feels like I'm walking on cement"

"Okay" I said and picked up a pair of black sneakers "Try these" as Lucifer handed me the boots and put the sneakers on

"Oh wow.. I like these, it feels like I'm walking on clouds" said Lucifer

"Yes!!… okay, go with Liam and get a 12 pack of socks for a size 12 and 2 packages of boxer briefs" I said "Then come back"

"Yes dear" said Li and started to walk away, so I threw a shoe and hit his butt "Ow.. Hey" he chuckled

"Smartass" I chuckled "Go.. before I throw the other one"

"I'm going.. I'm going" said Li "I'm telling Mom you were being mean to me"

"Oh whatever" I chuckled "Who got me pregnant... yeah, walk away little boy"

"So you're the one the angels were talking about" said Davis

"That's me" I said 

"Congratulations" said Davis "How many babies?"

"Thanks... 3 babies" I said "Jessie saysd they're all girls"

"Wow... Do you have their names picked out yet?" asked Davis

"No, not yet" I said "we want to wait till we know for sure that they're girls and that wont be for another 4 months"

"Ah okay" said Davis

"What size Damian?" I asked

"13 please" said Damian "Those tan boots please"

"You got it" I said and gave them to him "Collin?"

"10 please" said Collin 

"Okay, try these" I said "Davis?"

"12 please... something in white, please" said Davis

"Okay, here you go, try these" I said "Stuart?"

"13.. white for me too please" said Stuart

"Wow.. okay, here you go" I said "Now... How do they feel?"

"Great" they all said as Li & Lucifer came back

"Okay men, go with Liam and get 1-12 pack of socks for your shoe size and 2 packages of boxer briefs" I said "and then meet Luce * I up at the cashier"

"Yes sir" they all said and walked off as I pulled out my phone

JESSIE: Hey Zayn... How's it going?

ZAYN: Its going great.. we're about to go check out and then we're off to get haircuts... The reason I'm calling, is bc I ran into Evan here and invited him & his siblings over for dinner tonight and told them to be at the house at 5:30

JESSIE: Oh cool... good idea... Okay, I'll tell Mary and 5:30 is perfect bc we need to stop and get mushrooms & onions - I used what we had last night.

ZAYN: Okay princess, we'll see you in a bit then

JESSIE: Okay... catch ya on the flip side

and hung up "Jessie sounds like she was having fun" said Lucifer

"Yeah... getting Trudy this morning, made her whole day brighter" I said Pamela thinks Jessie was a little jealous bc Mary had Chelsea, but Jessie didn't show it"

"I'm a jerk" said Lucifer "I never thought how seeing a puppy would make Jessie feel"

"Its Okay Luce" I said "As Jessie said 'Chelsea is just a baby and doesn't know what happened, but that doesn't mean she has to be mean to her... Chelsea needs to feel loved & safe' and that's what Jessie did... she even made Chelsea a special breakfast and got her to eat"

"Who knew a puppy could bring out the best in a person with a broken heart" said Lucifer "and another puppy could mend it"

"I know" I said "Jessie took the girls outside to play and came in covered with grass stains & puppy paw prints all over her dress and had to go change her clothes and she was laughing the whole time"

"Who was laughing?" asked Li

"Jessie when she came in this morning from playing with the pyppies" I said 

"Oh yeah.. she was a mess" said Li "You know she'll never get those grass stains out of that dress"

" I don't think she even cares really" I said "She had fun and to Jessie, that is all that matters... and if you think about it, we've been on a non-stop 'drama train' for the past 2 weeks... weALL need to have some fun"

"That's true" said Li "I wonder how Marcus is doing with his driving lesson"

"I'm guessing pretty good" I said "We haven't gotten a call saying he hit a tre or ended up in a ditch yet"

"The boss is learning how to drive?" said Damian

"Yeah Louis is teaching him in Haz's truck" I said "Marcus said that now that he's human, he needs to learn so that he can get a joband doesn't feel so useless around the house"

"Wow.. good for him" said Damian "What the boss needs is a building project"

"Hey.. now there's an idea" said Li

"What are you thinking babe?" I said 

"I don't know yet" said Li "I think you, me, Lou & Jessie need to talk and come up with a plan first... Jessie knows Marcus better than we do so we should see what she comes up with"

"Sounds good" I said and turned my back on the cashier and spoke a little quieter "Okay, we're next so lets wait and finish our conversation when we leave... this cashier is nosy"

"Okay" said Damian as I turned back to the cashier

"Did you gentlemen find everything you were looking for today?" asked the cashier

"Yes ma'am" I said "Is there a hair salon near here?"

"Yes sir.. its 4 stores down from here" said the cashier

"Oh good" I said "Thank you"

"You're welcome" said the cashier and started ringing up Lucifer's items

"Oh and where we can find a Florist?" I said 

"That's inside the Manchester Hotel" said the cashier "Go up the street 2 blocks and turn left - you can't miss it, its huge"

"Oh okay... that's where Niall & Pamela are having their Wedding reception" I said "Pamela sys that the ballroom is gorgeous, like something out of a fairy tale"

"So what do you think Jessie's 'Master Plan' is?" said Li

"I have no idea, but if she needs 10 dresses from Maggie & Catherine's closets, its gotta be big" I said 

"Catherine?" said Damian "From last night?"

"Yeah... that's Jessie's Mother" I said "I'll explain in a minute"

"Ah okay" said Damian

"Is that everything sir?" asked the cashier

"Yes ma'am" I said 

"That'll be $585.80 please" said the cashier and gave her the money. The cashier totaled out the purchase and handed me the change & invoice.


	82. Chapter 82

Chapter 82

ZAYN'S POV (Continued)

"Okay Damian, you're next" I said and handed the cashier his basket "Oh crap"

"What's wrong babe?" asked Li

"We forgot to have the guys get swim trunks" I said "shit, shit, shit, shit... Jessie's gonna shoot me"

"Zayn, calm down" said Lucifer "We can come back and get them when we're done getting our haircuts"

"Oh yeah.. okay" I said and relaxed

"Dude you seriously need to breathe" said Davis "You're way tense"

"Dude? Where from?" I said 

"California... Land of waves, babes, tans & eartyhquakes" said Davis "Where are you from?"

"Michigan... Home of the Greaty Lakes, Motown and birthplace of the Big 3 - Ford, General Motors, & Chrysler"

"Aw righteous dude" said Davis "My first car was a 1968 Ford Mustang GT Convertible - cherry red, black leather interior... man she was a beauty"

"My Mom has one too.. powder blue, white leather interior" said Li "Its back home in storage"

"You're next Collin" I said as he set his basket on the counter

"Are all of you together?" asked the cashier

"Yes ma'am, but we need to pay for them separately, for our tax records" I said

"Ah okay" said the cashier and rang everything up and totaled out the purchase

"Davis, you're up" I said and gave the basket to the cashier and totaled it up 'Okay Stuart... this is the last order ma'am"

"What do you gentlemen do?" asked the cashier

"Construction & sales" I said 

"Ah, I see" said the casher and totaled up the order "Well you gentlemen have a nice day" and handed me the change & invoice

"You too ma'am" I said as we headed for the car and put our bags inside. I took out $200 dollars and put my bag under my seat and locked up the car

"So Zayn... Catherine is Jessie's Mother?" asked Damian

"Yeah... You didn't know?" I asked

"No... We weren't allowed in the chamber when David faced his judgement, only the boss was allowed bc Jessie is still alive" said Damian 

"I see" I said "Damian... You like Catherine"

"I just met her" said Damian

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you can't like her" I said "Why are you so apprehensive?"

"Of course I like her... "said Damian "Its just that, Jessie has already blown up on me once.. What do you think she'll do when she hears this?"

"Damian, if I've learned anything from Jessie, is that all she wants is for those she loves to be happy" I said "David treated Catherine like trah and Jessie knows that... If Catherine has a chance to be happy, that's the best thing to ever happen"

"Are you sure?" asked Damian

"If I'm lying, may God strike me dead" I said and waited "I guess I get to live"

"That wasn't funny Zayn" said Li

"And you need a sense of humor Li" I said and rolled my eyes "10 bucks says God's up there laughing his ass off"

"Yeah.. he's laughing all right" Chuckled Lucifer

"See?.. told ya.. lighten up babe" I said "I'm not going anywhere without you... I promise" and kissed his cheek 

"Okay babe... lets go" said Li "The guys have waited long enough"

"Then lets go" I said "Last one there gets his head shaved bald"

"Oh Hell No" said Damian and started running followed by the others

"Aw come on guys, it was a joked... I was joking" I said and Lucifer started laughing

"That wasn't funny Dude" said Davis

"Yes it was"said Lucifer "The look on Damian's face was hilarious"

"Come on lover boy, lets get you cleaned up for Catherine" I said and took Damian's hand and went into the salon

"Hello Gentlemen, I'm Belinda... How may we help you today?" said Belinda

"These men need hair cuts" I said "This is Luce, Damaian, Davis, Collin & Stuart"

"Alright Gentlemen, if you'll follow me please and have a seat" said Belinda "I see that you all have really long hair.. Would you like to donate it to Locks of Love?" 

"Absolutely" said Davis "I'll go first"

"Wonderful" said Belinda "We'll brush out your hair, put it in a ponytail and then cut it off" 

"Sounds good" said Davis

"So Davis, What's Locks of Love?" asked Damian "It doesn't sound familiar"

"Its a charity that makes wigs for people who have lost their hair from Cancer" said Davis "It takes 2-3 bundles of hair to make 1 wig.. the more hair people donate, the more wigs they can make"

Belinda put Davis's hair in a ponytail, then wrapped more runner bands around it so that it looked like a rope and then cut it off and placed the hair in a bag and sealed it closed.

"Jennifer.. this gentleman is ready" said Belinda

"Be right out" said the girl "My damn heel broke and I can't find my back-up shoes.. oh screw it" and came out barefoot

"Li" I whispered "go back to the car and get $400 from the bag under my seat" and gave him the keys "we'll make a donation and don't forget to lock it"

"Okay babe" whispered Li and left

"How would you like your hair cut?" asked Jennifer

"Short on the sides & in the back and a little longer on top" said Davis "Its naturally curly so you don't need to do much"

"Alright" said Jennifer "Why did ya wait so long to get a haircut?"

"I don't know... I guess I just wanted a new look" said Davis

"Where are y'all from?" asked Jennifer

"Stuart is from Ohio, Collin is from Idaho, I'm from California, Damian is from Nebraska & Luce is from Alaska" said Davis "We went to school together"

"Wow.. What brings y'all here?" asked Jennifer

"A friend of ours lives here... She's getting married on Friday so we thought we'd surprise her" said Davis "She thinks we're busy with work and can't make it"

"Well I think its sweet that y'all could be here for her" said Jennifer

"Where are you from?" asked Davis

"I'm from Texas" said Jennifer "My girlfriend's & I came here after graduation and never left... its quiet and everyone's real nice... we found a church we like, business is great and twice a month we go to the senior living home & children's group homes and give the residents free haircuts as part of our volunteer work in the community"

"That's great" said Davis "Are all of you from Texas?"

"Yep.. except Mandy - she's from :Louisiana" said Jennifer "She moved with her family there after Hurricane Katrina hit and Louisiana got flooded - it was a mess... they lost everything and had to start over"

"Dang Jen, take a breath... He don't need to know my life's story" said Mandy "Geez-o-pete's you're gonna talk the man to death"

"Fine, I'll shut up, but you better put some music on or I'm gonna go stir crazy... its too quiet in here" said Jennifer "The dead could fart and we'd hear it"

"Oh dear God... that's so wrong Jen" said Mandy "Keep it up and God ain't gonna let you step one toe thru those pearly gates & I ain't saying shit to get you in either"

"Aw c'mon Manda-Panda, you know you Love me" said Jennifer "Besides you think God is gonna put those pink streaks in your hair?.. I don't think so baby cakes, so it looks like you're stuck with me" and smiled

"Oh dear God... Lindie, turn the music on please... Gerble's driving me bonkers" said Mandy as the music came on "Thank you"

"Yepper-do baby cakes" said Belinda

While we waited, I called Louis

LOUIS: Hey Zayn

ZAYN: Hey Louis... Do you have Gem's keys?

LOUIS: Yeah... Why?

ZAYN: Can you park her car at Mom's?... this car is huge so I want to keep it parked at Anne's

LOUIS: That's a problem... Anne's car is there and Robin & Haz just pulled in

ZAYN: Crap... oh wait... put Mom's car & Haz's truck over at Anne's and I'll call Mom and have them park there too

LOUIS: Sweet Jesus... When will you be here?

ZAYN: In about 45 minutes or so

LOUIS: Okay, I'll call Mom and you call when you're on your way

ZAYN: Okay... Thanks Louis

LOUIS: Yep.. see you soon

ZAYN: Yep

and hung up "I sure hope Evan can handle this car" I said 

"I'm sure he can" said Li "If he can drive a limousine, he can handle the tank"

"Gentlemen... they're all set" said Belinda as Lucifer and the guys came to the waiting area

"Wow.. looking good men" I said "What do we owe you?"

"$50" said Belinda - I gave her $300 "This is too much sir"

"That's for the haircuts and a $50 dollar tip for each of you" I said "You ladies did an amazing job"

"Oh gosh.. Thank you sir" said Belinda

"You're welcome" I said "Do you take cash donations for Locks of Love?"

"Yes we do" said Belinda "Every little bit helps"

"Here's a $300 dollar donation then and can you put from the St. James family?" I said 

"Of course... Thank you sir" said Belinda "Let me get you an invoice for your tax records"

"Thanks and You're welcome" I said as she handed me the invoice "You Ladies have a great day"

"You too sir" said Belinda 

When we left the salon, I looked at Davis "Dude.. nice cover story" I said

"Thanks" said Davis "Its all part of acting human and for once we got to do something nice to help people"

"Yes you did... it feels good, doesn't it" I said "Jessie is gonna faint when she sees you guys"

"That she will" said Li "Why don't you relax for a bit and the guys & I will go get the swim trunks"

"Okay" I said "let them pick a tank top to go with them and use our card... Oh and don't forget a beach towel too"

"Okay babe... here's the keys" said Li "We'll be back in 20 minutes" and went inside as I got in the car, turned on the radio and called Jessie

JESSIE: Hey

ZAYN: What's wrong?

JESSIE: We got to the jewelers and realized I forgot my bag.. Maura went back to the house to get it... Where are you?

ZAYN: I'm in the car... Liam took the guys back to the department store bc we forgot to have them get swim trunks

JESSIE: Ah okay... Did they get their hair cuts yet?

ZAYN: "Yeah, they just finished at the salon and Ooo girl, they look good... wait till you see them and you're gonna have to find a new name for them bc they don't look like goons any more

JESSIE: Wow... How old do they look?

ZAYN: They all look to be about Marcus's age... Even Luce

JESSIE: No way... Seriously?

ZAYN: Yeah way... I'm dead serious... Oh and warn Gran - Collin has an eye for the ladies

JESSIE: Oh gosh.. that's too funny

ZAYN: And guess what they did?

JESSIE: What?

ZAYN: They donated their hair to locks of love... and before you ask, yes, I made a donation and had it put in Evan's name

JESSIE: Wow.. oh good call... So how does the car handle?

ZAYN: It drives like a dream but its a bitch to park bc its so huge... Did you really need a car this big?

JESSIE: I didn't know it was gonna be that big - I asked for a car that could seat 8 people - not a football team

ZAYN: Well its up to you, we can keep it or have Mom take you and see if you can find something smaller that still seats 8 people if you want

JESSIE: I'll talk to Mary tonight and figure something out... We cant do anything till Thursday any way with Alex being out of town

ZAYN: Okay... well I've gotta go princess, the guys are back

JESSIE: Okay... we'll see you soon

ZAYN: Yep, see you soon princess

and hung up as the guys got in the car.

"We're all set babe" said Li "Was that Jessie on the phone?"

"Yeah.. they're at the jewelers" I said "Jessie forgot her bag so Maura had to go back home to get it"

"Damn.. I'll bet she panicked" said Li

"Probably.. she definitely didn't sound happy" I said "Lets get the flowers and get back before she does... Li, you watch traffic on your side and let me know when its safe to back out"

"On it" said Li "Okay babe, you're clear on this side"

"Okay" I said and put the car in reverse and slowly backed out of the parking spot "Damn this car drives like a dream" and then put it in drive and headed for the Hotel

"Damn.. that Hotel is huge" said Davis

"According to Jessie, they have everything Pamela & Ni asked for" I said "Its pet friendly, has a car service, on site Chef, Caterer, Florist & Bakery, a ballroom and 2 bridal suites... AND they're taking care of ALL of the flowers - for the church, reception and the bouquets for Pamela, Gem, Becca & Sarah & boutineers for all of the men"

"Who's Becca?" asked Damian

"Pamela's best friend from College" I said "They got their pilot's licenses together and mow Becca is going thru flight training to fly combat jets for the Marine Corps"

"Oh wow" said Davis "Is she pretty?"

"She's gorgeous" said Li "but she's a 4th generation Marine along with her Grandfather, Father, 10 Uncles and several cousins... trying to date her, requires an FBI background check & a security clearance"

"Damn" said Davis "and I thought trying to get into Fort Knox was tough"

"You didn't" I said 

"Hell yeah I did" said Davis "I made it as far as the front door when I set off the motion detectors... and I was invisible too... that place is tighter than a frog's ass"

"Oh.. my.. God" I said Laughing

"Why did you try to get in?" said Li and chuckled

"To see if I could" said Davis "I thought it was bigger than it actually is"

"That's what she said" said Collin and they started laughing

"Oh no" I said "Li... " and wiped my eyes as I continued laughing

"Just breathe babe... focus on the road and breathe" said Li "That's it Z, slow & easy" as we pulled into the Hotel parking lot

I parked the car and collapsed onto the steering wheel panting.

"We're here babe, just take a minute and breathe" said Li and rubbed my back

"Is Zayn alright?" asked Damian

"He's fine" said Li "when he gets tired or anytime some says 'That's what she said", he goes into laughing fits... Are you alright babe?"

I took a deep breath "Yeah, I think so" I said and took another "Yeah, I'm good, lets go" and grabbed my bag from under my seat and got some money and then put it back before locking the car and going inside.

"Hello... How can I help you?" said the girl

"Are you Theresa?" I asked

"Yes, I am" said Theresa

"Oh good... I'm Jessie's Uncle" I said 

"Oh, its nice to meet you.. How can I help?" said Theresa

"We need 2 dozen peach-colored roses for Ms. Jessie please" said Davis

"We also need a dozen purple roses and a dozen red roses" I said "and could you put a matching color ribbon on each one please"

"Of course" said Theresa and pulled out the peach roses and went to work "Would you like me to add some baby's breath?"

"Yes please, to all of them" I said 

"I heard what happened to Jessie's dog" said Theresa "Damn fool cops... Is Jessie alright?"

"She will be" I said "A very nice lady sent Jessie a beautiful puppy this morning and it brightened her whole mood and made her smile"

"Oh how sweet" said Theresa "Would you like to include a message card?"

Yes please" said Davis "Can you put, 'To Jessica, Thank you... Love, Damian, Luce, Collin, Stuart & Davis' "

"Perfect" said Theresa and put the card in the box and tied it with a peach ribbon. Next she pulled out the purple roses, added the baby's breath and put them in the box "What would you like the card to say"

"My Dearest Brooke.. For all the years we missed.. Love, Luce" said Lucifer

"She's going to love it" said Theresa "I take it her favorite color is purple?"

"Yes it is" said Lucifer "I messed up"

"Ah... well you'll be forgiven when she sees these" said Theresa and pulled a white rose from the cooler and placed it in the box "A white rose means 'eternal love' " and tied a purple ribbon around the box and gave it to Lucifer

"Thank you... I'll remember that" said Lucifer

Theresa went to the cooler and pulled out the red roses, added the baby's breath and put them in the box.

"There's no card for this box... its for our brother" I said "He's proposing to his girlfriend tonight.. he's nervous so we thought we'd help him out"

"That's so sweet" said Theresa "Tell him to breathe and remember that he's a lucky man to have found someone so special"

"We will, promise" I said as she tied a red ribbon around the box "What do we owe you?"

"$50" said Theresa "The flowers for Jessie are on me"

"Are you sure?" I said 

"Yep, I'm sure" said Theresa

"Thank you" I said and paid for the flowers

"You're welcome" said Theresa "You have a great day and tell Jessie to call me... she has my number"

"You too Theresa... I'll tell her" I said and as we headed for the car, I called Louis "Hey Lou... we're on our way and will be there in 20 minutes... okay cool... thanks Lou, bye" and hung up

"What did he say?" asked Li

"Maura just left the house with Jessie's bag and the driveway is clear" I said "So the guys have time to change their clothes and return in time to give the girls their flowers"

"Yess!!" said Li "I love it when a plan works.. High-5 babe" and smacked our hands together, got in the car and headed for home

"We'll put the boxes in the laundry room so the girls wont see them" I said 

"Good idea" said Davis "Damn.. Why am I so nervous?"

"Because we're giving flowers to the boss's girl" said Damian "We're all nervous"

"Just breathe men... I can guarantee, Marcus will not be mad bc you're giving her flowers and Jessie wont blow up on you" I said "but be prepared, Jessie may give each of you a kiss" and pulled into the driveway, unloaded the car and went inside

"Damn... What's all this?" asked Louis

"The boys wanted to get Jessie some flowers to say 'Thank you' " I said "Luce wanted to get some for Sarah and we got you some to give to Gemma... Did you talk to Haz yet?"

"Thanks Zayn" said Louis "Yeah, I talked to him when he & Robin got back... he gave me his blessing"

"You're welcome" I said 

"How did the driving lesson go?" asked Li

"It went great" said Louis "Marcus listened, asked questions and stayed focused... He did better than Pamela did when I taught her"

"Then why do you look like you're gonna puke?" asked Li

"Because I'm scared shitless" said Louis "My hands are sweating, my stomach feels like its trapped in a steel vice and my back has more knots than a damned rope"

"Okay men go upstairs and change and don't rip off the tags, we'll cut them off when you come down" I said 

"Yes sir" said Damian as they all went upstairs

"Okay Lou, calm down and just breathe.. that's it" I said "Now just listen... you & Gemma were made for each other.. you're so lucky to have found someone as special as Gemma... you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know" said Louis

"Gemma & Anne love you... so does Haz or he wouldn't have given you his blessing" I said 

"Did you ask Mom for her ring?" asked Li

"Yeah... She gave it to me this morning while everyone was sleeping" said Louis and pulled out the box

"Good... You've got the ring and a dozen red roses so you're all set... you just need to breathe and think about what you want to say" said Li "That's the hard part"

"Just tell how you feel" said Damian "Tell her how she is your first thought in the morning and your last thought at night... that until you two met, you were lost but when you saw her in that beautiful red dress, you knew you had found your angel - the other half of your heart & soul"

"Damn.. you're good" said Louis "Can I use that?"

"Of course you can" said Damian "I only said what was in your head Louis, you just needed it pieced together so it flowed and didn't sound cliché or cheesy"

"Thanks" said Louis "Wow.. looking good Damian, I like the outfit & hair cut.. You're gonna have the ladies fainting left & right when they see you"

"Um... Thanks Louis" said Damian "Hopefully just one lady... if Jessie doesn't kill me first"

"Damian likes Catherine" I said as I cut the tags off "But he's afraid Jessie will blow up on him when he tells her"

"Ah.. I see" said Louis "Jessie will be happy for you, trust me... If Catherine is happy, she'll be happy"

"See?... I told you, you have nothing to worry about" I said ""Go ahead and take your things home and then come back... I'll send the others as they come down"

"Okay" said Damian and disappeared as the others came down the stairs

"Wow... Jessie is going to love the new look" said Louis

"You think so?" asked Stuart

"Absolutely" said Louis "Luce, Sarah is going to forget how to speak when she sees you"

"I hope not, but Thank you Louis" said Lucifer "I thought I'd wear the purple shirt"

"It looks great on you Luce" I said as Marcus came thru the door

"Oh wow... looking good boss" said Marcus "You guys look great too... Where's Damian?"

"He took his things home" I said as I cut all of the tags off their clothes "He'll be back in a bit... Okay men, take your things home and hurry back before the ladies arrive"

"Okay" said the guys and disappeared as Damian came back

"Hey boss" said Damian "Where were you?"

"I was over at Anne's helping Haz & Robin finish cleaning the house" said Marcus "With Anne moving out tomorrow, Haz wanted to to do some cleaning and to make sure he didn't forget anything... How was the shopping trip?"

"It was good" said Damian "We donated our hair to a charity that makes wigs for people who lost their hair from Cancer"

"I've heard about that" said Louis "Its called locks of love - they're a very well respected organization... that's great Damian... it feels good to do something nice for people in need,, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does" said Damian "and Zayn made a donation in Evan's name too"

"Well, if I had long hair, I would've donated it" I said "But I don't, so I made a cash donation and had them put it in Evan's name bc his Mother died from Cancer"

"Does Jessie KNow?" asked Marcus

"Yeah.. I called her while the guys were in the store getting swim trunks that we forgot to get when we were in there the first time" I said 

"Davis said that we should get Jessie some flowers as a Thank you for today, so Zayn took us to get some" said Damian "I hope that's okay boss"

"Its fine Damian" said Marcus "She'll love them"

"I was worried... It doesn't feel right to give a girl flowers when she has a boyfriend" said Damian "and also bc she's your girl"

"You're right Damian" said Marcus "But its the reason for the flowers that matters... if the reason is is to say thank you, get well, sorry for your loss or you heard someone was having a bad day, then flowers are appropriate... otherwise, its not"

"Thanks boss... I'll remember that" said Damian and smiled

"You're welcome" said Marcus as the guys came back

I looked out the window "The girls are back" I said

"Come on Liam, lets go help them bring their bags in" said Louis "Y'all stay here" as they went out the door

"Okay men, get ready to hear low whistles and see a few jaws drop" I said as the girls came up the walk way talking and laughing... Gran was the first one thru the door and whistled

"Lord have mercy... be still my heart" said Gran 

"Whoa baby" said Jessie "Damn y'all look fine"

"Wowzers" said Mary

"Wow... just wow" said Gem 

"I agree" said Anne, Maura & Linda

"Luce" said Sarah "Ooo baby"

"Okay Ladies, quit drooling and breathe" I said "Come in and put your things away and tell us about your day"

Everyone came in, still staring at the guys and sat down.

"Oh, if only I was 40 years younger" said Gran

"You're still beautiful Beth" said Davis and kissed her hand


	83. Chapter 83

Chapter 83

ZAYN'S POV (Continued)

"I love the haircuts" said Jessie "and the outfits... you did good Zayn, you should be a professional stylist bc you rocked this"

"No I didn't... this was all them" I said

"Really?... Wow... so how does it feel to know that you don't have to wear your suits everyday?" asked Jessie

"It feels great" said Collin "To be honest, wearing a suit all of the time was kind of depressing"

"Yeah.. its hard to talk to people when they think you work at a funeral home" said Stuart

"And how did it feel to be treated like a human being again?" asked Jessie

"It felt really good" said Davis

"Yeah, it did" said Damian

"Luce? How do you feel about the new look?" asked Jessie "Be honest"

"I like it... I should have done this a long time ago" said Lucifer "Or had Marcus do it while I was gone"

"Well good, bc y'all look great.. very happy & relaxed" said Jessie and pulled out her phone "Hey Haz, you almost done over there?... good hurry up I want to see my baby & Celsea" and hung up "I'll be right back, I need to change so that I don't ruin this dress" and went upstairs

Mary kicked off her shoes and put on her fuzzy blue slippers "Oh I hate those shoes... My feet are killing me" said Mary

"Do you want a foot rub Mom?" I asked

"Oh, not now sweetie... If you do that, I'll fall asleep and then I wont sleep tonight" said Mary "But thanks for asking sweetie"

"Let me know if you change your mind" I said 

"I will sweetie" said Mary as Haz, Robin & the girls came thru the door "There's my pretty baby... Did you have fun with Daddy today?"

"Arf, arf, aroooo, arf, aroooo" barked Chelsea and looked at Haz

"She's not very happy with me" said Haz "She doesn't like the harness and I had to put her & Trudy in the play yard bc they kept trying to kill the vacuum while I was cleaning"

"Arf, arf, aroooo, arf, arf, arf, aroooo" barked Chelsea

"See? She's not happy" said Haz

"Chelsea, shh... you have to wear your harness" said Mary "ah, ah.. listen... you only have to wear it in the daytime, okay?"

"Arf" barked Chelsea

"Good girl" said Mary "now, tell Daddy you're sorry"

"Arf, aroooo, aroooo" barked Chelsea

"That's okay pretty baby" said Haz "Can I have a kiss? right here?" and tapped his cheek... Chelsea leaned over and licked his cheek "Thank you Chelsea"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea

"OW!! FLIPPING FISH STICKS!!" yelled Jessie "MARCUS XAVIER SMITH I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!"

"Oh shit" said Marcus and ran upstairs "OW!! JESSIE STOP... I'M SORRY, I FORGOT ABOUT THAT, I SWEAR.. LOUIS HELP... OW!!.. OW!!"

"BULLSHIT YOU FORGOT... NOW I'M GONNA HAVE A BLACK EYE" yelled Jessie "WHERE'S THAT BASEBALL BAT... I'M GONNA CRACK YOUR SKULL OPEN FOR THIS!!!"

"Liam, Louis, stop her before he gets hurt" said Mary and they ran upstairs

"Looks like the boss forgot a boobytrap" said Davis "This is not going to end well"

"LOUIS, LET GO OF ME OR YOU'LL NEVER HAVE KIDS" yelled Jessie

"Oh fucking Hell" said Damian and went upstairs "JESSICA RENEE FOSTER-AIMSWORTH-HORAN, KNOCK IT OFF RIGHT NOW... DON'T MAKE ME GO TELL NI & PAMELA ABOUT THIS... 1-STOP... 2-DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT... IF I HAVE TO SAY THE NEXT NUMBER, I'M GONNA HOSE YOU DOWN IN THE BATHTUB... DOWN STAIRS - NOW"

They all came down the stairs with Jessie first & Damian behind her. Jessie was holding her hand over her right eye as she went to the kitchen and got an ice pack from the freezer and put it on her eye as she glared at Damian.

"Let me how bad it is Jessie" said Robin "Come on sweetie, let me see it" 

Jessie removed the ice pack. Sure enough, she had a black eye - from her cheek bone to the bridge of her nose - the lower half of her eye was purple.

"Its not that bad, your cheek bone caught the worst of it" said Robin and held up 2 fingers "Just your right eye.. How many fingers do you see?"

"5.. 2 up, 3 down" said Jessie

"Okay sweetie" chuckled Robin "Keep that ice pack on for 10 minutes and then off for 10 minutes... okay?"

"Okay" said Jessie "I'm sorry Louis... I'm sorry Damian.... and you just wait till next Sunday Marcus, you are going to be soo sorry"

"That's okay munchkin" chuckled Louis

"You can't do that Jessie" said Damian "I don't care who or what you're pissed you off, you cant threaten people like that... I mean it, if you make that threat to another person, so help me, I'll squeal like a stuck pig on a barbed wire fence... Understood?"

"Got it" said Jessie as Damian went to the laundry room and came back with her flowers "These are for you" said Damian "Open it"

Jessie slowly untied the ribbon and open the box to reveal the flowers and picked up the card.

"To Jessica... Thank you, Love Damian, Collin, Davis, Stuart and Luce" said Jessie and picked up a rose to smell it and closed her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. She stood up and walked over to Lucifer and gave each of them a Kiss & a hug along with a whispered 'Thank you' then sat back down and smiled as she looked at them "These are just as pretty as the ones in Grandma's rose garden and they smell the same too... Tropicana Roses are the prettiest - a sunset in a rose... pink, yellow & orange combined to make the most perfect shade of peach"

Lucifer went to the laundry room and came back with Sarah's box "This is for you" said Lucifer and handed the box to her.

Sarah untied the ribbon and opened the box "Oh... purple roses" said Sarah and picked up the card "My Dearest Brooke.. for all the years we missed.. Love, Luce… a single white rose?"

"The girl at the flower shop said that a white rose means eternal love" said Lucifer "No amount of words will ever express how truly sorry I am for messing things up Brooke" and kissed her hand

"Oh Luce, this is a new chapter for us" said Sarah "No more regrets, no more apologies.. I can't be Brooke any more - I'm Sarah now... I'm still the girl you fell in love with, that will never change... we need to make new memories and put the past in a box as a treasured keepsake"

"Alright beautiful" said Lucifer

"Hello.. My name is Sarah Suzanne Jeffries" said Sarah and held out her hand "What's your name?"

"Hello Sarah, I'm Andrew Scott Clarke.. its very nice to meet you" said Lucifer

"You have a name?" said Jessie in disbelief

"Yes... Its complicated - I'll explain later Jessie" said Lucifer

"Yes... you will" said Jessie

"Sarah.. there's an old story about roses" I said and sat down on the floor next to her "Would you like to hear it?"

"Oh, yes please" said Sarah

"There was a princess who lived in a castle and everyday she would walk thru the forest in search for the most beautiful ever created, but could never find. One day while she was walking, she saw a rainbow and made a wish. 'I wish I had the most beautiful flower garden ever created' and continued walking, then eventually headed for the castle. When she reached the castle, the grounds were covered in roses of all different colors, but they had blocked the castle's entrance, so she left in search of someone who could help her."

"She walked to the nearest village, but there wasn't anyone that could help. She walked for days looking for someone, anyone and started crying, so she sat down. She was thinking of how she'd never be able to go home, when a young man came by. 'What's wrong?' he asked. 'I made a wish on a rainbow and now my home is surrounded by roses and I can't get back in... Can you help me?'. 'Of course I can help'. He helped her up inot his buggy and they headed for the castle."

"When they reached the castle, he said 'I need to get rid of some of these to make a path.. Is that alright?" to which she replied 'I guess its okay, if it means I can go home'. Well he could see that made her sad to see such beautiful flowers be destroyed, so he came up with an idea. 'I'll take the flowers that I clear away with me and replant them, if you'll do something for me'... 'What?' she said... he cut a flower, blew on it to open the petals (I re-enacted this part) and put it in her hair and said 'Be happy and don't forget me' and went to work clearing away the flowers."

"When he was done, he took the flowers, loaded them in his buggy and left as the princess went inside the castle. The young man traveled the world planting the rose bushes as he went, but he missed the princess so he decided to head back to the castle. It took a long time to get back and when he finally reached the castle, he couldn't believe what he what he saw."

"What?.. What did he see?" asked Sarah

"The flowers had grown back, but this time, they covered the door, trapping the princess inside."

"Oh no" said Sarah

"So he cleared away the flowers again, but this time he built a fence on either side of the door to keep the flowers out of the path and went inside. He found the princess and took her outside to show her what he had done. 'You came back' she said. 'I had to.. I left something here' and got down on one knee 'I left my heart.. did you find it?' he said. ;No.. because you took mine' "

"The next day, in the middle of the path, they were married... and lived happily ever after."

Louis went to the laundry room and got Gemma's box and gave it to her. Gemma opened the box "There's no card" said Gemma

"What I want to say, wont fit on a card" said Louis and took a deep breath "Gemma, you are my first thought of the day and my last thought at night. I was lost, thinking I'd never find someone - till I met you. Gem, when you came down those stairs the night of the summer formal, you took my breath away and I knew, you were the angel I had been looking for, you are the other half of my heart & soul" and got down on one knee "Gemma Elizabeth Styles-Gallagher, Will you Marry Me?"

Gemma nodded "Yes" said Gem as Louis put the ring on her finger and they kissed.

"WOOHOO!!" yelled Jessie "Bout time"

Everyone cheered & clapped as Anne & Mary hugged Gem & Louis.

"Welcome to the family Gemma" said Mary as they hugged

"Thanks Mary" said Gem

"Oh... I have another son" said Anne "Welcome to the family Louis"

"Thanks Anne" said Louis as Haz hugged Gemma

"Congratulations Gemmie" said Haz

"Thank you bug" said Gem "Haz?"

"Yeah?" said Haz

"Walk me down the aisle.. please?" asked Gem

"Oh Gemmie.. Of course I'll walk you down the aisle" said Haz "You're my other Mum & my best friend... I'd do anything for you"

"Thanks Haz, my sweet baby boy" said Gem and kissed his cheek "Well Jessie? Are you ready to plan our Wedding?"

"Absolutely" said Jessie "When you pick your date, let me know and we'll get started"

Gem & Louis looked at each other and nodded "July 15th" they said in unison

"Whoa... that was cool" said Davis "They're in sync"

"Show us the ring" said Damian as Gem walked over and held out her hand.. it was shaking.

"Izzie?" said Sarah

"Yes petal?" said Mary

"You know that thing Pamela had to talk to Ni about?" said Sarah

"Yes, what about it?" said Mary

"Ni told her to take the job offer" said Sarah "Do you want to tell everyone? She's going to call tomorrow and ask you to"

"Tell us what Mom?" said Louis

"Chief Montgomery offered Pamela a job last night" said Mary "as a Detective with the police department... Ni told her to take the job... she starts a week from Monday"

"Holy shit" said Damian "Pamela's going to be a cop?"

"Yep" said Jessie "This is so cool... Momma's gonna be a great cop"

"Doesn't she need to go thru the police academy first?" asked Davis

"Pamela already went thru the police academy back home" said Li "as part of her Law Enforcement degree in College... bc she was 17 at the time, Zayn & I had to give our permission for her to take the courses and she passed all of her classes with top marks"

"Oh wow" said Davis

"Pamela just needs to get recertified to carry a firearm when she gets back" said Mary

"And you're okay with this?" asked Damian

"No, but this is what she went to school for" said Mary "Pamela is very smart and doesn't do anything without thinking things thru... She thought about this for 6 months and talked to lots of cops before she told us, so this wasn't a decision she took lightly"

"Damian, we can't interfere unless HE tells us to" said Collin "I don't like it either, but we don't have a choice"

"Okay guys, What's going on?" said Louis and crossed his arms "y'all are acting like a bunch of nervous cats in a room full of rockers... spill it"

"Chief Montgomery suspects she has a… dirty cop in the department" said Stuart "That's why you've had constant run-ins with Des.. that's why she offered Pamela the job"

"And you know this how?" asked Louis

"When Jess had us go see Billy, we had to tell THE BIG BOSS" said Collin "and he told Andrew to have us monitor Billy... Marcus told us to monitor everyone here bc of what happened last Tuesday to Jess - that last one was a standing order from the boss before he had his meeting upstairs... any way, since then we've been monitoring Des, especially after he knocked out the boss, and Rothsdale can't figure out how Des got out of the hospital, so he told the Chief about his suspicions"

"So Pamela will be working for the police department to find a dirty cop?" said Louis

"Yes sir" said Damian "And I don't like it... Something doesn't feel right and I can't figure out why... its like the answer is right there and I just can't see it"

"Oh bloody fucking Hell" said Lucifer "Men, we have company, Ladies stay in the house and whatever you hear, DO NOT come outside... Liam, Louis, hold dow the fort... Zayn, put the dogs in the study and closed the door, grab a bat and hit anyone that comes thru this door... Marcus & Haz, you're with us.. Don't worry Anne, we'll keep Haz safe, I promise"

"Yes sir" said Haz & Marcus

"Sarah & I will stay in the study with the girls Izzie" said Jessie

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "Ladies, lets go upstairs... Liam, grab a bat and help Zayn... Louis, grab a bat and keep Sarah & Jessie safe - Gran & I will defend the upstairs"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis & Liam

MARCUS'S POV

"What's the plan boss?" I said "and why is Haz with us?"

"If Haz is with us, Des wont go in the house" said Lucifer "You keep Haz calm, Haz listen to Marcus... Davis, Collin, man the back door in case Des didn't come alone"

"Yes sir" said Davis & Collin and disappeared

"Damian, you're with me... Stuart, stay with Haz & Marcus in the shadows" said Lucifer

"Yes sir" said Stuart and disappeared "Don't worry Haz, I'm right here on your left... just breathe Haz, we got this"

"Okay Stuart" said Haz "Luce… whatever happens, send him to Hell"

"If it comes to that, I will, you have my word" said Lucifer "Our main goal right now, is to keep you safe so you can meet your daughters"

"Okay" said Haz

"What do you want Des?" said Damian "You're not welcome here"

"Haz" I whispered "Turn on your audio recorder and give me your phone"

"Okay" whispered Haz and pulled out his phone, pushed a few buttons and gave it to me "Here you go.. its running"

I nodded and snuck up behind Damian.

"I said you're not welcome here" said Damian "State your business and leave"

"My business is with Harry" said Des "Get out of my way"

"I don't think so Des" said Lucifer "Harry wants nothing to do with you... ever"

"Well that's too fucking bad isn't it" said Des "I'm not leaving till Harry and those bitches are dead"

"Excuse me, but those ladies have names" said Damian "Feel free to use them"

"Anne, Gemma, and that mouthy little bitch Jessica" said Des

"You know anyone named Jessica Boss?" asked Damian

"The name doesn't sound familiar" said Lucifer "Haz.. you know anyone named Jessica?"

"Nope, sorry" said Haz

"Wait a sec... Is he talking that girl that was visiting here a few days ago?" said Lucifer "Oh.. what was her name"

"I think her name was Stacey, but you know me Boss, when it comes to kids, I'm bad with names" said Damian "all I remember was that she was about this tall, had blond hair and piercing blue eyes"

"That's the bitch... she said her name was Jessica" said Des "She was standing right here with 2 men and a tall girl with purple eyes"

"Dude.. you're mental" said Damian "everyone knows purple eyes don't exist unless they're colored contacts"

"The only men who live here is Me, Damian & Haz" said Lucifer "And this is my place so you need to go"

"Like I said, I'm not leaving till Harry Edward Styles is dead" said Des and pulled out a gun

"Go.. to..Hell" said Lucifer as the gun flew out of Des's hand and into Jessie's

I turned off the recorder as Jessie walked up to Des and pointed the gun at him.

"Des, Des, Des" said Jessie and shook her head "Was I not clear as to what would happen if you came near my family again?"

"You wont do it" said Des "You're just a kid"

Jessie cocked the gun and shot at the ground next to Des's feet "You still think I wont do it?" said Jessie "I told you, if you came back, I'd kill you and NO ONE WILL EVER find your body" and cocked the gun again "care to try me? Do you I look like I'm joking?... Give me a reason NOT to shoot your punk ass.. bitch boy"

"Hmm... decisions, decisions" said Haz "Do we let you live? Let Jess kill you? or Turn you into fertilizer?... What do you think Lucifer?"

"Hmm... That's a good question Haz" said Lucifer "Damian, why don't you show Des what his future in Hell looks like while Haz & I discuss our little dilemma"

"Yes sir boss" said Damian and touched Des's forehead

"How long does this part take?" asked Jessie

"Not long" said Damian "They usually cave after a minute or so"

"Oh Holy crap" said Jessie "Um.. Luce, we have a problem"

"What is it Jess?" asked Lucifer

"Des is getting off on this" said Jessie "Its like he's excited"

"Oh shit" said Lucifer "Damian, stop" as Damian pulled his hand away "Okay Des, you leave me no other choice... Jess, go in the house and take Haz with you - yell thru the door so Zayn doesn't hurt you"

"Yes sir" said Jessie "Come on Haz, you don't want to see this... trust me Hazzabear, this is one thing God wouldn't want you to see"

"Okay peanut" said Haz as they went up on the porch

"ZAYN, LIAM... HAZ & I ARE COMING IN" yelled Jessie as they went inside

JESSIE'S POV

"EVERYONE COVER YOUR EARS & CLOSE YOUR EYES' I yelled "WHATEVER YO DO, DON'T LOOK OUT THE WINDOWS"

There was an ear-splitting scream, a flash of light and then it was dead quiet as Marcus came in and collapsed onto the floor.

"OH GOD... MARCUS' I yelled "Haz, go upstairs and turn the shower on ice cold... Louis help me get him to the bathroom"

"Oh shit" said Louis "He's burning up.. What's wrong with him?"

"Light poisoning" I said "We need to get his temperature odwn before he has a seizure... Take his clothes off but leave his boxers on"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz & Louis as I got in the shower

"Okay, carefully lift him into the shower, facing me" I said "so the water hits his back & his head... Come on baby, hold on, I'm right here"

"ITS TOO HOT" screamed Marcus

"Its just fine baby" I said "You have a fever... just breathe Marcus, just breathe"

"IT HURTS... OH GOD IT HURTS" screamed Marcus

"I know baby.. I know" I cooed "Just breathe thru the pain baby... that's it marcus, Luce will be back soon and he'll make it all better"

"JESSIE!!" yelled Lucifer

"She's up here Luce" said Louis "In the shower with Marcus" 

"Hang on baby... Luce is here" I said "Shh... I know baby... just breathe" as Luce ran into the bathroom

"Sorry boss" cried Marcus as he started shivering "I tried to run for the house"

"Don't be sorry Marcus, this ones on me" said Lucifer "I made sure Jessie & Haz got in the house, but I didn't see you... lets get you better"

"Take him to our room - its the pink one across the hall" I said as Haz, Louis & Luce took Marcus to our room.. I turned off the shower and took my clothes off and wrapped a towel around me as I went to our room and got some dry clothes "Oh give it a rest boys, I've seen him naked before" and went back to the bathroom to get dressed. There was a knock on the door.

"Jessie... its me... Can I come in?" said Gem

"Come in Gem" I said as the door opened and Gem, Anne & Mary came in and closed the door Have a seat"

"What was that?" asked Mary

"That was Des" I said "And this time, he wont be back"

"What happened" said Gem 

"Damian showed Des what his life would be like in Hell... but there was a problem" I said and took a deep breath "Des was getting off on what he saw... it was like, he was excited about it"

"Oh God" said Mary "So?"

"God punched Des's ticket... permanently" I said "right now, Des is nothing but cosmic dust floating around in a black hole never to return... That.. is Divine Retribution"

"So its over" said Anne

"Yes.. so far" I said "There's still a dirty cop that let this continue to contend with"

"Okay.. lets go see Marcus" said Anne "I need to see that he's alright" and we went to my room

"Can we come in?" I asked "Anne wants to see Marcus"

"Come in Anne" said Marcus

"Are you alright?" asked Anne

"Yes Anne, I'm fine" said Marcus "Luce fixed me up... Are you okay?"

"I don't know" said Anne "I don't know how I should feel"

Marcus walked over to Anne and gave her a hug "I know that feeling Anne" said Marcus "Even tho he's gone, it feels like nothing has changed"

"Yeah" said Anne "What do I do now"

"You still need to grieve Anne" said Marcus "If you feel like laughing, crying, screaming or just talking about it, do it.. if you hold it in, it will kill your soul"

"Excuse me.. Anne you need to come downstairs" said Maura ""Harry is in the back yard... drunk & crying"

"Okay" said Anne

"Mum, let me take care of Haz" said Gem 

"Okay sweetie" said Anne as Gem left the room


	84. Chapter 84

Chapter 84

GEMMA'S POV

I headed out in the yard and sat down in the grass next to Haz "Hey bug... What are you doing?" I said

"I'm celebrating" cried Haz and took a drink

"Ah.. I see" I said "What are you celebrating?"

"Luce said... I had to stay safe... to meet my daughters" cried Haz ""Its a girl times 2 and I'm scared... that I'm... gonna be like him"

"Oh bug" I said and rubbed his back as he laid his head on my shoulder and cried "You're nothing like him... you are so much better than he ever was"

"Gemmie?" said Haz softly

"Yeah?" I said and kissed his head

"Can I go be sick now?" said Haz

"Go to the fence and let the sick go in the field" I said "Go Haz"

"I can't get up" cried Haz

"Oh bug... Damian, Haz needs some help please" I said 

"I've got you Haz" said Damian and carried him to the fence "There you go Haz, lean over the fence... that's it, I'm not leaving just relax and let it happen"

I got up and went to Louis "Is it too late to elope?" I said and laid my head on his shoulder and hugged him tight

"Honey we can get married wherever or whenever you want... "I'll marry you in a rowboat in the middle of the ocean if you want" chuckled Louis "Shh... its alright honey, don't cry"

"That monster has fucked up my life 5 ways to Sunday and 10 on Tuesday" I cried "and now Haz is drunk and scared he'll end up like him... Are you sure you want to be a part of this mess?"

"Family dynamics are supposed to be messy" said Louis no family is perfect and we're so dysfunctional, that if we were to explain it, people would look at us as if we were aliens"

"Then explain it to me bc you lost me at dysfunctional" I said

"Okay... Haz & Mom are having a baby and you & I are getting married" said Louis "With me so far?"

"Yeah, go ahead" I said 

"Haz & Mom get married, and Haz becomes my step-Dad, their baby is my sister & your niece" said Louis "We get married, and my step-Dad becomes my brother-in-law = dysfunctional"

"Oh God" I said and started laughing "Oh babe, I love how your brain works" and kissed him

"HEY LOUIS... I'M MAKING STROGANOFF.. GET YOUR ASS IN HERE IF YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE IT" yelled Jessie 

"COMING BOSS LADY" yelled Louis "be back in a bit honey, take care of Haz"

"Okay" I said "Have fun" as he went in the house

"Okay... Damian, Collin, Davis, Stuart, & Liam Jessie needs to see all of you in the kitchen please" said Mary "I'll watch over Haz.. Thank you Damian"

"You're welcome Mary" said Damian and went inside

"I'm sorry princess" said Haz "I'm never drinking ever again, I promise"

"Shh... its alright Haz"said Mary "I'm not mad or upset, I just need to know if you're okay"

"Yeah, I'll be okay" said Haz

"Good" said Mary "Now go brush your teeth and see your Mom... she's worried about you"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz and went inside

"Is he okay Gem?" asked Mary

"Yeah... Luce told him he had to stay safe to meet his daughter's - its a girl times 2" I said "He's scared he'll turn out like Des"

"Its a girl... times 2?" said Mary "Are you sure?... Jessie said there was only 1 baby"

"That's what Haz said" I said "Maybe he heard Luce wrong... I wouldn't say anything till you find out for sure on Monday"

"Yeah, I agree" said Mary

"Mary... Where would you like the table set?" asked Damian

"Down the length of the yard is fine Damian" said Mary

"Mary, I'm sorry, but Sarah & I have to go" said Linda "Tom called, and said that Brian dislocated his shoulder.. they're on their way to the hospital to get it reset"

"Oh gosh" said Mary "Okay Linda.. well I'm glad you were able to join us today and talk to Tom & the kids, my offer still stands"

"Thank you Mary, I will" said Linda "Gemma, Congratulations.. you & Louis make a wonderful couple"

"Thank you Linda" I said "Drive safe and we'll see you soon"

"How many chairs should we bring out?" asked Davis

"20" said Mary "and we'd like for you men to stay for dinner"

"Thank you Mary, we'd love to" said Davis "You guys heard the lady, we need 20 chairs.. lets go"

Jessie came out "Okay, I made a salad and some tea, but I didn't add any sugar to it" said Jessie "Dinner is almost ready"

"There's sugar packets & sugar substitute packets in the pantry, put some in a small container and set it on the table with spoons at each place" said Mary "There's also a tablecloth, napkins & placemats in the storage pantry next to the extra dishes on the left side of the pantry"

"Okay... Marcus, could you helpme for a minute" said Jessie

"Sure angel" said Marcus as they went inside

"Tomorrow Louis & I are going to get the tables, lamps & rugs for the nursery" I said "Along with the stuff for the house... Is there anything you'd like us to pick up while we're out?"

"No thanks Gem... I have some things to do tomorrow, so I'll get them, but thanks for asking" said Mary

"Okay.. if you do, just let me know" I said

Marcus & Haz came out with the table linens "Lets help set the table" said Mary

"Okay" I said and went over to the table "here.. we'll do this, you two set the chairs"

"Okay" said Haz

"Did you talk to Mum?" I asked as Mary & I put the tablecloth on the table

"Yeah... she said the same thing you said" said Haz

"Haz you're going to be a great Dad" said Marcus "I know it... with everything you've been thru, you're still a caring & loving person - don't ever forget that... this little girl, Mary and all of your future children are going to become the center of your universe... its your job to make sure they know you love them, make them feel safe and to know that you'll protect them... and if you ever doubt that, come see me, okay?"

"Okay.. Thanks Marcus" said Haz and smiled

"No problem Haz" said Marcus "any time... we're family and family sticks by each other - no matter what"

"Amen" said Louis and set the sugar, salt & pepper, silverware and glasses on the table "Jessie has outdone herself this time Mom... dinner looks amazing and I know she made a salad, but even that looks great"

"Wow... it sounds great... I'm starving" said Mary "Is Evan & his family here yet?"

"Yeah, they just got here" said Louis "Evan is introducing Jessie to the kids"

"Okay.. lets go inside" said Mary "Come on everyone, lets go inside and dish up dinner, we're eating outside tonight"

"Awesome" said Liam & Zayn and followed us inside

"Okay everyone, before we get started, lets all join hands and say Grace" said Mary as we joined hands "Jessie, if you will please"

"Heavenly Father... Thank you for your love & guidance today, bless this food with your love... Bless Louis & Gem as they start the next chapter in their love story, bless them with your love & wisdom... keep Momma & Papa safe on their journey... In Jesus name, Amen" said Jessie

"Amen" said everyone

"Nicely done Jess" said Damian

"Thanks... Okay everyone, go ahead and put whatever you like on your salad and then grab a plate of food" said Jessie "Chelsea, Trudy, dinner time.. come on girls, outside" as the dogs came running to the back door "Oh good girls... Are my pretty babies hungry?"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea & Trudy as Jessie set their food bowls down

"Eat it all up and then you can go play" said Jessie and came back in the kitchen

Jessie grabbed the ice bucket, tea & lemon wedges and went back outside, then came back a few minutes later, made her salad & took a plate of food and went out to the table as we all followed and sat down to dinner.

"There's sugar & sugar substitute as well as lemon wedges for your iced tea" said Jessie "and I didn't use any salt & pepper in the stroganoff - Zayn, Mary, I brought out the salt sunstitute for you to use"

"Thanks" said Zayn & Mary

"So Jessie... How did the dress shopping go today?" asked Robin "Anne wont tell me"

"It went great" said Jessie "We got all of the dresses & shoes, we got the ties for all of theguys, and the only hiccup we had was when we got to the jewelers bc I left my bag here so Maura had to come get it, but then we were back on track"

"How did Chelsea's check up go?" asked Mary

"Great.. she has a little ear infection, but she's healthy and weighs 25 pounds" said Robin "and Chelsea & Trudy love riding in the car.. they slept the whole time"

"Yeah... till we got to the pet store" said Haz and chuckled "they went crazy in there... like it was Christmas and it was all theirs... when we finally caught them, we had to put them in a cart... they didn't like that anf they really don't like wearing a harness either"

"Aw the poor babies" said Mary "but they were good otherwise?"

"Yeah they were" said Haz " and they each got a stuffed animal & a puppy blanket, which they dragged thru the store.. that was how we caught them"

"Oh gosh" chuckled Jessie "How were they at the baby store?"

"They were perfect angels" said Robin "they didn't bark once"

"Oh good" said Jessie "How was your day Evan?"

"It was great... I took Charlie & Meghan to get some new clothes, we got some groceries and some boxes from the hardware store" said Evan "We've started packing up some of our Mom's things up that we want to donate to the church's clothes pantry and the rest we'll store in the attic"

"The church has a clothes pantry?" said Jessie

"Yeah they help people with clothes for job interviews and stuff" said Evan

"Oh cool" said Jessie and pulled out her phone "That gives me an idea"

"Who are you calling?" asked Louis

"Mack... I need to talk to Jeff" said Jessie and put the call on speaker

MACK: Hey care bear... Whatcha need sweet cheeks?

JESSIE: Hey Pooh bear... Where's Jeffrey cuz I need to yap at him and put me on speaker

MACK: He's right here.. go ahead care bear

JEFF: Whatcha need troublemaker

JESSIE: I ain't no troublemaker doofus... I got a massive project for ya... top priority

JEFF: Hot diggity dog... lay it on me Hcief

JESSIE: You're gonna need lots of boxes boo.. get the code from Pooh bear for Gammie & Pappie's house and on Monday, go pack up EVERYTHING from Grandma & Grandpa's closet, Mom's closet and from my old room... and burn anything of Dad's

JEFF: Oh dang... okay where am I sending it?

JESSIE: get a pen & paper boo

JEFF: hit me

JESSIE: Send it priority shipping to Our Lady of Peace 1583 Peachtree Lane, Holmes Chapel, England... ATTN: Sister Grace

JEFF: Got it Chief... You want me to send anything else while I got you on the horn?

JESSIE: Yeah.. there is, now that I think about it

JEFF: hit me

JESSIE: Go to the kitchen at Gammie & Pappie's and send ALL of Gammie's cook books... now this part you need to write down EXACTLY what I say.. 'kay?

JEFF: Go for it.. I'm ready

JESSIE: In the food pantry, there's a safe, no bigger than a toaster.. the combination is 23, 2 spins right to 14, 3 spins left to 18 and then back to 23... open it up and take out Gammie's personal recipe box & the family cook book and wrap them in tissue paper... and be careful they're older than you, me & Mack put together

JEFF: Oh shits & giggles... Is that where Maggie keeps her recipe for double chocolate coffee cookies?

JESSIE: Yes... and if that recipe is missing Jeffrey I'm coming back there and not only will I cut off your fingers but I'll fuck up your spine... am I clear?

JEFF: Yes ma'am.. crystal clear... but you better make me some and send them to me or I'll come there and turn your hair neon green

JESSIE: You got it boo... send them priority shipping to Jessica Horan 4132 Apple Grove Lane, Holmes Chapel, England

JEFF: I like the new name Chief... I'll have MackDaddy send you my digits so you can send me some pic of the new fam

JESSIE: Pooh bear... You didn't tell him?

MACK: Not yet... it was gonna be a surprise care bear

JESSIE: Oops sorry Pooh bear... then never mind - I'll let you surprise him boo

MACK: Thanks care bear... Ooo hey, how did the Wedding dress shopping go?

JESSIE: Oh gurl wait till you see the dresses they are fine as wine and totally gorgeous... I'll send ya pics later

MACK: Ooo no way... Totally totes?

JESSIE: Oh Hell yeah, like amazingly gorgeous

MACK: Oh, I can't wait, send them quick... Si's here carew bear, we gotta go... Love you sister

JESSIE: I will... Love ya Pooh bear.. Have fun

and hung up "Mission accomplished in 5 minutes... Damn I'm good" said Jessie and put her phone away

"I thought Niall & Pamela were your parents?" said DEvan

"They are... they adopted me" said Jessie "My parents & Grandparents died in a car accident"

"Oh.. I'm sorry" said Evan

"That's okay" said Jessie

"What time do you need us to be ready tomorrow Jessie?" asked Mum

"Not till Noon" said Jessie "White cotton dress shirts & jeans * no shoes... you too Robin"

"Oh okay sweetie" said Robin

"Same goes for you too Mary, but not till 1 o'clock" said Jessie "I figure a couple of hours to take photos and decide which ones y'all like best... Louis, Gem, we'll do your engagement photos when we get back from Ireland"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis

Jessie pulled out her phone "Crap, crap, crap, crap" said Jessie "Hey Maria, its Jessie Horan... I'm good... I need to add 3 more dozen red velvet cupcakes to my order for Friday... oh good, Can I come in Monday and settle up the bill?... Awesome sauce... Thanks Maria... okay, yep see ya Monday" and hung up "See? this why I make lists all the time... I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached to my shoulders"

"Why do we need more?" asked Mary

"Because Linda, Tom & the kids are coming, Luce & the guys are too and so is Evan, Charlie & Meghan... that's 12 extra people and Davis eats cupcakes like they're M&M's" said Jessie

"Ah okay" said Mary

"I do not" said Davis

"Oh really?.. then I guess it was the boogeyman that ate 2 dozen cupcakes and framed you... Is that what you're implying?" said Jessie

"Just fess up Davis" said Damian "She's got you dead to rights man"

"Yeah well, you shouldn't have made them so damn good" said Davis "I mean... Who puts peanut butter fudge inside a cupcake?"

"Oh God" said Zayn "Apparently the same one who decided to make a pumpkin cheesecake" and looked at Jessie

"No way... You made it?" said Collin "How did it turn out?"

It was so, Oh my God.. sinful" said Zayn

"It turned out great... I'll give you the recipe" said Jessie

"Yes!!… I told you it would" said Collin "Wait till I tell Maggie" and got a look from Damian

"Who's Maggie?" asked Meghan

"Maggie is my sister" said Collin "She loves to bake and make new recipes"

"Louis, Dinner was excellent" said Lucifer

"Thanks Luce" said Louis "Jessie has been teaching me how to cook so that Gem & I aren't living on take out all of the time"

"What have you made?" asked Stuart

"We made homemade pizzas, sticky pecan rolls, the cheesecake, this meal and a monster nacho... Oh and this roasted veggie thing last night" said Louis "and Marcus showed me how to grill steaks and how to make barbecue chicken and how to do up baked potatoes"

"Wow" said Stuart "That's pretty good... I usually do the cooking at our place bc Damian burns water"

"Still?... Come on Damian" said Jessie Cooking isn't that difficult... I thought we got past the burning water"

"We did... till Collin thought it would be funny and hit me with a flour bomb and ruined everything" said Damian "Now Stuart wont let me back in the kitchen"

"Y'all live like a bunch of Frat boys.. I swear to God" said Jessie "When are y'all gonna find a girl and settle down?"

"When you dump the boss and come away with me" said Davis and winked

"Not gonna happen sweet cheeks" said Jessie "He's got my heart... hook, line & sinker"

Davis sighed "Well... I tried" said Davis "I guess I'll be a bachelor till the rapture then"

"Oh please" laughed Jessie "You've got more girlfriend's than Napa has grapes"

"Now that hurts... you know surf bunnies don't count" said Davis "Girls like that?... lets just say that my Mom would kill me quicker than being struck by lightning... and its hard to carry on a conversation with them bc they say 'like' every other word... 'oh like my like God like'... its annoying"

"Like aw... you're like breaking my heart like Dude" said Jessie "Sorry.. I'm just messing with ya, I'll stop" and giggled

"That's scary Jess" said Davis

"I know.. right?" said Jessie "Be thankful I didn't drop the southern twang... Last time, I got in trouble for it"

"You took it too far huh?" said Damian

"Yeah and the bad part was that it was directed at Papa" said Jessie "Momma got pissed"

"That's not good" said Damian "I've seen Pamela get angry and she scares me more than you do"

"Yeah, just pray you're never on the receiving end when she gets angry" said Louis "Pamela destroyed my entire bedroom with a baseball bat when she was 6 years old"

"Yeah and what you did to cause it was wrong" said Damian "but you two have resolved the issue so we wont go there again"

"Thanks" said Louis

"So.. Damian?" said Jessie

"Yeah?" said Damian

"You gonna ask Catherine out on a date?" asked Jessie

"How did you know about that?" asked Damian

"I know everything that goes on around here" said Jessie "You gonna ask her? bc I think you should"

"Really?" said Damian

"Yeah, you're a nice guy" said Jessie "It would be nice to have my two favorite people be happy together"

"See?.. told ya so" whispered Zayn

"Where do plan to go for your first date?" asked Jessie

"I don't know.. I haven't asked her yet" said Damian

"Well when you do, take her somewhere you like to go" said Jessie " and if you want some ideas on how to make it special & romantic, let me know"

"Um.. okay" said Damian and blushed "Are you okay Meghan?"

"Huh?... Oh sorry... Yeah, I'm fine" said Meghan "I was just thinking"

"About what?" asked Stuart

"You're gonna think I'm crazy" said Meghan

"Crazy is normal for us" said Jessie "We don't judge a person's sanity around here... you can tell us if you want to"

"Do you believe in reincarnation?" said Meghan "bc Davis looks familiar... like I've met him before but I don't know when or where... sometimes it scares me"

"ah... yes I do" said Jessie "When you see Davis, what is the setting around him?"

"A park, maybe a back yard... lots of trees... a pretty lady with honey blond hair wearing a patchwork dress and a man wearing grease or paint covered jeans, working on a car with no roof on it and there's music playing bc I can hear it in the distance" said Meghan

"Okay.. close your eyes and listen to the song play" said Jessie and closed her eyes "Ah.. there it is" and pulled out her phone and started typing "Okay Meghan... Is this the song you heard?" and pushed play

Oh, what a night  
Late December, back in '63  
What a very special time for me  
As I remember, what a night

Oh, what a night  
You know, I didn't even know her name  
But I was never gonna be the same  
What a lady, what a night

Oh, I  
I got a funny feeling when she walked in the room  
Hey, my  
As I recall, it ended much too soon

Oh, what a night  
Hypnotizing, mesmerizing me  
She was everything I dreamed she'd be  
Sweet surrender, what a night

And I felt a rush like a rolling bolt of thunder  
Spinning my head around and taking my body under  
Oh, what a night

Oh, I  
Got a funny feeling when she walked in the room  
Hey, my  
As I recall, it ended much too soon

Oh, what a night  
Why'd it take so long to see the light?  
Seemed so wrong, but now it seems so right  
What a lady, what a night

Oh, I felt a rush like a rolling bolt of thunder  
Spinning my head around and taking my body under  
Oh, what a night (Do do do do do, do do do do)  
Oh, what a night (Do do do do do, do do do do)  
Oh, what a night (Do do do do do, do do do do)  
Oh, what a night (Do do do do do, do do do do)  
Oh, what a night (Do do do do do, do do do do)  
Oh, what a night (Do do do do do, do do do do)  
Oh, what a night (Do do do do do, do do do do)

"Oh my God... that's it... that's the song" said Meghan "This is so freaky"

"I haven't heard that song since..." said Davis and stopped "Never mind" and went into the house

"Mary, can you go see Davis please" said Jessie "He's having a panic attack... boys... sit down and let Mary help Davis... please Mary"

"Alright sweetie" said Mary and went in the house

"Evan... You know.. don't you?" asked Jessie

"Tell her Evan" said Charlie "Meghan needs answers and if you don't tell her then I will Damn it"

"Don't swear Charlie" said Evan and sighed "Meghan has been having this dream since our Mom got sick and I don't know why... It scares her so bad she doesn't sleep for days and when she does sleep, she wakes up screaming... I told them what you did when I was sitting on the stairs... Can you help her?.. please?'

"Okay.. oh crap - Davis is gone" said Jessie "calm down boys... Damian, stay calm and go find him and bring him back... Collin, Stuart, I know this is hard, but I need you to stay here and let Damian go get Davis"

"Okay Jess" said Collin & Stuart

"Go ahead Damian" said Jessie and Damian disappeared "Breathe Evan.. I know its a shock" and chuckled "No Evan, we're not witches & wizards... just breathe.. I'll explain soon, I promise"

"I'll go get Mom" said Liam and went into the house and brought Mary back out and sat down.. Mary was crying

"Its alright Izzie" said Jessie "Davis needs to remember for me to help Mghan… its the only way this will work"

"Jessie, you help them while the rest of us clear the table and clean up" said Mum

"Okay... Thanks Anne" said Jessie

"I'll bring you a pain killer, water & banana angel" said Marcus

"Thanks babykins" said Jessie


	85. Chapter 85

Chapter 85

JESSIE'S POV

"Okay guys... I'm going to explain what's going on" I said "bc I don't want any of you flipping out, alright?"

"Okay" they all said

I took a deep breathe and explained everything... they took it really well, all things considered.

"In order for me to get answers for you, Davis needs to remember" I said "Where your dreams ends, something happened and that's where Davis comes in bc he knows the rest of the story"

"Okay" said Meghan "I just want to sleep without going crazy"

"Well after we find the answers, we'll do a little cleaning in there and maybe that will help a bit.. Okay?" I said 

"Okay" said Meghan

"Relax Evan... Meghan will be just fine, I promise" I said "All of her memories will still be there, they just wont be as scary any more"

"Oh okay" said Evan and relaxed

"Um.. Jessie?" said Charlie

"Yeah?" I said 

"You said that you believe in reincarnation" said Charlie "Have you been?"

"Yes.. many times.. and I remember them all" I said 

"How many times?" asked Charlie

"I've been born & died, 17 times" I said "You see when we're born, God writes the story that leads us on our journey thru life... My journey, took many detours in order for me to be a teacher and help those, like Meghan, to find answers in order to continue their journey and to help people as well... Oh good, Damian found him" as Damian came out of the house "Where did you find him?"

"Jess... Davis is a mess and wont talk to me" said Damian

"Where is he?" I asked

"He's in the nursery" said Damian

"Okay" I said "relax Damian, this is all going to be okay.. I've got this.. trust me"

"Okay boss lady" said Damian "I'll keep them company"

"Sounds good" I said and went inside to the nursery "Davis?.. Talk to me please.. I need to help Meghan, but I can't till you tell me what you remember"

"Her name was Daisy" said Davis "She was the prettiest baby girl I had ever seen... Her Mom was my neighbor - her name is Jasmine... I was working on my car the day Daisy died"

"What happened?" I asked

"Jasmine was hanging up the laundry on the clothesline while Daisy played in the yard... She had just learned to crawl the week before" said Davis "so Jasmine put her in her playpen while she up the clothes... I don't know how she got out, but she did... Jasmine screamed when she found Daisy... she had drowned in the baby pool"

Oh no" I said 

"I tried to save her... I did CPR while my Mom was on the phone with the police" said Davis "I don't know how long Daisy was in the pool... When the ambulance arrived, they said she was dead... she was only 8 months old Jessie... 8 months"

"What happened to Jasmine?" I asked

'jasmine had a nervous break down" said Davis "Her husband was killed in Vietnam 3 months before Daisy was born and when Daisy died, she just couldn't take it... Jasmine's been in a mental hospital ever since... She doesn't talk, she doesn't move, all she does is sit there and stares out the window" and wiped his eyes

"Where did you go?" I asked 

"I went to see my Mother" said Davis "Mary said I needed to talk to her bc only someone who lost a child could help me understand that kind of loss"

"I see" I said "Thank you for telling me... I need to go help Meghan now, take some time to pull yourself together, then come on outside... it will make Mary feel better to see you... Okay?"

"Yeah okay" said Davis "Boss sure did a beautiful mural in here... didn't he?"

"Yes... he did" I said and went back outside "Davis needs some time alone to pull himself together, but he's fine... He remembered everything"

"Oh Thank God" said Evan "So you can help Meghan now?"

"Yeah I can" I said "Haz can you get the play yard so we can put the girls in it please... I need to lay in the grass and I can't have them jumping on me"

"Sure peanut" said Haz and went in the house

"Evan, Charlie, when I'm reading Meghan's memory of Davis, you can't talk or think about anything bc I need to concentrate, okay?" I said

"Okay" said Evan & Charlie

"Meghan, I want you to only think about Davis bc the memory involves him, okay?" I said 

"Okay" said Meghan as Haz came out with the play yard and set it up as I gave a loud whistle

"Where are my pretty babies at?" I said as Chelsea & Trudy came running from Anne's yard "There's our girls" and picked up Trudy "Mommy has to work so I need you & Chelsea to be good girls and take a nap, okay?"

"Arf, arf, arf" barked Trudy as I set her in the play yard

"And Louis, if you give me a headache again, I'll punch you in the nose.. Got it?" I said

"Yes ma'am" said Louis "I wont think a word... I promise"

"Okay good bc if you break your promise, that consequence will be severe" I said and laid down in the grass "Okay Meghan, just relax and if you get scared, you can hold Charlie's hand but stay still... here we go" and closed my eyes and listened "Ah... there you go Meghan, focus sweetie... that's it... that's Jasmine, your Mom.. yeah, she is pretty.. I don't know, just focus on him for a sec - Damian get Davis... no sweetie, you're doing great, I know, just breathe and keep focusing on him - Davis, read - who is that?... okay sweetie, let the memory continue... that's it... I know it scary, just breathe, that's it, you're doing great... okay sweetie, that's it, its all over" and slowly opened my eyes, then stood up and sat next to Meghan "I know... shh... its alright Meghan" and hugged her as she cried "Its just a memory, its can't hurt you any more... are you ready to lock it away with the other scary memories and find some happy ones?"

"How do you do that?" asked Charlie

"Meghan & I will take a walk thru her memories and the scary ones, we'll lock in a closet in her mind" I said "You said the dream started when your Mom got sick, right?"

"Yeah after Mom found out that she wasn't going to get better" said Charlie "Mom told us she wanted to be with us, but that God had a plan for her and that Evan would take care of us"

"Jessie... Isn't that what your Mom wrote in her letter?" said Mary

"Yeah... it is" I said "What was your Moms name?"

"Cassie... short for Cassandra" said Evan

"About your height, curly red hair, & blue eyes" said Lucifer

"You've seen her?" asked Charlie

"I met her last night... Cassie is in charge of new arrivals and helps those who are scared or upset when they pass on" said Lucifer

"Is she happy?" asked Meghan

"Yes sweetie, she's happy" said Lucifer

"Okay, I'm ready... lets clean house" said Meghan

"Okay, lets have a seat out in the grass" I said and walk a a few feet into the grass and sat down cross-legged "sit down in front of me and cross your legs... hold my hands and we're going to lean forward and touch our foreheads... keep your eyes open and go inside your mind.. don't worry, I'll be right there with you... just relax and breathe normal Meghan"

"Okay" said Meghan and relaxed "Why is there a door here?"

"That's the door to your memories... take my hand" I said "Here we go" and opened the door

"Oh gosh.. its loud in here" said Meghan

"Excuse me.... Could you keep it down please" I said as the noise level dropped "Thank you... now lets open these doors and see what's inside"

"Okay" said Meghan as we walked to the first door

"Be strong & brave Meghan, these are just memories, they can't hurt you... just tell them to go away and don't come back if they're scary" I said "Go ahead and open the door"

Meghan opened the door, but it was empty so we went to the next door, but it was empty too.

"That's okay Meghan, we'll just leave them open... the memories will find their way back" I said "lets keep going, there's only 3 doors left"

"Okay" said Meghan and opened the next door as water rushed out of it

"Its just water" I said "look at me... it can't hurt you"

"Go away and don't come back" said Meghan and the water disappeared

"See?... good job Meghan" I said as we went to the next door and opened it - it was empty "Okay Meghan, this is the last door... take a deep breath and open it" Meghan opened it as a wave of screaming & crying came out "Its okay Meghan... they're just echoes"

"GO AWAY AND DON'T COME BACK" yelled Meghan as the echoes faded away "Oh God that was loud... What was that?"

"That was Jasmine's voice when you died... that's what you heard as you went to Heaven" I said "That's why the bad dream started when your Mom got sick... you didn't want her to be scared like you were... you were just a baby at the time so it was scary"

"Oh... and the water was bc that's how I died, right?" said Meghan

"Yes, it is... now lets open some windows and let you memories go back to sleep for a while" I said as a breeze blew in and the memories came back "Okay people, its time to get some rest and lets keep the noise level down please"

"Yes please" said one of the memories and yawned "Goodnight Meghan"

"Goodnight Grandpa" said Meghan as we watched the memories go back to sleep "Is that it?"

"Yep, that's it" I said "pretty easy huh?"

"Yeah, it was" said Meghan and smiled

"Ready to go back?" I said "Charlie & Evan are waiting"

"Yeah, lets go" said Meghan and headed for the door

"Go ahead, I'm right behind you" I said and closed the door as we came back "You did great Meghan"

"Oh Jessie... Thank you" said Meghan and hugged me

"You're welcome Meghan" I said "go see your brothers"

Meghan got up and ran to Evan and hugged him "Are you okay turtledove?" said Evan

"Yeah.. better than okay" said Meghan

"Hey quit hogging all the hugs Evan" said Charlie as Meghan ran into Charlie's arms "How's the noggin ffeling turtledove?"

"Quieter now" said Meghan

"Lets see that pretty smile" said Charlie as Meghan pulled away and smiled "There it is... I sure missed that smile"

"She's still pretty as aDaisy" said Davis

"Go talk to her" I said "get to know her"

"She's just a kid" said Davis

"She's a young lady... and she's the same baby you fell in love with 40 years ago" I said "Go.. talk.. talk.. to.. her" and gave Davis a little push forward "Go" and then sat down next to Marcus and took the pain killer and ate the banana

"Good job Jessie" said Lucifer

"Thanks Luce" I said 

"Why did Davis leave?" asked Damian

"Because 40 years ago, Davis fell in love... with her" I said "A pretty baby girl named Daisy"

"Oh man" said Collin "No wonder he spent so much time upstairs... He was looking for her"

"Have you ever seen Davis smile like that?" said Stuart "I didn't even know he had dimples"

"That is what Love looks like" I said "When you find the one you can't live without, that's when you know you're in Love" and Marcus kissed my hand

"Who's Stacey?" asked Charlie

"Why do you ask Charlie?" I said 

"Because someone is calling for Stacey" said Charlie "I don't know who it is, but they sound like you"

"Damian, can you go see what's wrong please" said Lucifer

"On it Boss" said Damian and disappeared

"Ah... that's Catherine" I said "My Mother"

"Whoa.. that's your Mom?" said Charlie "She's beautiful"

"You can see her?" I asked

"Yeah but she kind of fades in & out of focus" said Charlie "I see things like that all the time... I'm used to it... but this time I heard her before I saw her - that's new"

"Boss Stacey is missing" said Damian "She was supposed to go to the Chamber but never showed up"

"I know where to find her" said Charlie "She's near a pond with mountains... she's crying"

"Stuart, go see her and escort her to the chamber and stay with her" said Lucifer "you don't need to change into your suit yet, this is just for the charges, not judgement"

"Yes sir" said Stuart and disappeared

"Thank you Charlie" said Lucifer "How did you find her so fast?"

"You're welcome" said Charlie "She started glowing.. like sunshine, then everything just lit up"

I pulled out my phone "Its sunrise at the cabin" I said "That's why she was glowing... Okay Charlie, spill it... I know you can see & hear them... How long have you been able to do this?"

"Since I was 8" said Charlie "The doctors think its early onset schitzophrenia.. they don't know crap... not everything needs a clinical diagnosis"

"That's true" I said "but if anything changes, you tell me or Marcus... alright?"

"Yes ma'am" said Charlie "I promise"

"We had better go home guys" said Evan "I have laundry to do and we have Church in the morning... Thank you for dinner Jessie and for helping Meghan"

"You're welcome" I said "Meghan, if you want to talk about anything, Evan has my number so you can call me anytime"

"Okay, Thank you Jessie" said Meghan

"Call me after Church Evan, I should know by then what time we'll be leaving Monday morning" I said 

"Okay... it was nice meeting everyone" said Evan "Have a good night"

"You too Evan" said Mary

"I'll walk you out" said Davis as they went inside

"Oh Davis has got it bad for Meghan" said Louis "You might loose another one Luce"

"I know" said Lucifer "I'll cross that bridge when we get there" as Davis came back out and Stuart arrived

"Okay now that we're all here, you've got some explaining to do... Andrew" I said 

"Okay... When the Great War between Heaven & Hell ended, a lot of Angels were killed... including Lucifer" said Andrew "God needed someone to run theday-to-day operations in Hell and, as with Marcus, God needed a volunteer"

"So there is no Lucifer any more?" I said 

"No, there isn't" said Andrew "I volunteered and gave up my job as the Angel of Death... that's when God put 'Lucifer' in charge of the souls that wanted to be born... I was human once and died a very long time ago.. When I met Brooke Clarke, I took her last name"

"I see" I said "And you don't think God would allow you to be human again?"

"I can't... I wasn't a nice person when I was human" said Andrew "This is my sentence - life without parole.. even tho I've changed my ways, God doesn't revoke a sentence once its been given out... I've tried"

"Does Sarah know about this?" asked Marcus

"Yes, she knows" said Andrew

"Why didn't Sarah say anything?" asked Louis

"Because it wasn't her story to tell" I said "What did you do that was so bad?"

"I was an executioner" said Andrew "Its not something I'm proud of... I just couldn't do it any more so I killed myself... suicide - the ultimate sin against God"

"Oh Andrew" I said "I'm so sorry"

"Thanks Jessie" said Andrew "I am too... but back then, it was my only option... I couldn't quit or leave bc I was a servant so I did as I was told and chose my only way out"

"I don't get it... people commit suicide all the time" said Louis "Isn't there extenuating circumstances to consider here?"

"No Louis... suicide is a sin... period" said Marcus "God sees suicide as an unforgiveable offense"

"I wish there was Louis" said Andrew "But as I said, this is my sentence and I'll do my job without complaint... Did Stacey give her statement?"

"Yes sir" said Stuart "Cassie & Catherine were waiting for her when she was done... Sir, Stacey doesn't want to be there for the Judgement & Sentencing... She barely held it together giving her statement"

"I'll let Agnes know" said Andrew "Thank you for staying with her Stuart"

"Any time boss" said Stuart

"How did Stacey react when she saw you this time Stuart?" I asked

"Calmer... we even talked a bit" said Stuart "She misses her family, but Catherine is keeping her busy with the children"

"That's great" I said "Does Stacey have relatives upstairs?"

"Yeah she does but she can't see them till after the sentencing" said Stuart "When Billy'd file is closed... Stacey is still in transition due to the circumstances of her death and her age but she'll see them soon"

"Lets take care of the table and chairs" said Damian "so everyone can relax and not have to deal with it"

"Sounds good" said Collin "Mary, what do you want done with the table linens?"

"Just wrap it all up in the tablecloth and set it on the washer... I'll wash it in the morning" said Mary

"Okay" said Collin and joined the others

"Louis can you pick up some paint tomorrow" said Anne "I want to paint the house after we're done packing up"

"Sure Anne.. What colors do you want?" asked Louis

"Just white... Gem is picking up new bedding and things for the house" said Anne "so those will be colored"

"Okay... Do you want new curtains also?" asked Louis The ones we got for Jessie & the nursery were from the home décor department at the hardware store... they have lots of colors... I can get them when I get the paint"

"That would be great Louis, Thank you" said Anne

"You're welcome" said Louis and pulled out his phone "What color for which room?"

"White for the Livingroom, kitchen & bathroom" said Anne "Peach for my room, Royal blue for Gem's room, Yellow for the guest room & Dark Green for Haz's old room"

"Got it" said Louis "I'll measure the windows in the morning before I go"

"I'm getting the boxes in the morning Mum" said Haz "How many should get... I was thinking at least 10"

"That should be fine sweetie" said Anne "There's not that much to pack up... I'm leaving the beds & furniture... the rest is mostly books, photos, some kitchen things and my clothes"

"Okay" said Haz as Chelsea & Trudy started whining "Did you two have a good nap?"

"Arf" barked Chelsea & Trudy

"Okay, okay... I'll get you out of there" said Haz and got them out of the play yard "Okay, go run & play, I'll be out there in a minute" and they ran off as Haz went in the house and came back out with a bag of toys

"What's all that for?" asked Mary

"I bought them a few toys for the yard" said Haz 

"That's more than a few Haz" said Mary

"Apparently Chelsea & Trudy weren't the only ones who had fun at the pet store" said Gem

"Yeah no kidding" said Louis "What did you get Haz?"

"Puppy-size chew ropes, tennis balls, a doggie tunnel, and some water toys for the pool I bought" said Haz

"You bought a baby pool?" said Gem

"I had to Gem" said Haz "They had one set up at the store and Chelsea & Trudy got in it and they were having so much fun chasing each other and trying to eat the bubbles... it was so cute" and pulled out his phone "I took a video of them.. watch" and handed Gem his phone and hit play

"Aw look at them" said Gem "Oh how cute... Jessie, you gotta see this" and handed me the phone and hit play

"Oh wow... they did did have fun didn't they?" I said "Holy cow Haz, how did you get it home?... its huge"

"I had to come get the truck" said Haz "Marcus went with me to bring it home... He had to sit in the truck bed and hold onto it so we didn't loose it.... we put it in the garage till I figure out where to set it so we don't have a dead spot in the yard"

"We can set it up on the patio" said Mary "we'll move the patio furniture into the grass"

"Sounds good.. we can set it up in the morning Haz" said Marcus "That way the water wont be as cold and they can play in it while we have lunch"


	86. Chapter 86

Chapter 86

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Sounds good" said Haz and went out in the yard "Who's ready to play with some new toys?"

"Arf, arf, aroooo, arf, arf" barked Chelsea & Trudy.. Trudy walked over and nudged the tunnel

"You want to play with the tunnel Trudy?" said Haz

"Arf, arf" barked Trudy

Haz set up the tunnel and Trudy started running thru it & around and around. On her 3rd time she never came out of the tunnel.

"Where'd Trudy go Chelsea?" said Haz "We better find her... come on" and crawled on his hands and knees "Shh.. I think she's in here" and pointed at the tunnel "peek-a-boo-I-see-you"" Haz said playfully as Trudy came out running & barking

Then is was Chelsea's turn to hide "Where did Chelsea go? Is she hiding?" said Haz "lets go find her Trudy... peek-a-boo-I-see-you" and Chelsea came running out & barking

Everyone was laughing.

"Are you girls ready for a treat?" said Haz and reached into the bag and pulled out 2 pigs ears "Here you go... you each get one" Trudy took hers and started eating it, so Chelsea took hers and did the same... Haz grabbed his bag and came back to the patio and sat down "I wish I had their energy... they wear me out just watching them"

"Just remember what I said about those pigs ears Haz" said Robin "Once a week or they'll make them sick if you give too many"

"I'll remember, I promise" said Haz "Oh.. I also got a couple of dog brushes, some shampoo, flea collars & medicine.. In case they bring fleas home from the lake"

"Oh good" I said and pulled out my phone "I had a list of things I still had to get for the girls... huh, I guess that list wasn't as long as I thought it was... delete"

"Come on Jessie... What's this Mater Plan of yours?" said Louis "We want to know"

"Ah, ah, ah... You need to figure it out Louis" I said "I already gave you a hint... When I think you're getting close, I'll give y'all another one... or you wont" and grinned

"What's the hint Jess?" asked Davis

"Its bigger than New Year's, but smaller than the 4th og July" I said

"Its a party" said Davis

"Very good Davis" I said "Louis has been trying to figure it out since 11 o'clock this morning... and you got it in less than a minute"

"I like puzzles & stuff" said Davis

"What's the next hint Jess?" asked Gem

"You'll find out tomorrow" I said "There are 7 clues per person/couple here... when you get your clue, you will be given 24 hours to figure it out.. When you think you've got it, text me or come find me and, if you're right, you'll get the next one, if not, then it will take you that much longer to find out... you in?"

"Hell yeah, we in" said Gem

"We're in" said everyone

"Oh this is gonna be fun" said Davis "We're in too"

"Alright.. but Davis? You can't help the guys figure out their clue... they need to do it themselves" I said "That's the only rule - no cheating"

"Aw, come on Jess" said Davis

"Nope.. no cheating" I said "Anyone who cheats is disqualified"

"Okay, fine.. no cheating" said Davis "Sorry guys... Good luck"

"Damn munchkin... that's cold" said Louis

"What's cold is gonna be the weather cuz at the rate you're going, it'll be Christmas when you figure this out Louis" I said "You may want to let Gem figure out your clues"

"What about Ni, Pamela & Jimmy?" asked Gem

"I knew they wouldn't be here, so I clued them in on the gint and they will have their clue when they land in Georgia tomorrow" I said "plus I had to tell Momma & Papa cuz that's the rule if I need to spend any money... and yes, I have permission"

"Please tell me this isn't gonna cost as much as it did for Ni & Pamela's Wedding" said Louis and covered his eyes

"Mmm.. maybe, I'm not sure yet" I said

"Why? How much did Ni & Pamela's Wedding cost?" asked Davis

"Too damned much" said Louis

"Not really Louis" I said "A Wedding dress can cost anywhere from $2,000 - a couple Million, depending a bride's budget... then when you add in everything else on top of that, the cost of a Wedding goes up... If you want to be able to afford a dream Wedding for your future daughters, you may as well put $2,000 every week in the bank from now till the child turns 18 or you'll go broke trying to pay for it.... What I've paid is cheap in comparison"

"How much did it cost Jess?" asked Davis

"$2 Million" I said "And that DOES NOT include Momma & Papa's honeymoon either"

"Sweet Jesus" said Davis in shock "Are you serious?"

"Yes she is... Gem & I were with Jessie when she made the deposit" said Louis "Pamela & Ni were floored when she told them"

"Let me break it down for y'all... Momma & Papa are young.. Hell, Papa hasn't even finished High school yet... Liam & Zayn are having 3 babies, Mary & Haz are getting married & having a baby, Gem & Louis are getting married, Robin & Anne will get married eventually" I said "Why should anyone have to go into debt when all they want is to plan a future together?... I've planned 2 Weddings, I'm about to plan a third and so far, all I've spent is a hair over $2 Million... not to mention the fact that bc the bride's already have their dresses, the men are wearing suits instead of tuxedos, I've saved at least $9,000 and kept everyone from stressing over Wedding details"

"That's true" said Mary "My first Wedding, I was so stressed out I lost 45 pounds and had to have my dress taken in twice... this time around Jessie has made it so relaxing"

"Momma & Papa were so relaxed at their appointment, that Momma wanted the Wedding to be here today instead of in 2 months" I said

"Its still expensive tho" said Davis

"Yes, its expensive" I said "but its a small price to pay to see my Momma & Papa happy and relaxed on their Wedding day... and that's all I want"

"And they will be Angel" said Marcus "Just like Haz & Mary and Louis & Gem will be"

"I don't know about that" said Louis "You saw how I was today.. and all I was doing was proposing... don't be surprised if I pass out on our Wedding day"

"If you pass out on our Wedding day, I'll marry Davis" said Gemma teasingly "I was so nervous, I couldn't speak at first and my hands are still shaking"

"Well, if you want to, you can still elope" I said "Send me a postcard 'Wish you were here' from Las Vegas"

"Hello no... I want a nice Wedding in Maggie's rose garden" said Gem 

"Have you ever been to Savannah in July?" I asked

"No.. why?" said Gem

I pulled out my phone and looked up the weather "Because, its currently - just so you have an idea - 98 degreesF with a heat index of 110 degreesF" I said "Now picture an outdoor Wedding & you in your dress... 2 words Gem - Heat Stroke"

"Okay... but I still want an outdoor Wedding" said Gem

Not a problem, just not in Georgia" I said "Don't worry, we have time to lock down a location that will work for both you and your dress... trust me"

"You already have a Wedding dress?" asked Davis

"Yep" said Gem "It was my Aunt Clarissa's dress... She never had children so when she passed away, my Grandma gave it to Mum for me on my Wedding day"

"Wow" said Davis "Do you have a Wedding dress Jess?"

"Yep" I said I'll be wearing Catherine's Wedding dress when my Wedding comes... and Momma has hers too, it was Anne's dress"

"And Ni & Pamela are bringing my dress back with them" said Mary "It was Maggie's dress.. actually its a copy of Maggie's dress... this one is shorter and colored raspberry pink"

"Speaking of your dress Mom" said Zayn "While we were getting the flowers today, we met Theresa.. the girl who is making the flower crown for your Wedding... its gorgeous, but you may want to think about wearing Maggie's original dress"

"Ah.. okay sweetie" said Mary "May I asked, why?"

"Here Mom" said Liam and took out his phone "I took a picture of it" and handed his phone to Mary so I walked over to see it

"Ah... I see what tyou mean" said Mary

"Its up to you princess" said Haz "I'll love whichever color dress you wear as long as you're happy"

"Thanks Haz" said Mary "I guess I'm wearing a white dress then"

"Do you like the flower crown Izzie?" I asked "Be honest"

"Oh yes sweetie... its perfect" said Mary "I just really liked the idea of wearing a more informal length dress is all"

"Then when we get the dress, we'll shorten it" I said 

"Are you sure?" said Mary "I don't want to ruin the dress"

"I'm sure... Mack can do it without ruining it" I said "He made all of Catherine & Maggie's dresses... including the copy and Catherine's Wedding dress"

"Mack made Catherine's dress?" said Gem in shock

"Yep... its a Mackenzie original" I said "So if anyone can shorten Mary's dress, Mack is the man to do it"

"Wait... Mack? Is THE Mackenzie?" said Gem 

"Yep, the one and only" I said chuckling

"Mary is my wish book still in the Livingroom?" asked Gem

"Yes... its in the cabinet under the coffee table sweetie" said Mary

"Oh my gosh... I'll be right back" said Gem and ran into the house then came back out with 2 books "I've been collecting pictures of his Wedding Collection for years" and opened the larger of the 2 books and handed it to Mary "His style is what Fashion Week called 'Timeless Elegance with a modern flare'... Mack does incredible work Mary"

"Mack is the Queen of Vintage style" I said "He can take and idea and make it a reality... Catherine told Mack about her 'dream dress' and in a week she was wearing it on her Wedding day... He's that good"

"Wow… these dresses are gorgeous" said Zayn as Mary turned the pages

"He does Men's suits too" said Gem "Go to the blue tab Mary"

Mary flipped the blue tab and gave a low whistle "Wowzers" said Mary "Damn he's good"

"Mack always looks good in a suit" I said "He's hot isn't he?"

"That's Mack?" said Zayn in shock

"Yep.. that's my Pooh bear" I said 

"Holy shit" said Zayn as Gran came over

"Oh good God damn" said Gran "Why is it all of the good-looking Men are taken?"

"I know right?" I said giggling "Mack is every girl's best friend and every gay man's fantasy"

"Well, I'll say this about Mack" said Zayn "He sure knows how to make a suit look good, that's for sure"

"Honey, Mack could make a potato sack look good" I said "He is fine as wine and aged to perfection"

"Yep.. He sure is" said Gran "but can he dance... that's the question"

"MOM!!!" said Maura in shock

"Maura, I'm old, not dead.. be quiet and don't give me that look" said Gran

"Yes Gran, he can dance" I said chuckling "Who do you think taught me how to dance?"

"You just can't talk about Men like you're shopping for a car Mom" said Maura "Its not lady like"

"Excuse me?... Who said I was a lady?" said Gran and crossed her arms "I've always had an eye for Men, even when your Father was alive and never once in 65 years of marriage was I ever unfaithful to him Maura... Look around... I'm surrounded by gorgeous Men and I'm not ashamed to say it either... that doesn't mean I'm looking for a new husband or a boy-toy Maura so relax sweetie"

"We love you too Gran" said Zayn and kissed her cheek "You're a breath of fresh air around here"

"Aw, you're sweet Zayn, Thank you" said Gran Everyone can call me Beth... except Haz, Ni, Pamela & Jessie... they're not old enough yet"

"Aw come on" said Haz and pouted "How old do I have to be?"

"At least 25" said Gran "You may not be my grandson Haz, but I think of you that way, so what goes for Niall goes for you too I'm afraid"

"That's cool Gran, I don't mind" said Haz "Ever since I met you, you've always been my Gran... Why stop now?"

"Yeah.. same here Gran" said Gem "and with 4 babies on the way, they need a Great-Grandma and no one's better than you Gran"

"We need to go now Mary" said Andrew "Thank you for dinner... We'll be back tomorrow to help Anne pack and Louis, if you want help painting, let us know we'd be happy to help"

"You're welcome Andrew" said Mary "We'll see you tomorrow... and thank you for what you did today"

"I will, thanks" said Louis 

"You're welcome Mary" said Andrew and they all disappeared

"We had better go too Mary" said Gran "Thank you for a wonderful day Jessie"

"You're welcome Gran" I said and gave her a hug "Will you be back tomorrow?"

"Yes... Maura & I have some housework and things to do first, but we'll be here sweetie" said Gran

"Okay" I said and hugged Maura "Drive safe and we'll see you tomorrow Grandma"

"I will sweetie" said Maura "Get some sleep Jessie"

"I will.. promise" I said

"I'll walk you out" said Marcus "I'll be back Angel"

"Okay" I said and sat down as my phone rang

JESSIE: Hey Pooh bear... What's up?

MACK: I just got home.. Si & Jeff went back to Si's to finish packing... What should I pack?

JESSIE: Your best suit, a white dress shirt with a pair of jeans for Haz & Mary's Wedding, swim trunks, toiletries, and enough everyday clothes for 2 months

MACK: That's it?... Damn talk about packing light

JESSIE: That's for you AND Jimbo Pooh bear

MACK: Damn.. I forgot about packing his suitcase.. Okay.. Do you still run in the mornings?

JESSIE: Yeah... What are you running these days?

MACK: I'm up to 30 miles.. You?

JESSIE: 10 miles... Papa doesn't like me running too far, so I go to the high school down the road and run laps around the track, then come home... sometimes Momma runs with me

MACK: Okay, then I'll pack my gear and we can go running

JESSIE: Awesome... Did Jimmy tell you about Duchess?

MACK: Yeah... Si & Jeff are heartbroken... How are you doing?

JESSIE: I'm okay... This really nice lady heard what happened and sent me a puppy named Trudy... Oh Pooh bear wait till you see her, she's the most beautiful little girl

MACK: Oh wow... What kind of dog is she?

JESSIE: She's a Pembrook Welsh Corgi.. she's tan & white with big brown eyes, tiny little legs, tiny little ears and she's smart too... and bc her legs are so small, when she runs she bunny hops.. its so cute and she snores when she sleeps

MACK: Aw how cute... Jimmy says you have a boyfriend... What's he like? Is he nice?

JESSIE: Yes, Marcus is very nice, you'll love him Pooh bear

MACK: Aw come on care bear, give me details... What does he do? Where did you two meet? Where does he live?... spill it girlfriend

JESSIE: He paints murals... He just painted one for the nursery here for Liam &Zayn's babies

MACK: That's Pamela's Dads, right?

JESSIE: Yeah

MACK: Jimmy told me about them and everyone when we talked yesterday night... What are you doing?

JESSIE: sitting out on the patio with everyone... you have a fan here Pooh bear

MACK: You're kidding... Who?

JESSIE: no, I'm not.. My Aunt Gemma loves your Wedding Collection... She & my Uncle Louis just got engaged today

MACK: Oh wow... Am I on speaker?

JESSIE: Always

MACK: Congratulations Gemma & Louis

LOUIS: Thanks Mack

GEMMA: Yes, Thanks Mack

MACK: Have you set a date yet?

GEMMA: July 15th... Jessie is planning our Wedding

MACK: Wow care bear.. That's 3 now, isn't it?

JESSIE: Yeah... I think I've found my calling here Pooh bear

MACK: Not without me you haven't... Remember what I told you when you spent the day with me and helped Ms. Olivia find her 'dream dress'?... I said if you decided to do this, we'd do it together?

JESSIE: I remember... wait.. hold the damn phone... Does this mean what I think iut means?

MACK: Only if you're serious about planning Weddings care bear

JESSIE: Hell fucking yeah I'm serious... Don't toy with my emotions Pooh bear.. Are you relocating?

MACK: Yep, as we speak... Jimmy said we're staying in England bc he can't bear to be away from you... and neither can I... you're our baby

JESSIE: Oh God.. Oh God *crying*.. I... can't.. breathe.. Oh God

ROBIN: Calm down Jessie... just breathe slow & easy sweetie... that's it, just breathe

MACK: Are you okay care bear?

JESSIE: *crying* Yeah.. I'm okay... I think

MACK: Shh, don't cry darlin then I'll start crying and then I'll never get packed up

JESSIE: I'll try *sniff*… this is better than Christmas, Easter & my birthday put together *sniff*

MACK: I know right?... Are you ready to knock England's socks off?

JESSIE: *laughing* Yeah, I'm ready... When is the inventory gonna arrive?

MACK: When we have a building... Yvonne is packing up the studio as we speak... Evie is tying up things at the boutique and has 4 bride's she needs to get squared away before we close the doors for good... so we're looking at between now and your birthday to find a place, get it up to code & furnished before we need to start worrying

JESSIE: You're kidding

MACK: Nope, its happening darlin.. we're doing this and Yvonne & Evie are so excited.. they missed you so much and let me tell you, girl your birthday is gonna rock - England better get ready for the American invasion bc ALOT of people are coming to see you darlin

JESSIE: WHAT?... YOU'RE JOKING... WHO'S COMING FOR MY BIRTHDAY?

MACK: Lets see - I gotta check my phone.... Doc & Mrs. Matthews, Mother Superior, Jimmy's Momma & Daddy... Si's Aunt Angie & his Uncle Ed... Jeff & Rick... yeah, that's everyone so far

JESSIE: Mother Superior is coming here for my Birthday?

MACK: You were always her favorite care bear of course she's coming... You know she's not a Nun any more.. right?

JESSIE: No, I didn't know... Jimmy doesn't tell me squat when it comes to news about what goes on at the Church... I just found out yesterday that Father Flannery died and Jimmy's been here a whole damn week

MACK: Okay, well we have lots of time to get you caught up on the news from back home when I get there

MARY: Mack.. This is Mary... Do you need anything from the grocery store?

MACK: Hello Mary... Let me guess, Jimmy didn't make a list.. did he?

MARY: No, he forgot to before they left this morning

MACK: Okay.. I'll make a list and send it to Jessie

MARY: Okay sounds good... Haz & I will pick it up on Monday before you arrive

MACK: Thank you Mary

MARY: You're welcome Mack

JESSIE: Okay Pooh bear, if you need more luggage, there's 2 full sets in Gammie & Pappie's closet and 2 full sets in Catherine's closet, take Jeff with you... I'm getting sleepy

MACK: Okay care bear... What time is it there?

JESSIE: Its almost 9 o'clock here on Saturday night... bc of everything that happened last night we didn't get to sleep till 3am and then we were all up at 8am to run errands and go shopping

MACK: Damn darlin, go get some sleep... Its 1pm here... I'll send that list when I finish up here so you'll have it by morning

JESSIE: Sounds good Pooh bear.. Have fun... I Love You Mack

MACK: I Love You too care bear... Goodnight everyone

EVERYONE: Goodnight Mack

and hung up "I had to end that call... He would've talked all night" I said and yawned "Mack will call Simon or Jeff and talk their ear off... at least they're in the same time zone"

"Why don't we all go get some sleep" said Mary and yawned "None of us got much sleep, if any last night"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea" said Marcus "Its been a long day and tomorrow is going to be even busier"

"Should we put the girls in the play yard for the night or see how they do on their own?" said Haz

"No, we'll put them in it for tonight" said Mary "They'll bark and wake us up in the morning... I just want to sleep and not have to worry about them"

"Okay princess" said Haz and folded up the play yard and took it in the house

I whistled "Chelsea.. Trudy... come on pretty babies, it time to go night-night" I said as they came walking slowly from the yard "Good girls... come on, lets go in the house... see y'all in the morning"

"Goodnight Jessie" said everyone as I went inside

"I've got a couple sleepy babies here" I said as Chelsea & Trudy yawned

"Aw.. Come on Chelsea, Daddy's got your bed all ready" said Haz and picked Chelsea and put her to bed "Come on Trudy, I've got your bed ready too... in you go... now you girls be good and go to sleep"

"Night-night pretty babies" I said "Goodnight Haz and thanks for watching Trudy today"

"Goodnight peanut" said Haz "You're welcome... they sure had fun today... look at them, they're already sleeping... and snoring"

"Yeah... I can't get over how well they get along" I said "It usually takes females longer to get along with each other... this is unusual, but I'm not going to try and figure it out tonight.. I'm too tired"

"I hear ya" said Haz See you in the morning Jessie"

"See ya Haz" I said and went up stairs 

I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed. I had just finished braiding my hair when Marcus came in and grabbed his pajamas and went to the bathroom to change. I cleaned the make-up off my face and got in bed, then Marcus came in and got in bed.

"Angel" said Marcus softly "We need to talk.. about this morning in the kitchen"

"I know.. I shouldn't have kissed you like that" I said "I'm sorry"

"We can kiss... just not like that" said Marcus "We can't take that kiss where we want it to go Jessie... If we break Ni & Pamela's rule, I'll have to leave the house and that's something neither of us wants"

"Then maybe we should make our own rules" I said "About how we can NOT let our feelings get out of control"

"Like what?" asked Marcus

"Like we can only kiss on the cheek" I said "That's all I can think of... my head feels fuzzy"

"Okay angel" said Marcus "We can work on it tomorrow.. get some sleep... I Love You" and kissed my head

"I Love You too" I said and kissed his hand and drifted off to sleep.


	87. Chapter 87

Chapter 87

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

IN THE MORNING...

I woke up to Chelsea & Trudy barking so I checked my phone... it was 10am.

"Oh shit" I said and flew out of bed "I'm coming babies... nope.. gotta pee first" and ran into the bathroom and then went downstairs "Do you need to go potty, girls?"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea & Trudy

"Okay, okay" I said and got them out of bed and ran to the back door "Go, go.. hurry" as they ran out to the yard.. I got their breakfast while they were busy and took it outside "Chelsea... Trudy.. breakfat.. Come on and eat girls" they came running, ate their food, then ran back out to the yard. I took their bowls in the house & washed them, then started breakfast.

I started the coffee and cooked up the bacon as Louis & Gem came in the back door.

"Morning" I said as I cut up the extra baked potatoes and put them in a bowl "Coffee will be ready soon"

"Morning munchkin" said Louis "How do you feel?"

"Better... I fell asleep pretty quick" I said "How did you sleep?"

"We did too" said Louis "I didn't want to get up"

"Is everyone still sleeping?" asked Gem

"Yeah... Chelsea & Trudy woke me up" I said "So I let them out, fed them and started making breakfast... Louis, can you go knock on the doors and tell them breakfast will be ready in 45 minutes please"

"Okay" said Louis and went upstairs

"Want some help?" asked Gem

"Yeah, can you do the eggs?" I said

"Sure" sand Gem and got out the eggs and a bowl "It was nice having dinner outside last night... We should do that more often"

"Yeah, I know... it felt more relaxed" I said "How did you sleep last night?"

"I slept okay" said Gem Is it normal to feel sad?"

"You mean about Des?" I said

"Yeah.. I mean, I don't feel like crying, but I feel sad" said Gem

"Yeah, its normal" I said "I felt the same way when Daddy died... it'll pass"

"Okay" said Gem 

"Everyone's up" said Louis "Haz is already gone to get the boxes for Anne... He left a note on Mom's door"

"I'll bet that's why the dogs were barking" I said "They needed to go out and Haz was in a rush when he woke up late"

"Morning angel" said Marcus and kissed ny cheek

"Morning my love" I said and returned the kiss

"So did you two talk last night?" asked Louis

"Yeah, we did" said Marcus "Its all worked out"

"Oh good" said Louis "Robin's right munchkin... that bruise isn't that bad.. its already turning yellow & there's just a tiny bit of purple left in it"

"Oh good" I said "I haven't looked in the mirror yet... do you two need any money for your to-do lists today?"

"A little" said Louis & Gem

"Okay, I'll get it in a minute" I said as I put the potatoes in a bowl "Louis, why don't you & Marcus set the table" as I put the bacon & potatoes on the table

"Okay" said Louis as I went upstairs to my room 

I got the money and went back downstairs to the kitchen "Gem, can you add a blender & a coffee maker to your list" and gave them the money

"Sure munchkin" said Gem "Mum already has a coffee maker... she's not taking it with her"

"Yeah, I know, but Simon drinks decaf coffee so they're gonna need a second one" I said 

"Ah.. okay, no problem" said Gem "Did Mack send the list yet?"

"Yeah... it was on my phone when I woke up" I said and looked at the list "It looks like a lot of fruits & veggie's, eggs, juice, decaf & regular coffee, lots of chicken, pasta & rice - a basic grocery list... but I know Mack and they'll be getting more groceries on Tuesday after Mack looks over the staple items"

"I take it Mack likes to cook?" said Louis

"Mack LOVES to cook... especially for a lot of people" I said "Mack's Mother taught him how to cook bc they have a big family and bc she want home a lot bc of working so much, she put him in charge of making the meals for his brothers & sisters"

"What did Mack's Mother do for work?" asked Gem

"She's the head nurse at Savannah General Hospital" I said "She's been there for almost 20 years"

"Oh wow" said Louis "How many kids did they have?"

"8... 5 boys & 3 girls"" I said "Mack is the oldest"

"Holy cow that's a big family" said Louis "I can't imagine having 8 kids.. I'd be happy with just 2 or 3, but no more than that"

"Mack's family is Catholic" I said "And I mean die-hard Catholic"

"What does that mean?" asked Gem 

"Mack's Momma didn't use birth control bc the Catholic Church, at that time, didn't believe in 'controlled procreation' " I said "which is why they had so many children... Nowadays, the Church allows women to use birth control"

"Ah.. I see" said Gem

"When Mack isn't busy with work, he goes to church 3 times a week" I said "So don't be surprised if he disappears a lot.. He'll probably be at the church"

"Ah okay" said Louis "Is Jimmy Catholic too?"

"No.. Jimmy is a Southern Baptist" I said "He doesn't go to church... Jimmy believes in God, reads his bible and prays, but bc he's gay, he doesn't go... Baptist's are of the belief that being gay is a perversion against God and are considered an abomination"

"That's fucked up" said Louis

"I agree" I said "so we don't talk religion... or politics"

"Good to know" said Louis as everyone came downstairs

"Breakfast is ready, so is the coffee & water for tea" I said "Haz isn't back yet, so I'll put his plate in the microwave"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "Where are the girls?"

"They're outside playing... they already ate" I said "Robin's idea of feeding them on the patio is working great"

"Oh good" said Mary "I thought I heard you talking to them a while ago... their barking woke me up"

"Yeah.. they woke me up too" I said and put a vitamin at everyone's spot "Are Anne & Robin joining us for breakfast?"

"No, they've already had breakfast" said Gem "They're going thru the kitchen & linen closet to decide what they want to pack so that it gets done fast... I guess Robin has nothing at his place except the bare essentials"

"Ah okay" I said as Haz came in "Perfect timing Haz"

"Morning peanut" said Haz "I just dropped off the boxes & stuff at Mum's... here Gem, Mum said to give you the list for your shopping trip"

"Thanks bug" said Gem and looked at the list "Holhy cow... they're taking everything from the kitchen & the linen closet"

"Oh gosh" said Mary "let me see your list" as Gem handed Mary the list and looked at it "How much is your budget Gem?"

"$3,000" said Gem "I can get it all, but getting it home is going to be difficult bc my car isn't that roomie"

"I'll go with you Gem" said Zayn "We can take the tank and get everything home in one trip so you can relax till your photo session"

"Thanks Zayn, that would be great" said Gem

"You're welcome" said Zayn

"Okay... schedule change" I said "Seeing as we all got up late, we'll push everything back... so Gem, I'' need you, Anne, Robin & Haz at 1:30pm and Mary at 2:30pm, so y'all have time to do your errands and be ready without feeling rushed"

"Oh thank God" said Gem and pulled out her phone "Hey Mum, there's been a schedule change... Jessie said for us to be ready at 1:30pm instead of noon, so you can relax and take your time... Okay, I will.. bye" and hung up "Mum says thanks and they'll be ready at 1:30pm"

"Not a problem Gem" I said "Now.. these are your clues and remember.. no cheating.. good luck y'all" and handed out 4 envelopes

"Damn.. this is serious" said Louis

"I get one too?" asked Marcus "I thought bc we're a couple, I wasn't part of this"

"Yes you get one" I said "Even tho we're a couple, If I automatically let you in on the plan, that would be cheating and bc this is my plan, I'm the only one allowed a free pass... sorry my love - good luck" and ate my eggs

"I have one question before I open this" said Gem

"Okay" I said 

"Are the clues all the same or does each envelope hold a different clue?" asked Gem 

"Ah... good question" I said and took a bite of potato "Yes"

"She's not going to tell Gem" said Louis "She's being cagey"

"Yes.. you all get a different clue" I said "Y'all can share your clue, but you CAN NOT give the answer if you solve it... so do what you want, I don't mind... but you only get the next clue if you solve the clue I gave you"

"We should just work our clue and when we figure them all out, then we can share them" said Liam

"Yeah.. we all know its a party" said Zayn "I'm betting the clues are gonna tell us the particulars"

"Read them and find out" I said and took care of my plate and washed up the frying pans. I rinsed my plate, emptied the dishwasher, and put my roses in a vase and took it to my room. Then I came back downstairs and started the washing machine and put the table linens in it from last night to be washed, then sat down and pulled out my phone.

"Whatcha doing munchkin?" asked Louis

"Checking my email" I said when my phone rang.

JESSIE" Hello?

PAMELA: Hey baby... we just landed

JESSIE: Momma!!… How was the flight?

PAMELA: It was wonderful.. we slept the whole time

JESSIE: Oh wow... Did Jimmy tell you?

PAMELA: Tell me what baby?

JESSIE: I spoke to Mack last night and he said that he & Mack were moving here

PAMELA: No, he didn't tell me... Holy shit its hot as Hell here

JESSIE: That's Georgia Momma... Did you get your clue yet?

PAMELA: Yeah.. I'll text you the answer when we hang up baby

JESSIE: Okay Momma... So where are y'all headed to first?

PAMELA: We're headed to Mack & Jimmy's place so Jimmy can get the ring before Mack finds it, then we're going to Maggie & Williams house to get the stuff you asked for, then we're gonna get some lunch and stuff... What are you doing?

JESSIE: We're having breakfast, Anne & Robin are packing up the house, Maura & Gran are at home cleaning and everyone is trying to figure out their clues

PAMELA: Wow... Hey Pops, how did the shopping trip go yesterday? Jessie says the guys look amazing

ZAYN: It was so much fun and yes, they do... the ladies were completely stunned when they saw them

PAMELA: Damn I miss everything... Jesus Jimmy, slow down this ain't the Indy 500

JIMMY: Sorry Pamela, I was trying not to hit a squirrel and I'm not going that fast, the speed limit is 45 and I'm going 40... besides we're almost there.. we've only got 2 more miles 

PAMELA: Sorry about that baby... Have you heard from Rothsdale yet about the hearing?

JESSIE: That's okay Momma.. um.. There's not going to be a hearing Momma

PAMELA: Jimmy pull over

JIMMY: Okay... What happened Jessie

JESSIE: Des showed up yesterday after we got back... Luce & The guys kept us safe and...

PAMELA: And??

JESSIE: Luce told Damian to show Des what was waiting for him in Hell... Momma, Des was getting off on it, so Luce made Damian stop and, well... God punched Des's ticket... Des is now cosmic dust

PAMELA: Oh dear God... How is Anne taking it?

MARCUS: She was in shock yesterday

GEMMA: Mum's fine Pamela, I mean, she seems fine anyway.. I think she's just treying to move on and not think about it too much

PAMELA: Oh God... Are you alright Gem?.. Haz?

GEMMA: I'm still trying to process everything, but I'm fine

HARRY: Yeah, same here Pamela

PAMELA: Okay... Oh Mom.. you can tell everyone the news

MARY: Okay sweetie

JESSIE: Okay Momma, go meet Mack and you & Papa go have some fun and relax and just so you know, Mack is a hugger so be prepared for it and call before you take off.... I Love You Momma... I Love You Papa

PAMELA: Okay baby... I Love You too

NIALL: I Love You poppet... Watch over Anne, Gem & Haz for us poppet

JESSIE: We are Papa... Have fun and drink lots of water, the Georgia heat will kill you if you don't

NIALL: I will poppet, I promise

JESSIE: Talk to y'all soon

and hung up "Oh thank God they made it" I said and crossed myself "Now I can relax till Momma calls again"

"I can't believe Pamela figured out their clue already" said Louis "They must be pretty easy... go ahead and open it Gem"

"Okay" said Gem and opened the envelope "Love is in the air, but you wont find it there... Look inside for the answer to this clue... your color is yellow"

Everyone opened their envelope

"Pretty as a picture, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder... words and rhymes say more than anything... Look in the past for the answer to this clue... your color is green" said Mary

"Time is a treasure that changes color but stays the same... it starts and stops with each memory made... the answer to this clue is defined, yet floats like curtains in the breeze... your color is white" said Marcus

"Romance can be found in a touch, a word, or a song... Romance is in the little moments of life that become a timeless story of Love... the answer to this clue lies there... your color is blue" said Zayn

"OH MY GOSH... I GOT IT" yelled Gem "Ooo no way" and ran out the front door

"I wonder..." said Mary and went into the Livingroom and came back with her scrapbook and opened it and flipped thru the pages and found an envelope "I knew it"

Marcus & Zayn went upstairs and came back with their envelopes as Gem came back with hers... I texted Anne

TO: Anne  
FROM: Jessie

Okay Anne, you & Robin need to come over for a minute  
to get your clue... See you in a bit  
Jessie

"Okay now that y'all have your next clue, don't open them yet" I said "I want Anne & Robin to get their clue.. okay?"

"Okay" said everyone as Anne & Robin came in

"Here you go Anne" I said and gave her the envelope

"Thanks sweetie" said Anne and opened it "Love and happiness are the pathways to finding your Happily ever after... Look up for the answer to this clue... your color is purple... Oh... I got it" and went out the front door and came back in with her envelope

"Nicely done everyone" I said as my phone buzzed like crazy and checked my texts "Okay... we're all set, y'all can open your envelopes, I just got texts from Momma, Maura, Sarah, Mack & Simon so we're all on the same page" as everyone opened them

"Welcome to my scavenger hunt" said Mary "Congratulations on solving your clue so quickly. This is not the usual scavenger hunt you may have been apart of in the past, You will be given a list, along with a budget, in case you need it, if not, you may keep it. You each have been given a color. All of the items on your list can be anyshade of that color that you find, I leave that to you to decide. I wish you luck and have fun. Love, Jessica"

"What's the deadline for this scavenger hunt?" asked LOuis

"Saturday, August 20th" I said "In 4 weeks"

"Where do you want the stuff stored till then?" asked Gem

"In the formal dining room at Anne's house, that way it will be safe and away from the dogs" I said "I'll take care of the rest... you know how I am about the details and everything needs to be absolutely perfect"

"What kind of party is it going to be?" asked Zayn

"Ah... that is a surprise... but one that will be a treasured memory" I said "Trust me.. I have yet to do anything that wasn't utterly fantastic and in the end, everyone will have a great time"

"Oh my God" said Mary and looked at me "I know what it is... Can I say it?"

"Seeing as you figured it out, go ahead Izzie" I said "Tell them"

"Its a senior prom" said Mary "At the senior living center... I recognized the date"

"YES!!" I said "We are going to throw a Senior Prom for the residents there in 4 weeks... Sister Grace will be here at 4 o'clock on Thursday to give out our prom assignments" and went into the storage pantry for my blue bag and handed out Manilla envelopes "Here are your lists and a budget of $100,000 dollars each... put all of your invoices & receipts in the envelope and when your list is done, put the list and envelope in your bags or boxes of items... and be sure to price your items - if something costs more than your budget, tell me the item, color needed, and where you found it and I'll take care of it, alright?"

"Okay Jessie" said Anne "Oh, this is so exciting, I've never been on a planning committee before... Where is it being held?"

"At the High school in the dining hall where we had the summer formal" said Mary

"Okay y'all, its 11 o'clock.. I'll do up the dishes and let y'all go do your errands and stuff... Have fun and I'll see y'all in a couple of hours" I said and went to put the laundry in the dryer as everyone took care of their plates

"When did you put all of this together?" asked Marcus 

"A couple of weeks ago" I said "Gem, Louis & I were out shopping for things for my room and doing Wedding stuff... I saw the notice on the bulletin board at the church, so I wrote down the information and called Sister Grace and put it all in motion"

"So there's no more clues then?" asked Louis

"Nope... I had them planned out in case no one got it right away tho" I said "but we're a pretty smart bunch so I knew someone would figure it out"

"Well I think its a great idea munchkin" said Gem as my phone rang - it was the baby store

"I'll be right back" I said and went outside "Hello?... yes, this is she... alright, What time?... that's perfect... yes, someone will be here... Thank you for calling... bye" and went back inside

"Are you ready Gem?" asked Zayn

"Yeah, I'm ready" said Gem "I'll meet you out at the car, I need to talk to Louis for a minute"

"Okay... Come on Li, you can see if Anne needs any help over there" said Zayn

"Okay babe" said Liam as they left the house

"What time are they coming tomorrow?' asked Gem

"They'll be here between 10:30 and 11am so we need to be on the road by 9:30am" I said "Louis can you be here by 10?"

"I'll be here" said Louis

"Okay good" I said "Get the tables, lamps & rugs and put them in Momma's room till tomorrow"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis

"Do you need money for those Louis?" I asked

"No, I've got plenty to cover it" said Louis

"Okay, then y'all better go before Zayn comes back" I said

"I'll see you later" said Louis and kissed Gem "I Love You"

"I Love You too" said Gem and headed for the car "LOUIS! TEXT ME THE COLORS MUM WANTS FOR THE BEDROOMS"

"I WILL" yelled Louis and pulled out his phone

"Okay Louis, get 2 white bedside tables and 3 lamps - 2 regular size lamps & 1 small lamp for the top of the dresser, along with light bulbs" I said 

"You got it" said Louis

"Oh and get 3 bed pillows with 6 white pillow cases... I'll explain why I need them later" I said

"Okay" said Louis "I better get going... I'll call if there's a problem"

"Okay... see you in a while" I said and grabbed my camera bags, extra film, sheets, my quilt and tripod bag & back drops and went downstairs.


	88. Chapter 88

Chapter 88

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

Marcus was talking to Andrew & the guys. Hey.. y'all wanna help me set up for a photo shoot?" I said

"Yeah" said Davis and the boys "Where at?"

"The backyard... I need to do some test photos and set up back drops" I said as I set my bags down and got my camera "I need to take a few quick photos of the nursery before we head outside"

"Okay Angel" said Marcus as I went in the nursery.

I took pictures of the mural and the door then grabbed my bags and went outside. 

"Where do you want to set up Angel?" asked Marcus

"In the middle of the yard for now" I said "I'll be taking some out here and out front... lets move the picnic table closer to the fence near the house so its out of the way"

"Okay men, you heard the lady" said Damian "Each of us grabs a corner.. lift and carry on 3 - 1.. 2.. 3 lift" and made their way to the fence at the corner of the house.

"Yep right there is great guys" I said and picked up the girls' toys and set them on the table "Thanks... now I need 2 chairs & the 2 benches brought out to the yard please" and spread out a sheet "Okay now, lets make a tent with the chairs so I can check the proper distance from the subject"

We made the tent and I was just lining up the field for the test photo, when Chelsea & Trudy got in the tent and sat down looking at me.

"Do you want your picture taken?" I asked 

"Arf" the barked in unison

"Alright.. sit still and give me a big smaile" I said and sanpped the photo "Oh good girls" and grabbed some toys and put them in front of them "One more girls.. sit still for me" and took a closer photo at which time they started playing in the tent, so I changed camers and and snapped more photos "Okay you two, come on out of there" I chuckled "We'll take more pictures in a little while.. lets go get a snack so your Uncles can go help Aunt Anne & Uncle Robin move their boxes"

As we went inside, my phone rang.. it was the baby store again.

JESSIE: Hello?

DELIVERY MAN: May I speak with Jessie Horan please

JESSIE: This is she

DELIVERY MAN: Ms. Horan, this is Steven again

JESSIE: Is there a problem?

STEVEN: No Ma'am... Its just that we received a cancellation for today, and I was wondering if you'd like your delivery today, instead of tomorrow.. its already loaded up so we can be there in 30 Minutes

JESSIE: Oh wow.. sure, that would be great

STEVEN: Excellent.. we're on our way, we'll see you soon

JESSIE: Okay.. bye (and hung up)

"Holy fucking shit" I said and called Gem

GEMMA: Hey munchkin, What's up?

JESSIE: I need to talk privately Gem, take me off speaker

GEMMA: Okay, you're off... What's wrong?

JESSIE: The baby furniture will be here in 30 minutes. They called and had a cancellation. I need you to stall... just don't come back right away and I'll call when they leave

GEMMA: Oh God.. Okay, not a problem, I'll figure something out

JESSIE: Okay, I gotta call Lou. See you soon

GEMMA: yep

and hung up and called Louis 

LOUIS: Hey munchkin

JESSIE: 9-1-1 Lou

LOUIS: What's wrong?

JESSIE: The baby stuff is gonna be here in 30 minutes, Gem's gonna stall Zayn, but Liam's next door and I have no idea how to keep him from finding out and its getting hard to think straight

LOUIS: Okay munchkin, just breathe & listen

JESSIE: Okay

LOUIS: Go next door and tell Haz & Liam that I need their help at the hardware store and that I need the truck

JESSIE": Okay, I'm heading over now and keep them there till I call... after they leave

LOUIS: Okay munchkin.. later

and hung up as I walked thru Anne's door.

"Hey Haz, Liam.. you got a minute?" I asked

"Sure peanut.. What do you need?" asked Haz

"Louis just called and said he needs the truck and some help at the hardware store" I said "Would you two mind giving him a hand?"

"Sure, no problem. We're on our way" said Haz "Come on Liam, we'll be back Mum"

"Okay sweetie, drive safe" said Anne

"Always" said Haz as they left

"What's wrong Jessie?" asked Mary

"The baby stuff will be here in less than minutes" I said "Gem's got Zayn and is gonna try and keep him there, and Louis is gonna keep Haz & Liam there till they're gone"

"Oh God" said Mary "That wont work.. they'll knowe something's up when they don't come back soon... call Evan and have him come over. I'll take him with me, he can drive Gem back and I'll take Zayn & pick up Liam and take them to Robin's

"Okay.. have Andrew & The guys help finish packing the boxes and load them up" I said as I took a deep breath and called Evan

EVAN: ello?

JESSIE: Hey Evan, its Jessie

EVAN: Hey, I was just about to call you

JESSIE: Well the reason I'm calling, is bc I need your help. Can you come over?

EVAN: Sure, we're on our way. We'll be there in a few minutes

JESSIE: Awesome.. see you soon

and hung up "Okay, Evan is on his way" I said "God I need a drink" and collapsed into a chair "This day isn't getting off to a good start... first we all woke up late, and now I'm feeling rushed, and I had a minor panic meltdown on Louis... This day had better end on a happy note or I'm gonna end up in a corner getting drunk off my ass"

"Just breathe Jessie" said Anne "Everything is going to be great and in the end, Liam & Zayn are going to have the surprise of their lives. Just relax sweetie"

"God I hope so" I said "I gotta get back.. I'll bring Evan over when he gets here Izzie"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary as I went back home and went tot he kitchen and grabbed a juice and a banana "Okay, who wants a snack?"

"Arf, arf" barked Chelsea & Trudy

"Okay, lets try a banana. Its so yummy" I said and broke a chunk in half and gave it to them "Oh good girl Trudy.. eat it all up Chelsea.. oh good girl" and took a bite, then broke off another chuck and so on till it was gone "Its all gone girls, now its time for a nap" and put them in their bed. There was a knock at the door "Come in"

"Thank you" said the delivery man "I wasn't sure anyone was home"

"Oh.. We moved the cars next door so you could park in the driveway" I said 

"Ah, okay" said the delivery man "So we've got a crib, 2 gliding rockers, a dresser, 2 wardrobe closets with baskets, 3 baby carrier/car seats, 3 baby swings, 1-3 seat baby stroller, 2 changing tables, and 3 baby bathtubs"

"Correct" I said "The nursery is this way thru these doors, so you can bring it all in here"

"Yes Ma'am" said the man "We'll start unloading and we'll be done in an hour or so"

"Oh wow, okay" I said as Evan, Charlie & Meghan came thru the door

"Jessie?" said Evan "What's up?

"Oh thank God you're here" I said and relaxed 

"You sounded like you were in a panic" said Evan

"I was. Thae delivery was supposed to arrive tomorrow while we were gone" I said "Zayn & Liam don't know about this, its a surprise. And of course all of my plans for today had to be pushed back bc we all woke up late and now its just making me completely frazzled and I feel like I'm being pulled in 30 different direction... its just not going well"

"Okay, just breathe" said Evan "How can I help?"

I took a deep breath "Okay.. Megahn, Charlie, can you stay here and supervise them?" I said "I need to take Evan next door"

"Sure Jessie" said Charlie "Do what you gotta do, we'll be fine"

"Thanks, I'll be right back" I said as we went to Anne's "Okay Izzie, Evan's here. I'll text Gem and find out where she is"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "We only have 2 boxes left to pack up"

"Awesome sauce" I said 

TO: Gem  
FROM: Munchkin

Mary & Evan are on their way to pick up Zayn.  
Where are you?  
Jessie

TO: Munchkin  
FROM: Gem

We're at the department store in the housewares section.  
See you in 15 minutes  
Gem xx

TO: Gem  
FROM: Munchkin

Okay. Thanks Gem  
xx

"Okay, they're at the department store where Liam & Zayn were yesterday in the housewares department" I said "Gem says they'll be there waiting for you"

"Okay" said Mary "Evan, you're going to drive Gem back in Jessie's car, Zayn has the keys. I'll take Zayn and go pick up Liam and take them to Robin's place till the delivery men leave"

"Yes Ma'am" said Evan "Where should I park my car?"

"You can park it over here" I said "Gem should be almost done and Meghan & Charlie can hang out with me till you get back"

"Okay, I'll move my car and we can go" said Evan

"Where do you live Robin?" asked Mary "I'll meet you there"

"The yellow house next to my clinic" said Robin

"Okay.. see you there" said Mary andwent out to move her car so that Evan could park and they left as I went back to the house.

"How are they doing?" I asked as I walked thru the door

"They're fast" said Charlie "Check it out"

IK went to the nursery door "Wow, they are fast" I said "Maybe I panicked for nothing"

"I don't know... if its a surprise, its better to be safe than sorry" said Charlie

"That's true" I said How did you sleep last night Meghan?"

"Oh, so much better" said Meghan "No bad dreams, no waking up screaming, it was wonderful"

"Oh good. I was praying we got them all" I said and relaxed

"She looks better too" said Charlie "The dark circles under her eyes are fading already and Father Donnelly said it was nice to see Meghan smile again... She's been smiling & laughing all day"

"That's easy to do when ypou get a peaceful night's sleep" I said 

"Excuse me, Ms. Horan" said the delivery man "Would you like to show us the placement of the furniture should be? We're almost done"

"Sure" I said and went into the nursery "The crib goes on the main wall near the outlet... the changing tables go on either side of the crib... the dresser gores on the door wall with a closet on either side... the rockers go in front of the windows, so they're angled to face each other... the swings go oin the Unicorn wall and the stroller & Baby carriers can be stored till the babies are born"

"Oh.. Its beautiful" said Meghan "Now it looks like a nursery. Do they know what they're having yet?"

"3 baby girls" I said "Zayn's favorite color is yellow and thinks little girls shouldn't wear pink unless they choose to wear it, so we painted the room yellow and chose a lot of yellow outfits for when they come home from the hospital"

"Oh how cute" said Meghan

"Wait here, I'll be right back" I said and went up to my room and came back to the nursery and gave the men each $200 dollars "Thank you so much and you gentlemen have a great day"

"You're welcome Ma'am" said the delivery man "Same to you as well and Thank you"

"You're welcome" I said "Drive safe" as they ledt, I pulled out my phone and texted Louis.

TO: Louis  
FROM: Munchkin

They're gone.. Call me  
Jessie xx

I hit send and waited.

LOUIS: Hey munchkin... Liam just left with Mom & Zayn

JESSIE: Oh thank God. Is Haz still with you?

LOUIS: Yeah, we're leaving right now. Is Gem driving the tank?

JESSIE: No.. I had Evan come over, he's driving Gem back in the tank

LOUIS: Oh thank God. I was worried that car would be too much for her to handle

JESSIE: Yeah, I know. Okay Louis put the tables in the truck and the lamps in your car with the rest of the stuff and haul ass back here. We have a lot to do

LOUIS: Yes ma'am

and hung up. Next, I called Gem.

GEMMA: Hey munchkin.. I'm almost done and we're heading home. How does it look?

jessie: OMG its abso-freaking-lutely gorgeous. Louis & Haz are on their way with the tables, lamps & rugs. We're having pizza for dinner & a painting party at Anne's tonight.. Can you call in sick tomorrow?

GEMMA: I wish I could munchkin, but I've been gone all week and I've got work piling up on my desk. I'll be there for dinner tonight sweetie, that's the best I can do, sorry

JESSIE: Okay Gem. Its 12:30, so hurry up and get back here we have a lot to do

GEMMA: Yes Ma'am, we'll be there in 30 - give or take

and hung up. "Come with me" I said "We have things to do" and went to the study. "Start grabbing bags and go to the nursery. We'll set them in the crib" and went to the nursery "We'll put the baby carriers and the stroller in the study for now" we each picked up a box and went to the study and I grabbed the scissors as we headed back to the nursery.

"What are we going to do?" asked Meghan

"We're going to unpack the baby stuff Liam & Zayn bought last week and put it all away" I said "How are you with electronics Charlie?"

"I'm great with them" said Charlie

"Awesome bc I have a webcam baby monitor that needs to be hooked up" I said and got it out of the bag "It says that it hooks to the crib on the box, so you can work on that"

"Sweet" said Charlie "It says that it takes batteries.. Do you have them?"

"Yep" I said and looked in the bag "Here you go"

"Cool.. I'll work on this in the Livingroom" said Charlie "Call me if you need me"

"Will do" I said and put the baby bathtubs under each swing "Lets start dressing up the crib"

How do we get the mattress out? The sides don't move like a regular crib." said Meghan

"This crib has a door" I said and opened it "That way you can put the babies in safely and without pinching their little fingers when they get older"

"Oh I like that" said Meghan and we lifted out the mattress and put the sheet on it then put it back and added the bumper pad and attached the crib skirt "Oh it so pretty and definitely for little girls"

"I know and you should've seen Zayn when he saw it" I said "He put 3 baby dolls in it at the store and said it was perfect for them, so when they weren't paying attention to me, I paid for all of it and had the clerk tell them it was all on back order and paid for the delivery & set up. And the best part is that everyone knows about this, except them"

"Liam & Zayn are so nice, I'm glad you did this for them." said Meghan "Zayn is going to love it"

"Thanks" I said as Gem came in 

"Oh, its gorgeous in here" said Gem And the crib is beautiful Jessie, I Love it"

"This was all Zayn" I said "He picked out everything except the rockers & wardrobe closets - those are from Me, Momma & Izzie" as Haz, & Louis came in.

"Holy cow" said Haz and Louis gave a low whistle

"You have outdone yourself this time munchkin, this room is absolutely perfect" said Louis

"It will be when you & Haz bring in the tables, lamps & rugs" I said "Hurry up, we're almost done and then I can call Izzie and she can bring them home"

"Yes ma'am, Cone on Haz" said Louis

"Okay Jessie" said Charlie "Its all set, I just need to hook it to the crib and plug it in"

"Its all your Charlie" I said "The outlet is right here next to the crib" and moved out of the way and let him work.

"How many delivery guys were there?" asked Gem

"There were 3 and damn they work fast" I said "They had everything in and together in less than 30 minutes and then set it all in place before they left"

"Where do the teddy bears go?" asked Meghan

"The smaller ones go inside the crib and the bigger ones go in each of the swings" I said and hooked the mobile to the crib and wound it up as Haz & Louis came in with the tables.

"Where do they go Jess?" asked Haz

"One goes between the two rockers and the other one goes between the crib and changing table" I said "They each get a table lamp and the smaller lamp goes on the dresser"

"Okie-dokie-artichokie" said Louis as he & Haz went out to get the lamps

Evan came in with the pillows & rugs "Louis said that these go in here" said Evan

"Yes they do" I said "Thanks Evan" I put the pillow cases on the pillows and one in each rocker and put the extra pillow, along with the extra pillow cases in the bottom of the wardrobe closet with the extra sheets and bedding, than laid out the rugs on the floor.

"Okay Jessie, its all set" said Charlie "I'll explain how it looks for the big reveal"

"Sounds great Charlie, thanks" I said 

"This room looks amazing" said Evan 

"I'm glad you like it" I said and checked the time "Okay y'all, its 1 o'clock and the nursery is done. Gem, Haz, go take a quick shower, get changed and head back. Louis, you can go back to Anne's. Damian and the guys are cleaning up and are ready to help paint. The rest of us will be over when the photos are done."

"Okay munchkin" said Louis & Gem

"Okay peanut" said Haz as they all left.

"Evan, we're having a painting party over at Anne's house, y'all are welcome to join us. We're gonna order pizza and then afterwards we're gonna put the house back together bc Momma, Papa, Jimmy and some friends will be here tomorrow" I said

"Can we Evan?" asked Meghan "Please?"

"Sure we can. Lets go home and change" said Evan "We'll be back in … 20 minutes?"

"Sounds good" I said "Drive safe and thanks for helping out today guys"

"You're welcome" said Evan "Oh.. here's your keys Jessie"

"Thanks.. was the tank easy to drive?" I asked

"Oh yeah, she drives like a dream" said Evan

"Oh good" I said as they left and pulled out my phone as I sat down on the sofa and called Mary.

MARY: Hey sweetie... Is everything okay?

JESSIE: Everything is all set. Can you let Anne & Robin knowq that its 1 o'clock and they need to get cleaned up and changed please

MARY: Sure sweetie

JESSIE: Thanks.. oh, and Haz & Louis are back and Louis is waiting for Liam to come help paint

MARY: Okay sweetie, we'll all be there in 20 minutes

JESSIE: Okay Izzie.. see y'all in a bit

and hung up. I made sure the nursery doors were shut and laid down on the sofa to take a breather while I waited for everyone to get back.

"Jessie... wake up seetie, its 1:30" said Anne

"Oh shit" I said and bolted upright "Oh.. sorry Anne, I must've fallen asleep

"That's okay sweetie" said Anne "Take some time to wake up, we'll be out on the patio"

"Okay, I'll be right out.. as soon as I chug a cup of coffee" I said and went to the kitchen and made an iced coffee... and yes, I chugged it, then went outside. Gem & Haz were in the tent, so I picked up my camera and snapped a photo. "Okay you two, give me your best smile" and snapped another photo. "Okay Anne, sit by Haz on the outside of the tent and Robin you do the same by Gem and sit cross-legged... perfect" and snapped the picture "Okay Gem, Haz, out of the tent and switch places with Anne & Robin"

"Oh, I don't know" said Anne

"Come on Annie, it'll be cute and it looks like fun" said Robin

"Yeah, come on Mum" said Gem "Its just like the tents you made in our rooms when we were little"

"Okay, I'll get in the tent" said Anne and got inside

"Best smiles everyone" I said and snapped the picture "Okay, now just Anne & Robin" as Haz & Gem stepped away "Now Anne, I want you to remember your clue"

"Okay" said Anne

"This is part of your next chapter, so have fun... like you did when you were 16 and Love was new and exciting.. okay?" I said

"Oh okay" said Anne and smiled at Robin (I snapped a few of those)

"Okay, you two can come out while I change the setting and Haz, can you go get the girls up from their nap and bring them out please>" I said

"Okay peanut" said Haz and went inside.

I took away the chairs and brought over the 2 benches and covered then with the quilt as Haz and the girls came out. We took a few more photos then went out to the front yard and took some photos under the arbor, under the trees and on the front porch.

"Okay, we're all done" I said "Haz, why don't you take a break, Izzie should be ready soon. The rest of y'all can go next door and see how the painting is going while I check on the girls and reload my cameras"

"Okay" said Haz "Can I go next door?"

"Yeah, just be careful not to get any paint on you" I said

"I wont, I promise" said Haz and followed everyone over to Anne's house and I went to the backyard.

I reloaded my cameras while the girls played and was folding the sheet when I heard the back door open & close.

"I'll be ready in a bit Izzie" I said as the girls started barking, so I turned around. "Chief Montgomery? What are you doing here?" the hairs on my neck started tingling as I headed towards my bag.

"I came to see how you were doing" said the Chief "I knocked, but no one answered, You really shouldn't leave your front door unlocked"

"And if you're going to sneak into other people's houses, don't wear perfume.. Chief" I said "So are you here to kill me, like Des tried to yesterday?"

"Not yet" said the Chief "Where's Des?"

"Only God knows where Des is" I said "That information is on a 'need-to-know' basis and I don't 'need-to-know',,, sorry"

Chief Montgomery pulled out a gun "Tell me where Des is" said the Chief

"Is that supposed to scare me?" I said "Lady, I was raised around guns" and pulled out my gun and loaded it "Now, if you're gonna shoot me, I'll take you with me and don't think I wont. So you had better think very carefully before you make a decision that could end your life.. Chief" and pulled the hammer back.

"TELL ME WHERE DES IS!!" yelled the Chief as her hand started shaking violently.

"No" I said calmly and lowered my gun as I walked towards her and took her gun out of her hand as Rothsdale quietly came thru the back door with Marcus, Mary & Louis.

"Chief Montgomery, you are under arrest for Conspiracy to commit murder with Desmond Styles, Unlawful Trespassing, and the Attempted Murder of Jessica Horan" said Rothsdale

"Here's her gun" I said "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go be sick now" and ran over to the fence and threw up into the field.

"Shh... just relax and let it go Angel" said Marcus "That's it Jessie, just breathe & relax"

"I'm okay" I said and went to my bag and hung up my phone. "You sure got here fast"

"I was at the hospital" said Rothsdale "The babies were born this morning"

"Congratulations!!" I said "What are their names?"

"Jordan Daniel and Stephanie Renee" said Rothsdale

"Oh gosh" I said completely stunned

"Baxter will be here soon and he'll take Ms. Montgomery in for processing" said Rothsdale

"Now that the dirty cop has been found, will Pamela still have a job?" asked Marcus

"Yes, bc Baxter needs a partner" said Rothsdale "I'll be filling in as Chief till someone is appointed to the position"

"Baxter's here, I'll go let him in" said Louis and went inside

"Hey boos.. so who's the dirty-" said Baxter and stopped "Holy shit, Are you serious?"

"Yeah.. I heard everything on my way over" said Rothsdale "Take her to the station and book her on Unlawful Trespassing, Attempted Murder & Conspiracy to Commit Murder with Desmond Styles" 

"Got it boss" said Baxter "Call me later so I can come see those beautiful babies of yours"

"I will" said Rothsdale "Are you okay kiddo?"

"Stephanie Renee? After me?" I said still stunned

"Its tradition, that when twins are born, if one of them is a girl, that they be named after their Godmother" said Rothsdale

"Oh my God" I said "I need to sit down" and sat in the grass "Are you sure you want me? I'm only 10 years old"

"Jessie, you're kind, generous, strong, brave & loving" said Rothsdale "Those qualities are very important to Hannah & I and if anyone can teach those qualities to our babies, we want that person to be you... please?"


	89. Chapter 89

Chapter 89

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"I would be honored to be their Godmother" I said and gave him a hug "Thank you so much"

"You're welcome kiddo" said Rothsdale "I better go tell Hannah, and I'll call when they get to come home so you can meet them"

"Okay... Did you get her the earrings & pendant?" I asked

"Yes I did and she loves them" said Rothsdale "She wont take them off"

"That's bc she loves you as much as you love her" I said "and the fact that you gave them to her the day your babies were born, makes them even more special"

I took out my gun and put the safety on and put it back in my bag.

"You have a gun?" asked Rothsdale, a little shocked

"Yep, it was my Dad's" I said "It was in my camera bag that Jimmy brought me last week from home" I reached into my bag and pulled out my papers "Previous owner, current owner, every concealed & carry permit I've had since I was 8 and a current permit issued 2 weeks ago by Interpol & the U.S. State department... all legal"

"Holy shit" said Louis "Where have you been keeping it?"

"Its been locked in my desk since this morning" I said "When the girls woke me up barking, I came downstairs and smelled perfume, which wasn't right bc y'all did laundry Friday night after we ambushed y'all.. so why was I smelling it today?... It didn't make sense, so after you left, I went to my room and put it in my camera bag and its a damned good thing I did too"

"These papers expire on Thursday Jessie" said Rothsdale "This is a temporary permit, so have Pamela bring you to the station on Tuesday and you both can get recertified and so that gun stays legal"

"Yes sir" I said as I ejected the clip and the one in the chamber "There, now its all safe"

"That's scary Jess" said Louis

"It may be Louis, but I just had a Glock pointed at my head by an unhinged woman" I said and held my hands like a scale "a gun or a crazy unhinged cop... Hmm... I'd say the crazy lady is scarier Lou"

"Point made" said Louis

"here, keep these and bring them with you on Tuesday along with your passport and adoption papers" said Rothsdale

"Okay" I said "One last thing before you go"

"Okay" said Rothsdale

"What colors are in Jordan & Stephanie's nursery>" I asked

"Blue & purple" said Rothsdale

"Okay, that's all I need to know" I said "Tell Hannah I said Congratulations and I'll see them soon"

"I will" said Rothsdale

"I'll walk you out" said Marcus

I pulled out my phone and added them to my baby set & quilt lists, then put my phone away "Okay Haz & Izzie, lets get this photo shoot started... we're 30 minutes behind schedule here and Gem & I need to go pick up dinner when we're done" I said

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "Lou, go on back to Anne's and let everyone know Jessie's fine"

"Okay Mom.. have fun" said Louis and went back to Anne's

"Now this photo shoot is going to have 1 outfit change, but not just yet" I said

"Okay... Where do you want to start?" asked Mary

"In the front yard, in front of the arbor" I said

"Sounds good" said Mary as we went to the front yard "Are you going to do all of the photos in color?"

"Some and some I'll do in black & white" I said "That's why I had you dress in a white shirt & jeans bc they look better on black & white film"

"Ah okay" said Mary

"Haz, put your arms around Mary's waist, Mary, put your right arm around Haz's waist and your left hand on his chest so that I see your ring" I said "that's it, move a little closer.. perfect. Now look at me and give me your best smiles, lovebirds" they laughed and smiled as I took the photos.

"For the reast of the photos, I want you to relax and do what comes naturally" I said "I want to see two people in Love and happy. Remember how you felt when you had your first kiss, when you made love.. the little moments, like when you found out you were going to have a baby, when Haz proposed & Mary said yes, the night we danced in the yard under the stars... Imagine your Wedding day and saying 'I do' and going to Ireland for your honeymoon and just feel it.. let it wash over you. Tell me the story about Haz & Mary... how they feel about each other, how they Love when they think no one is watching... show me that, okay?"

"Wow, okay" said Mary

"Haz, I can see you're a little unsure about this" I said

"Yeah, its just that, everything you talked about... I wasn't happy all the time, most times I was either nervous or scared shitless" said Haz

"Okay.. you say Mary is the dream at the end of your rainbow, right?" I said

"Yeah" said Haz

"Show me how you felt when you realized she was a real person" I said "Show me how you felt when she came home, when you saw her in her dress for the summer formal, when you said 'I'm in love with you' and she kissed you under the arbor after she saw the rose garden & said that she loved you too... Do you see it?"

"Yeah" said Haz "Now I see what you mean"

"That's what I want to see" I said "No words.. this is your story in pictures... no one is here to say anything about how you feel. If the moment feels playful, do it.. if it feels cheesy and makes you laugh, do it... have fun with it and just relax"

"Oh okay" said Haz "I can do that" and ran in the house and came back out with my quilt and spread it out in front of the rose bushes.

I grabbed my black & White camera as Mary walked over to Haz and sat down on the quilt. Haz picked a red rose and put it in Mary's hair and kissed her ring. Mary wiped a tear from Haz's cheek as they kissed, ever so gently then touched their heads together, talking only to each other. Haz whispered something in Mary's ear, she nodded and Haz got up and took the sheet off the back-side of the arbor and took it over to Mary and made a curtain, hiding Mary... Mary stood up, and wrapped the sheet around her as Haz took his shirt off, gathered up their clothes and the quilt and walked out into the field, holding hands (I kept my distance and snapped pictures) as they walked into the woods. 

I could see where this was going, so I set up my camera with a remote clicker switch and sat with my back to them as they had a private moment.. alone. When I heard laughing a short time later, I resumed taking pictures as they came out of the woods. Haz was carrying Mary on his back, looking completely blissed out & happy.

"Okay, now that you two have had your private moment, lets go to the backyard and continue. We're almost done and then you need to change for some 'special' photos" I said

"Um.. yeah" said Haz "sorry about that Jess"

"Don't apologize Haz" I said "I saw what was going on, that's why I kept my distance, its fine" and smiled "this why I suggested a date night Haz.. its hard to have private intimate moments in a house full of people"

"Yeah, it is" said Mary "Thanks for understanding Jessie"

"You're welcome Izzie" I said "besides, I got some beautiful shots"

"You didn't" said Haz in shock

"Yes I did" I said "As a photographer, I've learned a few tricks and know when a shot is beautiful & when its intrusive... I'll show you later"

"Um... okay" said Haz and blushed

"Lets take one more photo on the porch before we go out back" I said "Haz sit on the railing, Mary stand between his legs, lean into his arms facing me, lace your fingers together - both hands, rest them on Mary's stomach, lean your heads together and close your eyes, and think about Samantha Anne and what she'll look like when she's born... that's it, right there" and snapped a color photo and a black & white photo "Okay, lets go find the girls" and wentr to the back yard.

"Okay" said Mary and grabbed the sheet & quilt as we went to the backyard as Chelsea & Trudy came running up to us.

"hey pretty babies, have you been having fun?' I said

"Arf, arf, aroooo, arf, arf" they barked & howled as Meghan walked up to us

"Yeah, they've been having lots of fun" said Meghan "I had to come outside bc the paint fumes were making me sick, so Robin said to come out and get some fresh air"

"How is it going over there?" I asked

"The upstairs is done and everyone is working on the downstairs" said Meghan "It looks great. Louis opened the windows and brought over some fans to try and keep the fumes down, so that should help some"

"Oh good" I said "we have to take some photos out here... if you want to watch, you can, if you want"

"Oh, that would be great, thanks" said Meghan and sat down

"Okay, lets spread out the quilt and get some pictures taken with the girls" I said " then we'll do the special photos" and spread out the quilt

"Sounds great" said Mary as she & Haz sat down on the quilt "Chelsea, Trudy, come on, we're gonna get our pictures taken" as the ran over and sat down " now sit still and give me big smiles girls"

"Oh good job pretty babies" I said as I took the pictures "Okay Mart, pick up Chelsea and hold her... come here Trudy, this picture is with just Chelsea this time" and Trudy sat down "good girl... Okay happy family, big smiles" I said and took the pictures "Excellent job... Okay, I need you two in your blue dress & suit with the blue tie that you wore to the summer formal.. and I mean the works, while I set up the back drop"

"Okay" said Mary "What should I do with my hair?"

"Leave it down and pull it over your left shoulder" I said "and don't forget to cover that love bite on your collar bone Mary"

"Haz.. I told you be careful about that, I bruise easily" said Mary

"Sorry princess" said Haz as they went in the house

"Jessie... could you take my picture with the girls?" asked Meghan "I'd like to put it in my room"

"Sure... sit down on the quilt" I said "We'll take a few while we wait"

Thanks" said Meghan and sat down "Chelsea, Trudy, come sit with me, Jessie's gonna take our picture"

"Yep, not a problem" I said "Okay, sit pretty and give me your best smiles ladies.. perfect" and took several photos "Okay, one more... Meghan, lay on your stomach, now bend you knees.. perfect" and put Chelsea on the left & Trudy on the right "big smiles ladies" and snapped the a couple of photos "great job ladies, we're all done" and went to my bag and pulled out my tube of backdrops and chose the 'moon beams on water' back drop and hooked it to the stand as Haz and Mary came out.

"Jessie, I have a problem" said Mary

"What's wrong?" I said 

"My feet are starting to swell up and my shoes don't fit" said Mary and lifted her skirt

"Holy shit.. okay, just sit down and I'll go get Robin" I said and ran over to Anne's "Robin, could you take a look at Mary.. her feet are swelling up - bad"

"I told her to wear shoes" said Robin as we went outside "Mary is allergic to mold & moss... How many times do I have to tell you Mary, wear shoes when you go walking in the woods"

"Oh shit... sorry Robin, I forgot" said Mary "We were doing our photo shoot and we went in the woods for a few minutes.. I didn't even think about the mold & moss" as Robin took a look

"Well, its not as bad as it could've been, we haven't had any rain lately" said Robin and gave Mary an allergy pill "take this and when it kicks in, the swelling should start to go down. Now go in the house and rinse your feet off in the sink, that will slow the swelling"

"okay, Thanks Robin" said Mary and went in the house"Mary will be fine Haz" said Robin "Next time, make sure she wears shoes, okay?"

"Okay" said Haz "Thanks.. for a second, I thought maybe it was a bad bug bite or something"

"No, Mary has an allergy to outdoor mold & moss" said FRobin "This happened just after she moved here. Charlie had gotten into some poison ivy and Mary brought him in barefoot bc her feet were so badly swollen, so I sent her to my allergist and he found the allergy" as Robin came out

"I put my slippers on after I rinsed my feet" said Mary "The allergy pill wont hurt the baby, right?"

"Nope, its perfectly safe" said Robin

"Okay, good" said Mary and relaxed

"Have a seat, I just need to get the CD player and we'll finish this up" I said 

"Okay sweetie" said Mary and sat down

"Wow.. you two look gorgeous" said Meghan as I came out "I love that color, it matches your eyes Mary"

I looked at Mary's eyes "Mary.. your eyes change color just like mine do" I said as I looked at Haz "yours do too.. Holy shit, Haz!! your eyes are bluish-green!"

"No way" said Haz

I used my phone and took his picture "Look!!" I said 

"Holy shit.. that's never happened before" said Haz

"That's what happens when you're in love" said Meghan "You're soulmates, so when one of you is hurt, sick or sad, the other's eyes will change color... it meansd that you are of one mind, heart & soul... in sync"

"Wow" said Haz "that's cool"

"Okay lovebirds, lets get this done" I said and turned on the CD player "Stand in front of the backdrop... Mary, take your slippers off for a few minutes, your slippers make your skirt look lumpy"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary and slipped them off and stood in front of the backdrop 

"Okay stand and face each other holding hands.. perfect" I said and snapped the pictures ""Haz get down on one knee, Mary sit on Haz's knee and lay your head on his shoulder.. perfect" and took another photo "Okay, let me take this down and then we have one more set of photos to take and then y'all can change for the last time" I took down the backdrop and gathered up the quilt and laid them by my bags as Meghan picked up the dog's toys. 

"I'm going to play a special slow song and take pictures while you dance" I said "Don't loo at me, just act like I'm not even here"

"Okay" said Haz & Mary as I turned the music on and turned up the volume 

Moon river, wider than a mile  
I'm crossing you in style some day  
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker  
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way  
Two drifters, off to see the world  
There's such a lot of world to see  
We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend  
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me  
(Moon river, wider than a mile)  
(I'm crossin' you in style some day)  
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker  
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way  
Two drifters, off to see the world  
There's such a lot of world to see  
We're after that same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend  
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me  
(Moon river)  
(Moon river, ooh)

As they danced, I used my high-speed camera and captured every move and expression. When the song ended, they kissed to thunderous applause, to which they bowed & curtsied.

"BRAVO!!" yelled Davis and gave a low whistle "Wow, you two look amazing and you dance great together - in perfect harmony"

"Thanks" said Haz "Mary makes it look easy"

"Okay, you two, go get changed" I said as I packed up my gear "Gem, I'll be back down in a few minutes and we'll go get Pizza"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz & Mary and went inside

"Okay munchkin" said Gem "I'll go see what they all like"

"Sounds good" I said and took my gear upstairs. I reloaded my gun and locked it in my desk drawer, got my purse & made sure I had enough money, then went over to Anne's "Okay Gem.. WHEW OH MY GOD!!!" and plugged my nose "Y'ALL COULD GET HIGH OFF THESE PAINT FUMES!!! HOLY SHIT.. NO WONDER MEGHAN GOT SICK"

"Yeah, we know, that's why we're using paint masks munchkin" said Louis "Maura's bringing us more fans and I've got the windows open to try and air out the house so we can put it back together after dinner... then we can all relax" 

My phone rang.. it was Momma

JESSIE: Hey Momma... What's up?

JAKE: Ms. Jessie, its Jake

JESSIE: Hey Jake.. what's up?

JAKE: We have a slight issue... With Simon

JESSIE: Aw shit... Is he flipping out again?

JAKE: No... He's drunk and hasn't passed out yet. Apparently, he & Jeff got wasted all night and never went to sleep

JESSIE: Goddammit... put him on the phone

SIMON: Heeey NeeNee… Whasup?

JESSIE: Seriously Simon? You couldn't wait till AFTER I saw you to get shit-faced?

SIMON: Hey, ya know I don't like flying.. sits not my fault I gotta fear of heights

JESSIE: NO SHIT SHERLOCK, THAT'S WHY YOU STAY SOBER AND TAKE YOUR FUCKING ZANAX YOU DUMBASS

SIMON: Hey ya ain't gotta get verbal now

JESSIE: I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO GET VERBAL SIMON.. I NEED YOU HERE - SOBER... I GOT A LOT OF SHIT I GOTTA WORRY ABOUT... DO I NEED TO WORRY ABOUT YOU TOO?... ANSWER ME SIMON!!!

SIMON: No Ma'am

JESSIE: GOOD THEN GET YOUR ASS IN THE MEN'S ROOM AND FORCE YOURSELF TO THROW UP, THEN YOU'RE GONNA DRINK AS MUCH COFFEE AS YOU POSSUBLY CAN AND TAKE YOU FUCKING ZANAX AND GET YOUR ASS ON THAT PLANE... AND IF YOU SO MUCH AS SQUEAK WHEN THE PLANE TAKES OFF, I'LL HAVE MACK PUNCH YOUR LIGHTS OUT... UNDERSTOOD?

SIMON: Yes Ma'am

JESSIE: Good... let me talk to Jake

JAKE: He's off to the Men's room... Tim's gone with him

JESSIE: Simon should be fine now Jake, he just got scared is all

JAKE: Okay.. Thank you Ms. Jessie... Here's your Mom

JESSIE: You're welcome Jake... hey Momma

PAMELA: Hey baby... Georgia ia amazing, we had so much fun today

JESSIE: Oh, I'm glad... How's Papa with the heat?

PAMELA: *laughing* He's handling the heat just fine... its the sun you forgot to warn him about

JESSIE: OH NO!! How bad did he get sunburned?

PAMELA: Well... um... He's gonna be in pain for a few days

JESSIE: Oh poor Papa... I'll have Izzie get some aloe vera gel tomorrow when she gets Mack's list... let me talk to Papa

NIALL: Het poppet

JESSIE: Oh Papa, I'm so sorry, I should've told you to pack your sunscreen... How bad does it hurt? 1-being okay to 10-being severely painful

NIALL: 15... it hurts really bad - I can't even sit up properly

JESSIE: Am I on speaker?

NIALL: Yeah, go ahead poppet

JESSIE: Pooh bear get the First-Aide kit and find the can of Novacaine and spray it all over Papa's back

MACK: Got it care bear

JESSIE: Now Papa, when it hits your back, its going to feel like ice cubes on your back... just breathe thru it Papa

NIALL: Okay poppet

MACK: Here it comes Ni, just breathe

NIALL: HOLY SHIT... ICE CUBES MY ASS, ITS THE WHOLE DAMN BUCKET OF ICE WATER

JESSIE: Just breathe Papa... just breathe

NIALL: Oh bloody fucking Hell *panting* okay, its starting to feel better

JESSIE: Keep an eye on that sunburn, and if it starts blistering, note the time and how many blisters there are & apply that spray every 4 hours. There's some sheets in the galley, put one on Papa's seat so if he gets overheated, his skin wont stick to the seat

MACK: Yes ma'am

JESSIE: Try and get some sleep Papa and if you start feeling achy & cold, take a couple of Ibuprofen - 2 pills every 8 hours and go to the hospital the minute you land.. Okay?

NIALL: Okay poppet

JESSIE: Did you get sunburned too Momma?

PAMELA: No baby, I don't burn, but I did get an awesome tan tho… We spent a couple of hours at the beach - Mack insisted after we left Maggie & William's - that's when your Papa got sunburned

JESSIE" Yeah, salt water & too much sun will do that... Did you take pictures?

PAMELA: Yep, lots of them and Mack is the sweetest ever - he made us lunch and your Papa was on cloud 9

JESSIE: Ooo What did he make?

MACK: Chicken & Waffles with country gravy... my specialty, of course

JESSIE: Oh.. my.. God - no wonder he was on cloud 9... How many did he have?

PAMELA: 3

MACK: And he proposed each time too

JESSIE: PAPA!!

NIALL: *chuckling* In my defense, I was delirious from jet-lag

PAMELA: Mhm, you just keep telling yourself that Ni and eventually you'll start to believe it *giggling*

MACK: I had to turn him down tho, as much as it pained me to do so, I just couldn't break Pamela's heart like that

JIMMY: Hey.. What about me?

MACK: What about you? You get home and I don't even get a proper hello, you just flew right past me as if I wasn't even there

JIMMY: Aw Pooh bear, come on, I apologized... Its just that I had something important that I needed to get so that it wouldn't get left behind, you know I missed you

MACK: So you say... And he still wont tell me what it is either

JESSIE: Pooh bear, trust me, you'll find out soon... Have I ever lied to you?

MACK: Nope, never

JESSIE: Then kiss and make up Pooh bear, you'll find out on Tuesday, I promise

MACK: *sigh* Oh alright, but I better find out on Tuesday or I'm going to br severely pissed off

JESSIE: You have my word Pooh bear... Hey Momma, I sent you some pictures. Did you get them yet?

PAMELA: I got them, but I haven't seen them yet

JESSIE: Okay, wait till we're off the phone to see them

PAMELA: Okay baby... How did Mom & Haz's photo shoot go?

JESSIE: Oh Momma, it was so great... I got some amazing shots and Anne's photo shoot went great too. Its been an amazing day and you'll never guess what happened

PAMELA: What?

JESSIE: Mrs. Rothsdale had her babies this morning. Their names are Jordan Daniel & Stephanie Renee and they want me to be the babies Godmother

PAMELA: Oh baby, that's great, have you seen them yet?

JESSIE: No, Rothsdale said he would call when they're allowed to come home so that I can meet them... The babies came 2 weeks early

PAMELA: Oh gosh, well we'll prayer for them baby... Here comes Simon, damn he doesn't look so good, but at least he's walking straight and he's got 2 cups of coffee in his hands

JESSIE: It took him long enough... You still functioning Old Man?

SIMON: Yeah almost... black coffee sucks swamp ass

JESSIE: Yeah, well if you want milk & sugar, don't get drunk ass-wipe.. Sorry Papa... Chug that coffee Simon, we've got a schedule to keep and you've wasted almost 2 hours as it is.. pop that Zanax and lets go

SIMON: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

JESSIE: Mack, If Simon squawks once while the plane is taking off, knock him out... I mean it

MACK: Yes ma'am... Sorry Si, but Jessie's right. If you & Jeff hadn't spent the whole night drinking, we'd be flying over New York right now, so suck it up & chug it down or I'll punh you now and fuck the Zanax

SIMON: Damn look who finally grew a pair... it took you long enough Mackenzie

JESSIE: Oh Hell... Momma, you & Papa better hold Mack back.. Simon, you need to shut up.. now

PAMELA: Simon, you will be civil or I'll kick you off this plane

SIMON: Yeah right

PAMELA: Would you rather be arrested?

SIMON: By who? Look around Pamela, there's no cops here

PAMELA: Good point Simon... Didn't I tell you?

SIMON: Tell me what? Please enlighten me little lady

PAMELA: Not only am I the pilot for today, but I'm also a cop - in Michigan AND in England so please, keep running you mouth Simon

JESSIE: Papa, in the outside, middle pocket, of your carry-on, is a gift Momma needs.. Can you get it please

NIALL: Sure poppet *outside middle pocket* What in the Hell is this poppet?

JESSIE: Its a taser Papa, Momma has to carry it till she gets back and the Chief issues Momma her firearm. Momma's handcuffs are in there too Papa... You're welcome Momma

NIALL: How?

JESSIE: Rothsdale gave the taser to Marcus after we buried Duchess, so when we went back to Anne's, I told Marcus to put it & Momma's handcuffs in you bag bc I know how Simon gets when he has to fly... I didn't know he was gonna get drunk and be a total fucking asshole, sorry Papa... So are you going to be civil Simon?.. Consider the consequences before you answer

SIMON: Aw shit.. yeah, I'll be civil

PAMELA: Good, bc I would really hate you if I had to taser you... and may I remind you, that you didn't have to tell Jessie you would come to England to help her with her project, but you did, so suck it up and grow a fucking pair

SIMON: Yes ma'am

JIMMY: Pamela, darlin, you need to take a deep breath and calm yourself, your eyes are changing color sweetie... just breathe slow & easy.. that's it Pamela

JESSIE: Are you okay Momma?

PAMELA: Yeah, I'm okay... I just really want to come home and see my baby

JESSIE: I know Momma, I miss you & Papa too

MACK: Then lets blow this pop-stand and be on our way

JAKE: Come on Pamela, lets go see if Wanda is fueled up and ready to go

PAMELA: Okay Jake, I have to go baby, I'll see you tomorrow... I Love You baby

JESSIE: Fly safe Momma, I Love You too... hand the phone to Jimmy

PAMELA: Okay baby,,, Here Jimmy, do me a favor and give it to Ni when you're done

JIMMY: Yes ma'am... Hey Doodlebug

JESSIE: Have you heard from your friend at the State Department? bc we still haven't gotten our new passports yet and I'm feeling antsy

JIMMY: I have them darlin, Maxwell lost the address, so he sent them to my office. I have all of it birth certificates, passports and Pamela has your credit card & its already activated, so just relax Doodlebug

JESSIE: Oh okay good... Papa, let Momma know that she & I need to go to the police station on Tuesday to get recertified for our firearms

NIALL: Both of you?

JESSIE: Yeah, its a long story Papa, I'll tell you & Momma tomorrow, I promise

NIALL: Okay poppet, I'll tell her

JIMMY: I thought that permit was good?

JESSIE: Its a temporary permit Jimbo, which, by the way, expires on Thursday, hence the recertification

JIMMY: Ah okay, sorry Jessie

JESSIE: That's okay Jimbo, Rothsdale is the one that pointed it out. I'm just glad I found out before it expired

JESSIE: Mack there's been a small development regarding Mary's dress

MACK: What's the problem care bear?

JESSIE: The flowers don't mesh with the pink dress, so Mary is going to wear the original dress, but it needs to be shortened.. Mary had her heart set on wearing a shorter length dress.. so can you work your magic on the dress?

MACK: Absolutely care bear.. if Mary wants a less formal dress, I'll make it happen, tell her to relax darlin

JESSIE: I will, thanks Mack *okay, okay geez Gem*… I gotta go y'all, I got a bunch of hungry people here who are bout to kill me... I gotta go get pizza for dinner with Gem

MACK: *chuckling* Okay care bear, go get your pizza and we'll see you tomorrow

JESSIE: Okay Pooh bear... y'all fly safe and Papa, Evan said he will be at the airport to pick y'all up... no arguments, so text me when y'all land

NIAL: Yes ma'am, I will... I Love You lemur monkey

JESSIE: I Love You too Papa

and hung up "Okay, okay, lets go Gem" I said 

"Bout time" said Gem and we headed for the car "Louis was getting pissed at Simon... that wasn't a very good first impression"

"Yeah, I know" I said "Simon's not off the hook yet, he's got an ass kicking coming... guaranteed"

"Linda called Mary, they're bringing Sarah ovewr tonight for the week" said Gem "Tom wants to meet everyone, so we need to get dinner and get back, they'll be here in an hour or so"

"Okay.. You know what everyone wants on the pizza?" I asked

"Yep, and Marcus requested 2 sauceless pizza's so he can put one in the freezer" said Gem "I told him that wasn't a problem"

"Oh okay" I said as we pulled up to the pizza place and went inside

"Welcome, May I take your order" said the clerk

"Yes, I need 12 large pizza's with everything... 2 large pizza's, no sauce with just meat toppings... 15 orders of bread sticks with cheese dip & marinara and 14 big bottles of soda please" said Gem

"Yes ma'am" said the clerk "That's 12 large with everything... 2 large meats, no sauce... 15 orders of sticks with dip & marinara and 14 bottles of soda... right?"

"Correct" said Gem

"Okay y'all, we got a big order here" said the clerk "I need 12 large rounds with everything, 15 orders of sticks and I'll do the 2 large rounds with meats & no sauce.... lets go people, the clock is ticking and the customer is waiting"

"Yes ma'am" said everyone and went to work

"Max, I need 14 bottles of soda taken out to the lady's car please" said the clerk

"Yes ma'am" said Max "Should I take them out of the backroom cooler?"

"Yes please" said the clerk "use a few boxes to put them in so they don't fall over"

"Yes ma'am" said Max and went to the backroom and then came out front

"Follow me" said Gem and held the door for Max as they went out to the car

"15 trays of sticks are in Manda" said the girl

Thanks Jenny" said Manda "How many trays are left in the warming room?"

"42" said Jenny "I've got more dough mixing as we speak and another batch of dip too"

"Thanks Jenny" said Manda

"Yep, not a problem" said Jenny "You want me to tally up the order?"

"Yes please" said Manda "Ring it up under the 'Summer Special' "

"Okay, how many specials?" asked Jenny

"Seven specials" said Manda "Then ring up 8 sticks, 7 bottles of sodas and a bag of ice"

"Holy whopper-poppers" said Jenny "Y'all feeding a crew?"

"Yeah, we had a painting party" I said "A friend of mine is moving and we painted the house to get it ready for the new renters"

"Wow.. How many people do you have?" asked Jenny

"About 20" I said 

Jenny gave a low whistle as she rang up the order "That's a lot of people" said Jenny "That's $85 even ma'am"

I gave her the money "Do y'all have a tip jar?" I said 

"Yes ma'am" said Jenny and set a jar on the counter. I put 5- 20 dollar bills in the jar,

"There's a $20 dollar tip for each of you" I said as several timers started buzzing

"Thank you ma'am" said Jenny "Okay y'all bread sticks are on their way for finish & wrapping" carrying 2 trays of sticks at a time and kept bringing trays of sticks out as they were dressed, wrapped and bagged "Bernie, get 15 containers of dip please and I'll get the containers for the marinara"

"On it Gerble" said Bernie

A lady came thru the door and headed to the back "I'm here Manda-Panda, Where do you need me at?" said the lady

Oh thanks Lindie.. In the office please" said Manda "I was in the middle of payroll when we got a big order and its gotta be in by 7pm"

"Okay darlin, calm down" said Lindie "You know that me & numbers are besties, I'll have it done in 20 minutes, just breathe darlin"

"I would if you did the payroll instead of me" said Manda "You know me & numbers don't get along, they drive me bonkers, like Gerble when she talks too much"

"Hey, I've been quiet all day, so untwist your panties Manda-Panda" said Jenny "And you know how I get when I cut hair... you gotta admit, those men that came into the salon yesterday where HOT... especially that guy who sat in the chair next to me... oh.. What was his name..."

"The one on your right? or on the left?" said Bernie

"The right" said Jenny

"Oh, that was Collin" said Bernie

"That's it.. who-we he is fine" said Jenny and fanned herself

"Yeah, I noticed you checking out his ass when they left the shop" said Bernie "You were drooling... bad"

"I wasn't drooling" said Jenny "I was committing it to memory.. there's a difference"

"Okay Ladies, you're all set" said Max

"Thanks" I said "Y'all have a good night"

"You too" said Jenny and we left.

We put the pizza's, ice & bread sticks in the back seat and headed home.

"Oh my God" said Gem and burst out laughing

"I know" I said, laughing "Wait till Collin hears this... his jaw is gonna hot the floor"and called Louis "Hey, we're here, bring all of the guys to help bring it all in" and hung up as we pulled into the driveway, the guys were waiting for us "There's boxes of soda in the trunk & pizza, ice and bread sticks in the back seat... Take them out to the backyard and I'll get the paper plates & napkins... Have the girls been fed?"

"Yeah, they just finished eating" said Haz

"Oh good" I said as we went in the house and then out to the backyard with the plates & Napkins "HI Linda, Hi Sarah"

"Hey jellybean" said Sarah "How was your day?"

"It was great" I said "I missed you this afternoon"

"Yeah, sorry about that" said Sarah "I woke up with a monster headache and had to go to the doctor bc it made me sick"

"Are you okay?" I said 

"Yeah, I'm fine" said Sarah "Doc said that I have a double ear infection from using my earplugs... I guess some water got in my ears from my shower and couldn't dry out properly & got infected"

"Oh ouch" I said "So how long till you can use your earplugs again?"

"4 days" said Sarah "Its going to be torture, I swear"

"You could try blocking" I said "at least till the infection clears up"

"Yeah, I can try it" said Sarah "Oh Jessie, this is my Dad, Tom and my brother, Brian"

"Hello Mr. Jeffries, Brian" I said and shook their hands "I'm Jessie, its nice to meet you"

"Hello Jessie, its nice to meet you too" said Tom "Sarah's told me all about you and your family... When will Niall & Pamela be home from their trip?"

"Sometime tomorrow afternoon/evening" I said "They went sight-seeing today and took off late bc Papa got a bad sunburn. I told him to be careful, but he forgot his sunscreen"

"Oh gosh.. Is Niall alright?" asked Linda

"Yeah.. Momma got him some aloe vera gel from the airport drug store to put on his back so he wouldn't be in pain coming home" I said "Jimmy's gonna keep an eye on Papa while Momma's flying and if he gets worse, they'll take him to the hospital when they land"

"Where did they go?" asked Brian

"They went to Savannah Georgia where I was born" I said and looked ar my phone, it was 4:30 "Oh Holy fish-sticks.. okay y'all, lets say Grace and eat. I have to be at the high school in 30 minutes to see if this surprise for Momma is gonna work or not"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "Everyone join hands.. Jessie"


	90. Chapter 90

Chapter 90

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Heavenly Father, bless this food with your Love and thank you for an amazing day. Bless Mr. & Mrs. Rothsdale with with your patience & mercy and help little Jordan & Stephanie to come home strong & healthy. Watch over Momma & Papa and keep them safe and bless us with your Love & Grace as we prepare for Haz & Mary's Wedding... In Jesus name, Amen"

"Amen" said everyone

"Nicely done princess" said Zayn

"Thanks Grandpa" I said "Help yourselves, there's plenty of bread sticks with cheese dip & Marinara and sodas... Marcus can you take this pizza inside please and set it in the oven"

"Sure Angel" said Marcus "Thanks"

"You're welcome my love" I said and made Marcus & I's plates as Marcus came outside and sat down "Hoe are you feeling Grandpa? Those paint fumes were awful"

"I feel fine princess" said Zayn "The paint masks helped a lot"

"Oh good" I said "Hey Collin... I met your future wife today"

"Excuse me? said Collin and almost choked on his pizza "Who?"

"Jenny" I said "One of the girls that cut y'alls hair yesterday"

"Are you serious?" said Collin

"Yep... apparently you have a nice butt" I said "and committed it to memory as y'all left the hair salon"

"Hot Damn, go Collin" said Davis "Where'd you see her Jess?"

"They own the pizza place as well as the hair salon" I said "She's pretty... I like her"

"Wow.. okay" said Collin

"I agree with Jessie, she's really pretty" said Gem "You should ask her out"

"Yeah Collin, go for it" said Davis "You know where she works, you know she has 4 room mates, you know where she's from, that she goes to church and is active in the community.... She's obviously single, What more do you need to know?"

"Dang Davis, calm down and take a break Dude" I said "Collin, just think about it and if you decide to ask her out, let me know and I'll help you plan something special... no rush, no pressure"

"Okay.. Thanks Jess" said Collin "Man.. I haven't been on a date in a long time.. What goes for a first date nowadays?"

"Dinner out, maybe a movie" said Louis "go dancing, pretty much anything fun where you can find out what you both have in common"

"What was your first date Louis?" asked Collin

"The Summer Formal" said Louis "and from there, I learned that Gem renovated her entire flat by herself, she loves her job, she's close to her family, she has a wicked sense of humor, is aware of her personal limits, looks stunning in red, we're the same age and we share the exact same birthdate"

"Wow... all that from one date?" said Collin

"Yep and now we're getting married" said Louis "There's a line I heard in a song once 'when you love a woman, you can see your world inside her eyes'... and its true, you can see it - the wedding, the children you'll have, the good times, the bad times, every time she smiles, laughs, cries... everything... Its amazing"

"Damn.. he's good" said Damian

"Good one Damian" said Louis, chuckling "Now I'll admit, I don't always catch the little subtleties, but when I do, I remember them forever... like, that my Mom loves the smell of rain on freshly cut grass and that Pamela thinks a sunrise in Winter is the most beautiful thing she's ever seen... its little things like that, that I'll find out about Gemma for the rest of my life"

"And on that note" I said and stood up "I need to head to the school" and kissed Marcus "I'll be back soon"

"Angel, we're coming with you" said Marcus "We've unloaded the car already and everyone wants to hear you play with the Orchestra"

"Oh.. Okay then" I said "Lets put all of this in the house and grt the girls' leashes put on so we can go"

"Yes!!" said Davis "This is exciting, I've never heard Jess play before"

"Jess played the piano at the church last Friday" said Gran "and got a standing ovation from Father Donnelly, the Sisters and parishioners - it was so beautiful"

"Amazing" said Andrew

"Father Donnelly also gave Jessie a standing invitation to play at the church anytime she wants" said Gran

"Yeah.. I don't know if I will tho" I said "I still get really nervous about playing in public... I'm only doing this for Momma bc its her favorite song & she wants it played at the Wedding"

"Okay everyone, lets go" said Haz "Evan, you drive Jessie's car with your brother & sister, Andrew & the guys... Liam & Zayn take the truck... Jessie & Marcus will ride with Mary & I and the girls"

"Gem & I will take my car" said Louis 

"Anne & Robin can ride with Gran & I' said Maura

"And we'll lead the caravan" said Linda

"Louis, go make sure the house is locked up over at Anne's" said Mary "I'll lock up here"

"Okay Mom.. I need your house keys Gem" said Louis

"Here you go Louis" said Gem "I'll meet you at the car"

We all went to our cars and headed to the high school and parked. The Orchestra members were waiting for us.

"Hey Mrs. Jeffries" said a girl "Where are we setting up?"

"In the Auditorium" said Linda "This is Jessica Horan and she needs our help... I'll let her explain inside"

The Orchestra got set up and ran thru their warm ups as everyone took their seat. Linda tapped her stand to get everyone's attention.

"Okay everyone, listen up" said Linda "Jessie, go ahead"

"Thank you Mrs. Jeffries" I said "Hey y'all, I'm Jessie Horan and I need your help. My adoptive parents are getting married and want me to play the Cannon in D at the Wedding. I played it a few days ago at the Church and thought it would sound so much better with all of you, so I asked Mrs. Jeffries if she could arrange for us to play together, and to see if I need to improve or not"

"When is the Wedding?" asked a girl

"Just after school starts on September 23rd" I said "I know its really short notice, but if we can pull this off, we'll make their day that much more special"

"Are you related to Niall Horan?" asked a young man

"Yeah, he's my Dad" I said "Do you know him?"

"Yeah, we have a few classes together" said the man "Ypu bet we'll help you"

"Thanks y'all, I appreciate this" I said 

"Jessie, have a seat at the piano and we'll do a run thru" said Linda

"Yes ma'am" I said and sat down, cracked my knuckles & neck and took a deep breath "Ready"

"Go ahead Jessie" said Linda as I started playing and then the Orchestra joined in and oh.. it was perfect.. absolutely perfect.

By the time the song finished, I had tears running down my face. "Wow.. that was amazing" I said and wiped my face & eyes on my sleeves "How did I do Mrs. Jeffries?"

"You were great Jessie" said Linda "I think we should schedule a day & time at the Church for all of us to do a rehearsal and to see where the the Orchestra should be placed"

"Okay, I can do that" I said "How soon and what day would you like?"

Linda & I pulled out our phones "The month of August is open, so whenever you can schedule something, let me know and I'll notify the Orchestra" said Linda

"Okay... except for our trip, I'm open too" I said and set a reminder "I'll set it up in the next few days"

"Mrs. Jeffries, what's the dress code for the Wedding?" asked a girl

"Floor-length light blue dresses for the ladies and black dress pants, white shirts with a light blue vest & ties for the men" said Linda "I'll send you the address where you can get them"

"Yes ma'am" said the girl

"Okay everyone, thanks for coming and keep your schedule flexible for the group rehearsal at the Church" said Linda

"Which Church is it at?" asked the young man

"Our Lady of Peace" I said 

"Oh cool.. the acoustics there are prime for an Orchestra" said the young man "We're gonna sound incredible"

"Is it okay if we stick around for a while Mrs. Jeffries?" said a girl "We haven't played together since school let out"

"Sure, but not too long" said Linda "Here's my keys, lock up when you leave and drop them off at the store tomorrow"

"Yes ma'am" said the girl "Thanks"

"You're welcome" said Linda as we started to walk off

"Jessie, you forgot your sheet music" said the girl

"I don't have any music" I said 

"Wait.. you played that without sheet music?" said the girl in shock

"Yeah, I can't read music at all" I said "Once I've heard a song played, I can play anything on the piano"

"Damn.. you're good" said the man

"If I play something, do you think you can play it?" asked Linda

"Sure" I said "But it needs to be completely quiet, or I can't concentrate"

Linda sat at the piano "Okay everyone, no talking" said Linda and started playing as I closed my eyes and listened carefully to every note till it ended "Okay Jessie, its your turn... everyone take out your music for 'Nadia's Theme' please"

I sat at the piano "Ready" I said and waited

"Okay Jessie, on a 4-4 count.. 1-4.. 2-4.. 3-.. 4-4 go" said Linda as I started playing, the Orchestra joined in... it sounded amazing and I started to relax.. then it was over "Jessie, that was amazing"

"Thank you" I said 

"Mrs. Jeffries.. Ask her" said the young man "please?"

"Alright" said Linda "Jessie, we need a pianist for the music festival. I know its REALLY short notice, but if I make you a piano playlist of our songs we'll be playing, will you play with us?"

"Oh gosh" I said in shock and took a deep breath "Oh what the Hell... Sure I'll play with y'all, lets do this"

"WOOHOO!!" said the entire Orchestra and clapped "You rock Jessie and we're gonna rock at the festival" said the young man

"thanks y'all" I said chuckling "Can you get me the music by tomorrow?"

"Absolutely" said Linda "Just the piano parts right?"

"Yep and we can meet here Wednesday at noon and run thru the entire set list" I said

"You heard the lady, we'll meet here Wednesday at noon, so bring ALL of your music and we'll finalize the set list. We have 5 songs, but we still need one more" said Linda

"Do you have the music for 'Moon River'?" I asked

"Yeah we do, but we need a singer" said the girl

"Let me take care of that" I said "What's the dress coded for the festival?"

"White floor-length dress and white shirts & oants - no ties" said Linda

"Perfect" I said "Okay y'all, have fun and I'll see you Wednesday at noon"

"You too Jessie" said the entire Orchestra

We went to the parking lot and headed home. When we reached the house, I went up to my room and grabbed my Ipod and went out to the patio.

"Wow Jess.. you were amazing" said Davis

"Thanks" I said "I guess I better get over my stage fright quick if I'm gonna play at the festival huh?"

"You're playing? At the festival?" said Haz

"Yep, with the Orchestra" I said "Linda asked me after the second song we played... way to pay attention Haz"

"Sorry peanut" said Haz "I was trying to keep Chelsea quiet"

"Ah.. Okay, you're forgiven" I said "Linda, here's my Ipod to record the songs on... It'll make it easier for me to concentrate on them"

"Thanks Jessie, I'll start recording them tomorrow and I'll drop it off after work" said LInda "Will you be at work tomorrow Haz?"

"I plan to be" said Haz "Mary & I have our first Dr.'s appointment at 10:30.. Liam said it took them about an hour, so I should be there on time"

"Take your time Haz and come in at 1pm.. don't rush" said Tom "The first appointment can be very emotional - for both of you"

"Okay.. Thanks Tom" said Haz

"Linda, Tom? I'm going to London tomorrow with Zayn, Liam, Gran, Evan, Charlie & Meghan" I said "Can Sarah come with us?"

"What are you going to London for?" asked Tom

"We're going sight-seeing and I'll be taking photos of Zayn & Liam for a photo project we're working on for their baby books" I said "We'll be gone for a few hours.. Evan is driving us there & back"

"Can I Mom? Dad?" said Sarah "and Brian can come too, if he wants and if its okay with you"

"I don't mind.. What about you Linda?" said Tom

"I don't mind" said Limda "Do you want to go Brian?"

"Sure, it sounds like fun" said Brian "What time are we leaving?"

"At 10am.. we'll get there around 1 o'clock" I said "We need to be back here by 6pm to pick everyone up at the airport and we can bring Brian home after dinner... around 8 o'clock?"

"Sounds great" said Linda "I'll bring Brian over around 9am"

"Perfect" I said "We're gonna have a blast y'all… a full on fun fest"

"Hey Jess... I think its time for the surprise" said Haz

"Ooo Yay!!… Come on y'all, its in the house" I said and went inside "Okay, Liam, Zayn, this surprise is for you. Weh had to put it in the nursery so close your eye.. Louis, you guide Liam and Gem, you guide Zayn... and no peaking you two"

"We wont princess" said Zayn as I opened the doors and Louis & Gem led them inside

"Okay, on the count of 3, open your eyes" I said "1... 2... 3!!" and they opened their eyes and gasped

"What? How?" said Liam "I thought everything was on back order?"

"Nope" I said "This is from all of us to you... SURPRISE!!!"

"Oh Li.. look at the teddy bears" said Zayn "Is this why we were kept at Robin's?"

"Yep" I said "They had a cancellation. It was supposed to be delivered tomorrow while we were in London, but I like this better... Charlie, Meghan, Evan, Gem, Lou, Haz & I stocked everything"

I went to the wardrobe closets and opened the doors and Gem opened the dresser drawers.

"Oh gosh" said Zayn and touched the blankets

"Now Zayn.. You can do whatever you want in here to make it work for you" said Mary

"Um.. okay" said Zayn as his eyes filled with tears and sniffed "I need to sit down a minute" and sat in a rocker "I'm sorry" and wiped his eyes "This is the best surprise ever. So who'd idea was this?.. Really?"

"It was Jessie's idea" said Mary "but Pamela & I approved of the plan sweetie... It was a group effort not to spoil the surprise"

"And it wasn't easy either, let me tell you" said Anne and chuckled "This week has been absolute torture for me... I had to call my cell phone repeatedly just to tell myself to be quiet and not say anything"

I chuckled "The stroller, car seats and play yard are in the study till you need them" I said "Charlie hooked up the webcam baby monitor for you... when the babies get lder, the shelves in the closets can be removed so you can hang up their clothes... there's burping cloths, pacifiers & baby wipes in the table next to the rockers... the onesies, diapers, pajamas, & bath supplies are on the shelves under the changing tables... and the extra bed sets & an extra pillow are in the drawer in the wardrobe closet"

"What do you think Zayn? Liam?" said Gem

"Jessie, you are a sneaky little thing" said Liam and gave me a hug "Thank you princess"

"You're welcome Grandpa Li" I said and kissed his cheek, then knelt down in front of Zayn "I told you I had lots of projects for you... didn't I?"

Zayn chuckled "Yes.. yes you did" said Zayn and kissed my head "Thank you princess.. its gorgeous"

"You're welcome Grandpa" I said as he smiled "There's the smile I was looking for.. the one that makes your eyes sparkle. You can relax now.. this is your sanctuary for the next 9 months. You can make plans, write, whatever you want or just come in here and relax & think" and pulled out my phone "anothert list deleted" and put my phone away

"So what can I do in here?" asked Liam and smiled

"Whatever you want Grandpa, there's 2 rockers in here" I said "There was going to be 3, but Momma said there wasn't room for a third, so I only got 2"

"Okay princess" said Liam "Hey Charlie.. How does the baby monitor work?"

"I'll show you" said Charlie and turned it on "The webcam has a 36 hour battery back-up if the power ever goes out, the monitor itself, can go anywhere in the house and can go outside up to 30 feet from the house. It stays right here on the crib and can be angled to face the swings, the rockers or keep it facing the inside of the crib"

"Wow" said Liam

"You can adjust the volume and it has an energy saver... just click this button, and the screen will go blank but you'll still be able to hear the babies when they fuss & cry and when they laugh & babble at each other, so if you're in bed, the light from the screen wont keep you up" said Charlie "When its not being used, or if you have it in your room at night, keep it plugged in so that it stays charged at all times... that's everything"

"Wow.. I wish we had that when Pamela was a baby" said Mary "We all would've gotten more sleep"

"Yeah no kidding" said Louis

"I'm hungry... Who wants cold pizza?" said Mary and went into the kitchen

"What just happened?" asked Gem

"Mom may only be 1 week pregnant, but her cravings are kicking in" said Liam "She did that a lot when she was pregnant with Louis"

"No way" said Gem "Well that explains why Lou eats leftover Chinese cold"

"Yep and just watch her, its so funny" said Liam "Mom will make mac & cheese and put slices of hot dogs in it, put it in a container in the fridge till it gets cold, and then she'll eat it... ALL of it"

"How much does she make?" I asked

"# or 4 boxes with a whole package of hotdogs" said Liam

"Oh my God" said Gem

"10 bucks says she eats 5 slices of pizza" said Liam "Mom gained a lot of weight with Louis from eating cold food"

"How much did you weigh when you were born Lou?" asked Zayn

"I think Mom said I was almost 9 pounds" said Louis

"8 pounds 6 ounces" said Haz "24 inches long"

"Who? Me?" said Louis

"Yup" said Haz "I couldn't sleep while Mary was gone, so Charlie & I came over and I looked thru her photo albums... Yours had a birth announcement in it"

"I'll be damned" said Louis "I always wondered where that album went"

"Its in the Livingroom on the bookshelf with Liam's, Pamela's, Mary's & John's" said Haz

I went to the Livingroom and sure enough, there they were, so I grabbed them "Come on y'all, before Mary & Davis kill the rest of the pizza" I said "I've got the photo albums"

"Ooo cold pizza & baby pictures" said Gem "Now that's fun" and went outside

"Oh thank God you're here" said Davis "Mary's working on 8 slices and has already eaten 4... she's scaring me here"

"Oh shut up Davis" said Mary with her mouth full "There's 8 more boxes right there, crack a box for God's sake"

"Davis.. dear" said Gran "Don't ever try and take food from a pregnant woman when she has a craving.. you could loose your hand"

"Or your life" said Mary "Harry Edward Styles, you better drop that slice where you got it from" Haz dropped the slice back in Mary's box "Smart man"

"Pace yourself Izzie" I said "Heartburn & acid reflux come with pregnancy too"

"Yep, I know" said Mary "I had it with Liam & Louis, that's why I like cold food - less heartburn & acid reflux which means less morning sickness"

"Ah.. okay" I said 

"When I was pregnant with Liam, I had a terrible time with morning sickness.. I couldn't cook bc the sight or smell of food would trigger it, so my Mom bought me bagels, frozen waffles & pancakes, crackers & peanut butter and that's pretty much what I ate for the first 2 months" said Mary "When it stopped, I started making pasta salads, potato salad, coleslaw, things like that, so I would have something to eat while John was cooking whatever on the grill... I'm amazed I gained any weight with Liam bc the first 2 months I lost almost 60 pounds"

"Sweet Jesus" said Davis

"Hand me Liam's album" said Mary

"Here you go Izzie" I said 

Mary opened the album "That's my Mom & I the day John & I found out I was pregnant" said Mary "Look at my face & neck"

"Okay" I said as Mary flipped thru the pages

"And that's me at 3 months" said Mary

"Oh dear God... Izzie" I said in shock

"Yep, I was not healthy" said Mary "That's when I started eating cold foods and gained 85 pounds.. It scared my doctor bc he thought I was anorexic and was trying to kill myself & Liam"

"Is that the doctor Dad punched bc he had called Child Welfare?" asked Louis

"Yeah and then they sued him for making false accusations" said Mary "My morning sickness hit the second I found out I was pregnant... same with Louis, but I knew what to do so it only lasted a few weeks and so far, other than what happened last Friday, no morning sickness"

"How much did you gain with Louis?" I said 

"I gained 70 pounds with Louis, but lost it all by the time he was 4 months old bc I was constantly running after Liam who was 3 at the time" said Mary

"Oh, Louis you were so cute" I said "What happened?"

"Hey.. I'm still cute" said Louis "Ask Mom, she'll tell ya.. right Mom?"

"Yep, all of my boys are cute" said Mary "but my soon-to-be-Husband is hot" and kissed Haz

"Okay... no comment" I said "WHOA!! Louis had blond hair?"

"Yeah.. that was when we went to Florida when Louis was 5" said Mary "The sun & salt water from swimming in the ocean bleached his hair.. it bleached Liam's too... that was the year I had a miscarriage" and took a deep breath "I never got pregnant after that.. John & I decided that we couldn't go thru that kind of heartbreak again. We had our boys and they were happy & healthy"

"Are you scared Mom?" asked Louis

"No sweetie, I'm not scared" said Mary and held Haz's hand "I have a second chance to have a baby girl and this time, I'm not taking any risks and I have a houseful to help me make sure nothing goes wrong"

"Maura.. Look at Pamela's baby picture" said Gran

"Oh gosh.. she's sleeping and look at those curls" said Maura "she looks like an angel and she's so tiny"

"6 pounds 12 ounces... 19 3/4 inches" said Haz

"Dude... that's creepy" said Louis

"Sorry Lou" said Haz "I can't help it, its stuck in there"

"Try cooking with him" said Gem "Mr. know-it-all... you're doing it wrong... you cant add that... this goes first, then that goes in... add this instead - drives me batty"

"That's bc you don't listen" said Haz "You have to read the WHOLE recipe first Gem... you stop at the ingredients and think 'oh, I know how to do it, what do they know'... which is why you live on take out"

"Nope... I'm not saying a word" I said and continued looking at the album

"You okay Jess?" asked Stuart "You keep biting your lip"

"Yep, just Peachy" I said "I'm trying not to get in the middle of Haz & Gem's sibling squabble"

"Ah.. okay" said Stuart "So you remember everything you read Haz?"

"Yeah.. when it comes to schoolwork, its great" said Haz "I never have homework, so I read the class text books and in a few weeks, I know the subject & breeze thru the class"

"Yeah, he's read all of my Law school text books too" said Gem "Haz knows case law better than I do"

"Dang Haz… Are you gonna be a lawyer too?" asked Brian

"I don't know" said Haz "I wanted to at first, but then Pamela says I should be a doctor bc I reset her shoulder after she fell out of the tree a few weeks ago... Jessie says I should train therapy dogs with Mary bc I'm good at it... Ni says I should go into landscape design bc I did Mary's front yard"

"That's what you were working on when I interviewed you & Niall?" said Linda

"Yeah" said Haz "It took 4 trips to the hardware store to get everything we needed back here and then 6 hours to get it all done"

"What all did you do?" asked Tom

"We planted 24 rose bushes - 22 in the yard & 2 in the arbor... 6 peonie bushes - 2 here, 2 in Mum's yard & 2 over at Maura's... 6 flats of wildflowers in those window boxes... cleaned up the flowers & bushes and laid mulch down in the beds and put up the birdbath in the front yard" said Haz "We used 5-50lb bags of garden soil, 3-20lb bags of peet moss and 16 gallons of plant food for flowers"

"Holy cow" said Damian "You did all of that in 6 hours?"

"Yep" said Haz

"And it was the most absolutely beautiful surprise ever" said Mary "That's when Haz told me he did it bc he was in love with me and I kissed him right there under the arbor"

"Our first kiss" said Haz "and now I'm getting married in 5 days" and kissed Mary's head "to my beautiful princess.. my dream at the end of the rainbow"

"I talked to Mack, Izzie, about shortening your dress" I said "Mack said, and I quote: 'If Mary wants a less formal dress, then that is what she will have... even if I have to make it' end quote"

"Oh gosh... Mack said that?" said Mary 

"Yep.. that's my Pooh bear" I said "I told you he'd do it... Mack is a hopeless romantic, that's why he went into bridal fashion... What's more romantic than a Wedding"

"Oh my God" said Louis "I know what your 'Master Plan' is"

"Oh really?" I said "Do tell?"

"You're planning Mack & Jimmy's Wedding" said Louis "The different colored dresses... the white tuxedo"

"How in the Holy Bible did you know about the white tuxedo?... I never told anyone about that!!!" I said as it hit me "OH... MY... GOD!!! LOUIS WERE YOU READING ME??"

"Kinda" said Louis "Yes... okay?.. Yes, I was reading you... Geez - blame Marcus, he told me how to do it" and crossed him arms

"Well its about damn time Louis" I said "Oops, sorry y'all… I'm trying not to swear... I kinda blew up on Simon earlier and Papa wasn't happy about it"

"You blew up?... On Simon?" said Mary "Why?"

"Because that idiotic buffoon got drunk with Jeff all daggum night.. and I mean ALL NIGHT" I said "So when they got to the airport, Simon tried to pick a fight with Mack and then Simon tried to pick a fight with Momma, while Papa was in pain, so I blew up"

"What's wrong with Niall?" asked Maura

"Mack insisted that they spend a couple of hours at the beach, bc it was so hot and Papa got a bad sunburn bc he forgot to get sunscreen" I said "I told Momma to get him some aloe vera gel from the store at the airport and she put it on Papa's back so he could get home. Mack is taking care of Papa while Momma's flying. He'll be fine Grandma"

"Poor Niall" said Maura "He doesn't handle pain well"

"Yeah I know... the whole airport knows" I said "I told him it was going to feel cold when Momma put it on and he screamed like she had poured a bucket of ice water on him.. He'll be sore for a few days till it fades, but he'll be fine, I promise. I've gotten lots of bad sunburns, its the heat stroke from getting dehydrated that'll do more damage... Mack is making sure Papa drinks lots of water and gets some rest and if Papa gets achy or has a fever & chills, Mack will give Papa 2 Ibuprofen"

"Jessie's right Maura" said Robin "Everything Jessie told them to do is correct, just relax, Niall never passed out so he didn't get heat stroke"

"Okay" said Maura

"Maybe you should be a doctor Jessie" said Gran

"I'm going into the Wedding business with Mack" I said "They're moving here and when I told Mack about Gem & Louis getting married, and how I had decided to do this as a career, he said 'Not without me you're not' and that's when he told me... We have between now and January to find a space big enough to have a showroom, stock room and a design/work room.. get it up to code for occupancy and get the inventory shipped here from Georgia"

"How big of a space does Mack have back in Georgia?" asked Louis

"He has a 15,000 sq. ft., tri-level in Savannah and a studio apartment where he does his designs & makes the dresses and suits" I said 

"I'll get my book and show you Linda" said Gem and went to get her book and came back out "Mack made Jessie's Mother's dress"

"Mack made it?" said Linda

"Yes he did" I said as Linda opened the book

"Oh... these are gorgeous dresses" said Linda "Classic lines, not too much sparkle, timeless elegance and sophistication... definitely old Hollywood of the 30s & 40s"

"You know your fashion" said Gem "wait till you see the Men's suits" and turned to the blue tab

Linda gave a low whistle "Whoa baby" said Linda "I Love this suit" and turned the page "a classic tuxedo, wing-tip shoes, I like the open collar and the laid-back style the model gives it"

"Linda, that model is Mack" I said 

"That's Mack?" said Linda in disbelief "Oh boy" and slowly closed the book "I'm going to be quiet now"

Tom chuckled "Linda... just say it" said Tom "its okay my love, get it out before you faint"

"Holy Mary Mother of God" said Linda and started fanning herself "Oh Jimmy is a lucky, lucky man"

"I know right?" I said "wait till you meet him... he saw the picture Jimmy took of Sarah & I the other night and he said she looks like a young Audrey Hepburn from 'My Fair Lady' "

"Yes!!" said Davis "Mack's right, Sarah does... I've been racking my brain trying to figure out who it was she looked like"

I looked at my phone "Oh Holy crapola its 9 o'clock, we gotta get Anne's house put back together" I said 

"Oh damn" said Louis "I've still got Gem's keys, I'll go let everyone in the back door" and hopped the fence and went thru the house to the back door "Come on in, the paint fumes are gone"

"Oh thank God" said Meghan "I was not looking forward to going back in there"

"I know, I was only in there 5 minutes and it was getting hard to breathe" I said as we all went in the house to put it back together.

Haz, Collin & Evan put all of the curtains back up, Charlie re-hooked the electronics, Damian & Davis put the beds back together as Marcus & I made them, Robin & Tom put all of the furniture back in place in the Livingroom, Anne, Mary, Maura, Gran, Linda & Gem unpacked all of the dishes and things in the kitchen and re-organized the storage pantry & laundry room and Louis, Sarah & brian gathered up the drop cloths & fans and Meghan organized and stocked the linen closet & bathroom.

"Jessie.. can you come here for a minute" said Meghan from the bathroom door

"Sure" I said and went into the bathroom "What's up?"

"Why is there 2 shower curtains?" asked Meghan "Is this an extra one?"

"No, its not an extra one... here, I'll help you put them up" I said 

"okay" said Meghan as we opened the packages of shower curtains

"Okay, the lace shower curtain goes on the outside of the vinyl shower curtain" I said as we attached the hooks to both curtains "its a fancy way of dressing up the bathroom and bringing a little style to the room" as we secured the hooks on the shower rod "There, now we tuck the vinyl curtain inside the tub and the lace one stays on the outside and now it done"

"Oh wow.. I like it" said Meghan "If I can talk Evan into redecorating the house, would you help me?"

"Sure" I said "Let me know when you want to get started"

"Thanks Jessie" said Meghan as I went back to the bedroom

"Well the beds are all done angel" said Marcus "Are you ready to go sit and relax for a while?"

"yeah" I said as went downstairs

"Where's Meghan?" asked Evan

"She's finishing up the bathroom" I said :She should be done in a few minutes"

"Oh okay" said Evan as we all went outside and sat down

"Where's Chelsea & Trudy?" I said 

"they're in bed" said Mary "They fell asleep in the yard while we were busy"

"Aw how cute" I said "Well at least they had some fun today"

"Munchkin, send me Mack's list and I'll pick it up tomorrow" said Louis "My day is free while Gem's at work and it'll give me something to do, plus I need to pick up some stuff for us too"

"Okay" I said and sent the list to Louis "There you go Lou" as Louis's phone buzzed and Meghan came outside

"The bathroom is finally done" said Meghan "We should go Evan"

"Okay turtledove" said Evan "We'll see you in the morning Jessie"

"Okay.. thanks for helping out today" I said 

"Drive safe Evan" said Mary

"Anytime" said Evan "I will Mary"

"I'll walk you out" said Liam "I'll be right back babe"

"Okay babe" said Zayn

"Have you & Liam thought any more on starting up your business here Louis?" asked Mary

"We've talked about it, but it hasn't gone very far" said Louis as Liam came back out and sat down

"Well if you're serious about it, you should put a proposal together and give it to Jimmy" I said "He's a Corporate Lawyer, so he knows all of the ins & outs of getting you licensed here and can get all of your legal paperwork done for you"

"What do you fellas do?" asked Tom

"Construction & Renovation" said Liam "Louis, Zayn & I built houses back home"


	91. Chapter 91

Chapter 91

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Mr. & Mrs. Rothsdale had their babies this morning" I said "Jordan Daniel & Stephanie Renee... they came 2 weeks early"

"Oh how wonderful" said Gran "Have you seen them yet?"

"No.. Mr. Rothsdale said he'll call when the babies & Hannah can come home for me to meet them" I said "They want me to be the babies Godmother... they gave Stephanie my middle name"

"Wow... that's a big responsibility" said Liam "that also means that if anything should happen to them, you'll be Jordan & Stephanie's legal guardian"

"Oh wow.. Okay" I said "I already told Rothsdale I'd do it"

"Yeah and we found out who the dirty cop was too" said Marcus

"Who was it?" asked Anne

"Chief Montgomery" I said "She snuck into the house this morning after Haz left to get Anne's boxes... you forgot to lock the front door Haz"

"Oh crap" said Haz "I knew I forgot something when I rushed out of the house... sorry peanut"

"That's okay Haz" I said "Chelsea & Trudy started barking so I got up. I smelled perfume, but didn't give it a second thought... then when you & Mary were over at Anne's, she came out here wanting to know where Des was"

"What did you tell her?" asked Mary

" 'Only God knows where Des is. That information is on a 'need-to-know' basis and I don't 'need-to-know'... sorry' " I said

"Holy crap" said Brian

"I had my phone in my camera bag, so I called Rothsdale and he came and arrested her" I said "so Now he's filling in as Chief till someone is appointed to the position"

"Rothsdale also said that Pamela still has the job bc Baxter needs a partner" said Marcus

"The Chief was looking for Des? Why?" asked Davis

"She's in love with him" I said "Apparently, Love makes you do stupid crap too... like throwing away your life & career for someone who never cared in the first place"

"What is she being charged with" said Gem

"Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Unlawful Trespassing & Attempted Murder" I said 

"Oh Christ" said Maura and crossed herself

"Yeah, its pretty bad" I said "Gemma, don't go there, you can't help her... Des got in her head too bad. If I hadn't gotten to my phone, she would've killed me, you, Haz, Anne and anyone else who got in her way... let it go Gem, she'll get a public defender,,, please Gemma, just let it go"

"Okay munchkin" said Gem and sighed "for you, in this instance, I'll let it go"

"Thanks Gem" I said and gave her a hug "I Love You lady law"

Gem chuckled "I Love You too munchkin" said Gem "Well, we better get going Louis, we need to unpack and make that shopping list... I'm exhausted"

"Okay honey" said Louis "bye munchkin, have fun tomorrow"

"I will.. call if you need help with any recipes" I said and gave him a hug "I Love You teddy bear"

"I Love You too munchkin" said Louis "I'll call, I promise"

"Louis, here's my set of house keys" said Anne "You keep them for me and give them to Jimmy when they get here.. If I keep them, I'll forget them"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis and hugged Anne "call me if you want help unpacking those boxes"

"I will" said Anne "Drive safe.. both of you"

"Always Anne" said Louis "Take care of her Robin"

"I will and you do the same" said Robin and hugged Gem "Be safe sweetie, come be any time and don't worry about your Mum too much"

"I will" said Gem and hugged Anne "I Love You Mum, be happy and I'll call soon"

"I will baby... I Love You too Gemma" said Anne "Drive safe"

"Always" said Gem and hugged Mary and Haz "I'll see you in a few days Mary"

"Okay Gem... be patient with Louis, he gets restless when he has nothing to do" said Mary

"I will, promise" said Gem and hugged Haz "I Love You bug"

"I Love You too Gemmie" said Haz "Its been nice having you here all week.. I'm going to miss you"

"I know, I'm going to miss you too" said Gem "If you get scared again or just want to talk, you call me... no more getting drunk, alright?"

"I will, I promise" said Haz "I wont get drunk.. ever again - I swear"

"Okay" said Gem "Text me the time for the bridal shower Jessie"

"I will.. see you then lady law" I said as they left, then ran to the fence "TEXT ME WHEN YOU GET HOME LOUIS!!" I yelled

"I WILL MUNCHKIN, PROMISE" yelled Louis as they got in their cars and drove off. I headed back to the patio and sat down.

"Relax Jessie" said Mary "Louis promised he'd text you when they get home"

"I know... I was just thinking about what Liam said" I said and covered my face "Why in the Hell did I say yes"

"Because Rothsdale trusts you angel" said Marcus "He's spent a lot of time with you & this family to know that if anything were to happen, that we all would love and take care of their children as if they were our own"

"Don't think about the 'what ifs' jellybean" said Sarah "and don't think of yourself as their Godmother, think of yourself as a big sister and let the 'Mother' part come later... watch them grow up happy & healthy and have fun with them"

My phone buzzed "They're home" I said and texted back 'thanks Lou' and then set my phone down "I need a few minutes... my brain feels like mush"

"Okay sweetie... take your time" said Mary as I headed to the picnic table and did a headstand and blocked everyone.

MARY'S POV

"Poor kid" said Robin "You need to keep an eye on her Mary, she's doing too much and not giving herself time to relax"

"She misses Pamela & Niall" said Sarah "Simon really made her angry today. Don't be surprised if when you meet Simon that he has a black eye and a busted lip bc she's gonna whip his butt when he lands"

"Simon was that bad?" asked Haz

"Oh yeah... I heard the whole thing" said Sarah "I was surprised Jessie only let 5 swear words fly tho bc she was really, really angry. You know how Jessie gets, like when she went off on Des and punched the wall?... yeah multiply that times 10.. sorry Daddy... she was pissed"

"Oh God" said Zayn "Simon's a dead man... she's going to kill him"

"Yeah well, if she does, no one on the plane is gonna stop her" said Sarah "Mack punched Simon out cold & cuffed him so they could sleep for a while. They just crossed into International Airspace and Pamela is flying as fast as she can and Niall is finally sleeping"

"I didn't think you could read that far?" said Liam

"I can if I concentrate" said Sarah "I'm focusing on Niall & Pamela bc I can hear them clearer than the others... Jimmy is a bundle of nerves - Why is he so nervous?"

"Because he's carrying Mack's engagement ring" I said 

"Ah.. that explains why I can't read him very well" said Sarah "Well, its quiet now, so there's not much to read and Pamela's in the zone"

"How long has it been Haz?" asked Liam

"20 minutes" said Haz "Jessie hasn't done this in almost 2 weeks"

"What's the longest Jessie's done this?" asked Davis

"2 hours" said Haz "It depends on how scrambled her head is as to how long she stays like that"

"Dang" said Brian "and she doesn't move?"

"Nope.. not an inch till she's done" said Haz "Usually, she has her Ipod so she must be blocking us"

"Yeah she is" said Andrew "Hmm... she's organizing her thoughts.. and now she's blocking me"

"Stay out Andrew" said Jessie

"That wasn't very nice Andrew" said Sarah "leave her be or you'll get her mad again"

"Yes ma'am" said Andrew "I was just curious as to what she does when she's like that"

"How did you dislocate your arm Brian?" asked Haz

"I was trying to ride my skateboard and lost my balance" said Brian "I grabbed the fence as I fell and it popped"

"With a cast on your foot?" said Liam

"Yeah well, I was bored and tired of sitting around, so I figured I'd trying - big mistake" said Brian "so no more skateboarding till this dumb thing comes off"

"How long will that be?" I asked

"4 weeks... just in time for school to start" said Brian "Oh hey, I heard you guys got ambushed the other night... twice"

"Wait.. What?" said Damian "By who?"

"Yeah... Jessie, Sarah & the ladies got us with perfume bombs Friday night" said Liam "Marcus got it the worst.. they hit him with 60 bombs... the rest of us got hit with only 40"

"Yep.. We got them good.. didn't we Gran?" said Sarah

"We sure did sweetie" said Gran "and it was much fun, I can't wait for Sunday"

"Jessie's done... 35 minutes" said Haz as Jessie came back "How's the brain peanut?"

Jessie smacked the back of Andrew's head "That's for being a sneaky Pete Andrew.. don't do it again" said Jessie "10 times better thanks"

"Tell the guys about Sunday Jessie" said Linda

"Ah yes... All of us are spending the entire day at the lake for an epic Men vs. Women water war" said Jessie "We have 8 massive squirt guns and 2, 400 water balloons"

"Oh dear God" said Davis "How did you get all of that?"

"I called Simon when we were planning Haz & Mary's Wedding and told him what I needed and he sent it to me priority shipping" said Jessie "Zayn & Mary are going to work the video cameras so they don't get hurt"

"So what's in a perfume bomb?" asked Stuart

"Perfume, flour, water & dish soap inside a water balloon" said Jessie

"Yeah and be careful bc Sarah got Louis in the face" said Haz "Twice"

"Yep, I sure did" said Sarah "Jessie gave me a sling shot and showed me how to use it... I didn't mean to hit Louis in the face, I sneezed and it threw my aim off.. I was aiming for his chest"

"Either way Sarah, you got him good" said Gran

"Is that what you put in your bag?" asked Brian

"Yeah that raccoon came back last night, so I want Jessie to show me what size rocks to use to get it to go away" said Sarah "I don't want to kill it, I just want to scared it a little"

"Go get it and I'll show you" said Jessie

"Okay" said Sarah and went in the house, and Jessie hopped the fence and went into the field for some rocks, then came back

"Dang Haz, what did you drink yesterday?" said Jessie "The stench over there could knock a buzzard off a gut wagon"

"A little bit of everything" said Haz "I found the stuff Pamela bought the night Mary came home"

"Oh Haz, no wonder you got sick" I said "You can't mix that stuff hon"

"All I saw Haz drinking was a beer" said Damian

"And vodka, rum, whiskey, & tequila" said Maura

"Sweet Jesus Haz" said Jessie "IF there's a next time, just... pick... one.... There's an old saying 'Beer hides the fear, liquor hits you quicker, but when you mix them together, someone's gonna die' "

"Yeah me" said Haz "bc if I get drunk again, Gemma's gonna kill me... if Mary doesn't first"

"Then there you go... lesson learned" said Jessie as Sarah came back out

"Okay, I got it" said Sarah

"Okay, I've got a few rocks & a few pebbles" said Jessie "so you can see the difference" and put them in Sarah's hand

"Oh okay.. so which do I use to scare it?" asked Sarah

"Use the pebble... it'll hurt, but it wont kill it" said Jessie "If you want to practice your aim, use an old coffee can or soda can... NEVER use this to hit someone or use it anywhere near the house... okay?"

"Okay, I wont, promise" said Sarah

"Lets use the rocks to see how your aim is, then you can try the pebbles" said Jessie

"How do I hold it? Its not like a balloon" said Sarah and handed the sling shot to Jessie

"Okay.. Hold the shot tight, set the rock, holding it in place with your thumb, index finger & middle finger" said Jessie "raise the shot... aim.. pull it back and fire" as the rock sailed thru the air and hit an acorn on the tree in the yard "See? Now you try it"

"Holy crap" said Davis "How did you make that shot?"

"Ah... ancient Chinese secret my young grasshopper" said Jessie

Marcus & Haz burst out laughing "Good one peanut" said Haz

"Okay, I think I've got it" said Sarah as everyone quieted down "hold it tight.. raise the shot.. aim.. pull back and fire" the rock sailed and hit an acorn "Yes!!… I did it!"

"Rock on girl... High-5" said Jessie and smacked their hands together "Excellent shot.. now try it with a pebble this time and remember, its smaller so the chance of hitting an acorn on the first try is a little harder"

"Okay" said Sarah "Its harder to hold the pebble"

"Okay, switch hands" said Jessie "Hold the shot in your left hand and pull back with the right"

"Oh okay" said Sarah and switched hands "Oh wow.. Yeah I can hold it better now... okay, raise the shot... aim.. pull back and fire" the pebble sailed thru the air and hit 2 acorns "HOLY MOLY.. DID YOU SEE THAT?! I HIT 2!!"

"WOOHOO!! You go Sarah... great job!" said Jessie

"Marcus... we're dead" said Haz

"Yeah no kidding... she's lethal" said Marcus

"Dang Haz" said Sarah "Looks like I get to pick your next 2 tattoos"

"Aw damn.. I forgot" said Haz "Yeah, you do Sarah... What do you want? and where should they go?" and pulled up his sleeve

"Hmm... a rose.. here" said Sarah and pointed at the area just above the elbow "and an anchor.. here" and picked a spot just above the wrist

"You got it little one" said Haz "If its okay with your Mom & Dad, you can go with me on Tuesday after work and watch me get it done"

"Can I?.. Please?" said Sarah

"Do you promise to mind the rules and stay out of the way?" said Tom

"Yes sir, I promise" said Sarah

"Then you can go" said Tom

"Yay!! Thanks Dad" said Sarah and gave Tom a hug

"You're welcome flower petal" said Tom

"What time is Sarah's lesson Haz?" I asked

"4 o'clock usually" said Haz "But bc the music festival is Saturday, Linda has scheduled the students so that they have to come to the school on Tuesday & Wednesday to do a run thru of their song so don't worry about Sarah, she can go with me on Tuesday and she's done"

"Oh okay" I said and looked at my phone. Its 11 o'clock

"What time is it Izzie?" asked Jessie

"11 o'clock" I said 

"Okay.. 15 more minutes and we need to go to bed" said Jessie

"We need to head home any way" said Tom

"Be good sweetie" said Linda "and I'll see you when I bring Brian over"

"Okay Mom" said Sarah and gave her & Tom a hug "I Love You... Drive safe Daddy"

"I will sweetie" said Tom

"See you in the morning baby girl" said Brian and hugged Sarah

"See you in the morning Bry" said Sarah

"I'll walk you out" said Zayn "I'll be back babe"

"Okay babe" said Liam "So Marcus, you taught Louis to read?"

"Yeah... we were talking over dishes after everyone left yesterday and asked me if it was hard to learn to read" said Marcus "so I showed him.. he learns fast"

"Thanks for not saying anything about me having a gun in front of Tom & Linda Marcus" said Jessie "Louis had a mental shit-fit when he found out"

"You're welcome angel" said Marcus

"Oh.. speaking of guns... Jimmy sent me a text Izzie" said Jessie "He got in touch with a safe company and is having 3 sent here next Monday... 1 the size of a file cabinet for the treasure hunt and 2 smaller ones the size of a toaster for Momma & I to keep our guns in"

"Oh thank God" I said "I know you & Pamela are careful and responsible around guns, but I'm not comfortable with them in the house.. especially now that we'll have babies running around"

"I know Izzie" said Jessie "and I promise, unless its a life or death situation, my gun will be locked in the safe at all times"

"Okay sweetie" I said and relaxed

"Where's the gun Des had?" asked Marcus

"Its in my desk locked up with mine... Why?" said Jessie

"Because you need to give it to Rothsdale" said Marcus "and let him get rid of it"

"If I give it to Rothsdale, then I'll have to tell him what happened to Des" said Jessie "Rothsdale doesn't know any of us can read or who you were or what Andrew & the guys are.... I don't want to scare him or have him freak out over it"

"Okay... we'll wait for now" said Marcus "but we need to find out how he feels about all of this and tell him"

"I will, I promise" said Jessie and rubbed her temples "God.. this is one conversation I am NOT looking forward to having with Rothsdale… I can feel a headache building up" and closed her eyes to think "okay, I'll send him a text" and pulled out her phone " Hey .. I know its late, but there's something I need to talk to you about. Could you come over Tuesday night around 8 o'clock? Jessie" and hit send "Here goes everything" as my phone buzzed "Looks like something's up bc Rothsdale is on his way and will be here in 5 minutes"

"10 bucks its got something to do with Des" said Liam "looks like you'll be having that conversation tonight princess"

"Oh God... now I really want a drink" said Jessie "I'm gonna be sick" and ran to the fence and threw up into the field

"Its alright, just relax and let it happen" said Marcus "Shh... don't cry angel, it'll only make it worse... that's it Jess, just breathe"

I went in the house and grabbed a pain killer, a bottle of water, a cool wet rag, an ice pack and a ginger ale and took them outside.

"Here Marcus, have her rinse her mouth out" I said "and here's a cool rag for her face & the back of her neck"

"Thanks Mary" said Marcus

"You're welcome" I said "Jessie, I've got a pain killer, ice pack & a ginger ale for you when this passes sweetie"

"Okay.. thanks.. Izzie" said Jessie between spasms and I went to sit back down

"Is she okay?" said Haz

"Yeah.. her stomach's empty, now she's dealing with the dry heaves" I said "It'll pass soon"

"Poor peanut" said Haz as we waited "looks like its passed" as they came back "Are you okay peanut?"

"Yeah... I swear to God, all of this fucking drama and shit is gonna goddamn kill me" said Jessie and started crying "and now my head is throbbing"

"oh sweetie" I said "here, take the pain killer and wrap the ice pack in the wet rag and hold it on your head... that's it, now close your eyes and just breathe sweetie... Zayn, Rothsdale is here, can you go let him in please"

"Sure Mom" said Zayn and went inside, then came back out with Rothsdale "go ahead and have a seat"

"Thanks... I'm sorry its so late Mary" said Rothsdale "Baxter called me while he was interviewing Ms. Montgomery, so I needs to talk to Jessie"

"That's alright... go ahead" I said 

"Yes, Des was here yesterday... No, I didn't kill him, but he is dead" said Jessie "Divine Retribution happened to Des" and Jessie opened her eyes "You're not surprised... are you?"

"No... Hannah does that too" said Rothsdale "but I am disappointed that you didn't tell me tho"

"I have something to give you... I'll be right back" said Jessie and went inside

"Is Jessie okay? She doesn't look so good" said Rothsdale

"Jessie doesn't handle drama, stress & secrets very well" said Marcus "Eventually, it builds up and makes her sick" as Jessie came back out and tossed a small paper bag at Rothsdale

"What's this?" asked Rothsdale

"Its Des's gun... the gun, clip & bullets are all in there... unloaded" said Jessie and sat down

"How did you get it away from him?" asked Rothsdale

"I'll show you, but you have to promise me you wont flip out" said Jessie

"I promise, I wont flip out" said Rothsdale

"Okay" said Jessie as several dog toys flew into her hands

"Don't do that Sarah... its unnerving" said Andrew

"Um... that wasn't me Andrew" said Sarah "I swear to God"

"THAT is how I got the gun away from Des" said Jessie

"Holy shit" said Damian & Marcus

"Boss... Jessie's eyes... they're purple" said Damian

"Concentration & focus" said Jessie as she closed her eyes, shuddered, and then reopened then slowly... they were blue again "What else do you want to know?"

"Something you said earlier, before I got here, hasn't been sitting right" said Rothsdale

"What's that?" asked Jessie

"You told Montgomery you were a damn good shooter and that she had better think before she made a decision that could end her life" said Rothsdale

"Yes, I said that... she had a Glock pointed at my head" said Jessie "So, I pulled my gun on her... if she was going to kill me, I sure as Hell was gonna take that crazy bitch with me... Catherine didn't raise me to be a chicken-shit coward" and crossed herself "Sorry Mom... sorry Izzie"

"That's okay... just tone it down sweetie" I said 

"Yes ma'am" said Jessie

"Jessie is better than damn good" said Haz and pulled out his wallet and took out some folded papers and a picture and handed them to Rothsdale "Unfold the paper"

"Harry Edward Styles, I told you to burn those" said Jessie

"Yes, you did" said Haz "Catherine told me not to... so I put them in my wallet"

"Catherine told you?" said Damian as Rothsdale unfolded the papers

"Yeah.. I was about to burn the papers and it was like someone was whispering in my ear" said Haz "saying I needed to keep them safe from Jessie, so I put them in my wallet"

He looked at the paper and then the picture, then looked at Jessie "How old were you?" asked Rothsdale

"I was 8.. it was my first hunting trip with Grandpa" said Jessie "I got a 16-point buck from 250 yards, right between the eyes"

"Jesus, Mary & Joseph" said Davis "May I see the photo?" as Rothsdale handed it to him "What did you use?"

"A modified sniper rifle" said Jessie "one shot from a tree, 8 feet up"

"What was used on these targets?" asked Rothsdale 

"The first one was a sniper rifle atg half a mile... the 2nd one was a pump-action shot gun and the last one was the Barretta I have upstairs" said Jessie

"Sweet Jesus... Who taught you how to shoot?" asked Davis

"I did" said Jessie I used Grandpa's shot gun all the time... Bobby Brooks & I would take shot gun shells and pack them with rock salt and shoot rats in Old Man Rogers barn in the summer time and when the crows & rats got out of hand at the cemetary, we'd take our beebee guns and pick them off"

"Jessie's really good with a sling shot too" said Sarah

"She is?" said Rothsdale

"Yep... show him jellybean" said Sarah and handed the shot to Jessie

"Okay petal, hand me all of the pebbles" said Jessie as Sarah put them in her hand "We'll get more in the morning"

"Okay" said Sarah "There's only 5 left"

"That's fine petal" said Jessie and fired each pebble and hit an acorn every time "5 pebbles, 5 acorn targets" and sat back down "How are the babies?"

"They're doing great.. they're breathing on their own now" said Rothsdale "The doctors say if they continue to improve, they could come home by Friday"

"That's great" said Gran "How much did they weigh?"

"Stephanie was 6 pounds even and Jordan was 6 pounds 7 ounces" said Rothsdale "Which is great for twins, but they came 2 weeks early and the doctors were worried their lungs weren't fully developed, so they've been on respirators since just after 2am and as of an hour ago, started breathing on their own"

"How is Hannah?" I asked

"She's tired... she's been worried & praying all day" said Rothsdale "She says she's not going to sleep till she gets to hold them... I keep telling her I'll wake her up, but she refuses to relax & rest"

"Has she seen them?" asked Anne

"Yeah, we got to see them for a couple of hours, but seeing them hooked up to tubes and IV's was too hard for Hannah, so we went back to her room" said Rothsdale "That's when she refused to go to sleep"

"That's normal" I said "Its hard to relax or rest when your children aren't well.. just be patient with Hannah, you'll both be holding your babies soon"

"I'm afraid I'll drop them or break something.. they're so tiny" said Rothsdale

"All Father's think that" said Zayn "but once those babies are in your arms.. there's nothing like it.. you'll see"

"How are Niall & Pamela's Wedding plans going?" asked Rothsdale

"Its all set, we're just trying to find the right dress" said Jessie "Momma & Papa are bringing Mary's dress with them and it'll be ready by Friday"

"I'm sure Pamela will find her dress" said Rothsdale "It took Hannah 3 months to find her dress bc the one she had was ruined and had to find another one"

"That's what happened to Momma's dress too" said Jessie "We took it to a bridal shop to be cleaned and the stuff they use was mislabeled and dyed her dress and 3 others blue"

"Sounds like the same place. I don't know how they stay in business bc from what I've heard from Hannah's friends, I guess they ruin a lot of dresses there" said Rothsdale "Hannah ended up going to New York and found her dress"

"Holy crap" said Jessie "That settles it then, Mack & I are opening a bridal shop as soon as we find a space big enough"

"Good for you" said Rothsdale "What about school?"

"I was home-schooled, so I've already completed middle school, so I'll test out and then when I'm 18, I'll take some business courses and what not"

"Sounds like a good plan" said Rothsdale "I noticed a set of French doors when I came in.. Did you do some remodeling Mary?"

"That's Liam & Zayn's nursery" I said "Would you like to see it?"

"I'd love to" said Rothsdale "Congratulations"

"Thanks" said Liam & Zayn as we went inside "It was a gift from Mom, Pamela & Jessie.. Louis, Gemma & Marcus painted it and everyone else decorated it" as Zayn opened the doors and turned on the lights

"Oh wow... We have the same crib" said Rothsdale "This is incredible... 3 swings?... You're expecting triplets?"

"Yeah.. According to Jessie & Jimmy, they're all girls" said Zayn "Mary's pregnant too"

"Holy wow" said Rothsdale "Congratulations Mary... How many?"

"Just one" I said "Thanks.. we're hoping for a girl"

"4 babies... you're going to need a bigger house" said Rothsdale

"I'm working on that" said Jessie "Momma & Papa are talking it over"

Rothsdale's phone rang "Its Hannah.... Honey? What's wrong?... Wow, really?... Okay, I'm on my way... Always... I Love You too" and hung up "They're bringing the babies to Hannah's room - I gotta go" said Rothsdale

"Go and drive safe" said Jessie "Hold your babies and just breathe, you'll be great"

Rothsdale ran out to the patio and came back "I almost forgot this... Thanks for all of the advice and again, Congratulations"

"You're welcome" I said "Now go, Hannah's waiting and your babies need to meet their Daddy"

"I'm going... I'll call you Jessie... promise" said Rothsdale as he ran out the door

"We had better go too Annie" said Robin "We still need to unpack the rest of your clothes"

"Okay... I Love You my sweet baby boy" said Anne and hugged Haz

"I Love You too Mum" said Haz "be happy and we'll see you soon and don't worry, I'll lock up the house"

"Okay... Thank you all for helping with the house today" said Anne

"We were happy to help Anne" said Andrew "If you need us for anything, just call.. we'll be listening"

"I will" said Anne and hugged Jessie "and you need to slow down sweetie, no more making yourself sick, you hear me?"

"Yes ma'am... I'll try, promise" said Jessie "I'll text you ther time for the bridal shower" and whispered something in Anne's ear

"Okay sweetie" said Anne

"What time are we leaving tomorrow Jessie?" asked Gran 

"10am... We need to be back here by 6 to pick everyone up at the airport" said Jessie "Linda is bringing Brian over at 9am"

"Okay sweetie, I'll be here at 9 too" said Gran "I wish we could have gotten here sooner"

"That's okay, you & Grandma had things to do" said Jessie "besides tomorrow will be more relaxing once Momma & Papa are home"

"Yes it will" said Gran "get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning"

"Okay Gran" said Jessie and hugged her & Maura "Goodnight Grandma"

"Goodnight sweetie" said Maura

"We're going to go Jess" said Damian "Mary, is it okay if we come back tomorrow?... We'd like to see Niall & Pamela"

"Of course you can.. You're family" I said "You're all welcome here any time"

"Thank you Mary" said Stuart "Get some rest... you & Zayn look exhausted"

"We will" I said as they disappeared "Okay ladies & gentlemen, its time for bed... Sarah, you can sleep in Pamela's room tonight and we'll pick up an air mattress on our way home from our appointment tomorrow.. okay?"

"Okay.. Thanks Izzie" said Sarah

"You're welcome petal" I said 

"Come on Sarah, angel" said Marcus "I'll carry your bag Sarah"

"Thanks Marcus" said Sarah as they went upstairs

"I'll be right back princess, I need to go lock up the house and turn the yard lights off" said Haz

"Okay Haz, I'll lock up down here and wait for you" I said as he went out the back door. I locked the door and checked on the girls, who were still sleeping, while I waited for Haz "my pretty babies" I whispered as Haz came thru the door and locked it

"All done princess.. lets go to bed" said Haz

"What a day" I said as we went upstairs "Jessie was right, all of this drama is going to kill us"

"Hopefully, the drama will stop soon" said Haz "Or at least eases up so it doesn't stress us all out"

"From your lips to God's ears" I said as I got in bed "I can't wait to see the pictures Jessie took... especially the ones of us in the woods"

"I like the one she took of us on the porch" said Haz "and the ones of us with the girls"

"Yeah... How did your photo shoot go?" I asked

"It went great... Jessie got some really great ones of Mum & Robin... they look so happy" said Haz "I told Robin, when he's ready to propose, he doesn't need to ask me for permission.. I gave him my blessing"

"Oh Haz… that's the best gift you could ever give them" I said "Did you see how excited Anne was? I haven't seen her this happy since I moved here"

"I didn't know you knew Mum" said Haz 

"I didn't really... I'd say hello when I'd see her, but we never really talked" I said "She always looked sad or tired.. but she always had a smile on her face when you and Gemma were around"

"It was nice to have Gemma around all week" said Haz "I forgot how much I missed having her here"

"I know... I feel the same way about Louis" I said and yawned

"Get some sleep princess" said Haz and yawned "We have a big day tomorrow... we get to see our daughter" and rubbed my belly "our little Samantha Anne"

"I Love You Hazzabear" I said softly

"I Love You too princess" said Haz as we fell asleep

ZAYN'S POV

"I can't believe Jessie did that for us" I said 

"I know.. I can't believe Haz didn't tell anyone either" said Li "How are you feeling babe?"

"Tired, but good... what a day" I said as we got in bed "How are you feeling?"

"I'm worried about Jessie... the way she got sick isn't normal and Jessie doesn't cry like that over a headache either" said Li

"Its just stress Li" I said "You can tell Pamela tomorrow and let her & Ni handle it. It could be just as Marcus & Sarah said - Jessie doesn't handle drama, stress & secrets well and on top of that, she misses Ni & Pamela so try not to worry too much babe"

"Okay babe, I'll try" said Li "get some sleep Z, we have another busy day tomorrow"

"It'll be nice to get out and have some fun" I said "maybe do some shopping" Li rubbed my belly and I felt a flutter "Li.. did you feel that?"

"Yeah.. our babies moved" said Li and rubbed my belly again, there was another flutter "wow they're really moving in there... does it hurt?"

"No, it doesn't hurt" I said "they're happy and safe and they like you rubbing my belly" I giggled "okay, that's enough Li or I'll never get to sleep"

"Okay babe" chuckled Li "I Love You Zayn, so much"

"I Love You too Li, so much" I said as we drifted off to sleep

MARCUS'S POV

"Are you okay angel?" I asked "you look really pale"

"Yeah, I'm okay... I'm just really tired and my head still hurts" said Jessie "I just need some sleep.. for like a week... maybe a month"

I chuckled "Okay angel... come to bed and I'll massage your head for a bit" I said

"Oh, now that sounds like Heaven" said Jessie and got in bed, laying on her stomach as I massaged her head "Marcus?"

"Yeah, I know angel.. me too" I said "but we can't - that's the rule"

"There are other ways.. without breaking the rule" said Jessie as she turned her head and looked at me

"Are you sure, you're ready for that?" I asked, unsure

"Yeah, I'm sure" said Jessie softly and roled on her side facing me "we'll just be.. easing a bit of tension... remember?"

"Ah.. I remember" I whispered and rested my hand on her hip "we need to be quiet and block Liam & Sarah"

"I know" whispered Jessie

A SHORT TIME LATER...

"Feel better?" whispered Jessie

"Mhm.. You?" I whispered and kissed her gently

"So much better" whispered Jessie and yawned "I Love You darlin"

"I Love You too angel" I whispered and kissed her again gently "get some sleep now" and we drifted off to sleep


	92. Chapter 92

Chapter 92

MARCUS'S POV

IN THE MORNING...

I woke up to Jessie's alarm going off and checked the time.. it said 8am.

"Angel... its 8 o'clock, time to get up" I said

Jessie groaned "Okay... I'm up" and sat up, only to fall back into her pillow and started crying "oh God my back hurts... what the Hell" and rolled over

"Where does it hurt angel?" I said a little concerned

"All over.. like I got hit with a broomstick" cried Jessie "Can you go get Liam please"

"Okay angel" I said , going to Liam & Zayn's room and knocked on the door. Zayn answered "hey Zayn, sorry to wake you, but is Liam up?"

"That's okay.. yeah he's up, come in" said Zayn

"Liam, Jessie needs you... she's crying and says her back hurts all over" I said "She can't get up"

"See Zayn? I told you something was wrong with Jessie" said Liam and ran to our room "I'm here princess"

"It hurts to sit up" cried Jessie "and my head hurts again.. its worse this time"

"Shh, its okay" said Liam and put his lips on Jessie's forehead "Oh princess, you're burning up... Zayn, go get Mom"

"Okay Li" said Zayn and went to Mary's room "Mom? Jessie's sick... Liam says she's burning up"

"Oh gosh... I'll be right there Zayn" said Mary

"Mom's coming Li" said Zayn.. Jessie was sobbing now

"Oh God it hurts" cried Jessie

"Shh.. I know baby, I know" said Liam as Mary came in

"I'm here sweetie" said Mary "let me take your temperature Jessie... hold still for a minute" and put a digital thermometer in her ear

"She's really hot Mom" said Liam "She said her back hurts all over and her head hurts worse than it did last night as the thermometer beeped

"104" said Mary "Okay.. Zayn run a bath on the cool side of warm"

"Okay Mom" said Zayn and went to the bathroom

"Okay sweetie... I know it hurts, but you need to sit up so I can put your robe on" said Mary

"I can't" cried Jessie "It hurts to move"

"Come on angel, Liam & I will help you up" I said as we gently sat Jessie up "Okay angel, now hold yourself upright"

"I'll-" cried Jessie and passed out

"Whoa Marcus, catch her" said Liam as Jessie slumped into my arms

"I've got her" I said 

"Marcus carry Jessie into the bathroom, leave her clothes on her and put her in the tub" said Mary "We need to lower her temperature till she wakes up"

"Yes ma'am" I said and picked Jessie up and went to the bathroom "Jessie said her head still hurt when we went to bed, but she was fine"

"I know Marcus, Anne went thru this same thing last month. Its all of the stress from Des & keeping secrets that has made Jessie sick" said Mary "When you add to the fact that she's doing too much and not getting enough rest, this was bound to happen sooner or later"

"Is Jessie alright Mary?" said Haz

"She will be Haz… Can you call Linda and tell her Jessie's sick and that, for now, the day trip is cancelled please" said Mary

"Sure princess" said Haz and pulled out his phone "Hey Linda... Jessie woke up sick... no, Sarah's fine, Jessie isn't contagious... I will and tell Brian we'll let him know when the day trip has been rescheduled... Okay, I'll see you later... bye" and hung up "Do you want me to use Jessie's phone and call Evan?"

"Yes please and tell him we'll still need him to pick Ni & the others up at the airport" said Mary

"Okay... Where's Jessie's phone?" asked Haz

"On the table next to the bed" I said

"Okay" said Haz and went to Jessie & I's room

"Can you get Jessie a pair of pajama pants and a long-sleeve t-shirt... I'll keep and eye on her" said Mary

"Okay" I said and went to our room as Haz was finishing his phone call

"I will... okay, we'll see you later Evan... bye" said Haz and hung up "Evan knows and he'll tell Charlie & Meghan"

"Okay" I said and got Jessie's clothes from the dresser

"Are you okay Marcus?" asked Haz

"I don't know.. I need to talk to Louis" I said and went to the bathroom "Here's her clothes Mary... I'm sorry, can you have Liam help you with Jessie? I need to be alone"

"Sure.. Are you alright?" asked Mary

"No" I said and left the bathroom

HARRY'S POV

I went into the bathroom "What's wrong with Marcus?" asked Mary

"I don't know.. all he said when I asked him, was that he needs to talk to Louis" I said

"Go ahead and call Louis" said Mary "and have Liam come in please.. Jessie's starting to wake up"

"Okay" I said and went to Liam's room "Liam, Mary needs your help with Jessie.. she's starting to wake up"

"Okay Haz" said Liam and went to the bathroom as I called Louis

"Hey Lou... Can you come over?... Jessie's sick and Marcus isn't handling it very well... I don't know all he said was that he needed to talk to you... okay, thanks Lou" I said and hung up as I walked to the bathroom door "Lou's on his way Mary"

"Okay, thanks Haz" said Mary

"I'm going to go feed the girls... call me if you need me" I said

"We will" said Liam

I went downstairs.. the back door was open so I looked outside and saw Marcus & the girls, so I fixed their food and took it out to the patio.

"Chelsea.. Trudy, time for breakfast" I said as they dropped their toys and came running "good girls.. eat it all up and then you can go play" and went in the house and started the coffee & the water for tea, washed the container that had the dog's food in it and started making breakfast as Mary, Zayn & Liam came down the stairs. Liam was carrying Jessie and laid her on the couch.

"How's Jessie?" I asked

"She was awake long enough to take some Ibuprofen before she passed out again" said Mary "Is Marcus outside?"

"Yeah, he's sitting at the picnic table" I said "Louis will be here soon"

Jessie started talking in her sleep "No.. I can't.. Marcus needs me"

"Andrew... What's going on?" said Mary

"Mary? What's wrong?" asked Andrew

"Jessie's sick and talking in her sleep" said Mary "something about 'Marcus needs her' and not wanting to do something... can you read her and just make sure she's dreaming?"

"Sure" said Andrew and closed his eyes "Yeah, she's having a bad dream... one she's had before - Damn, I have to go" and disappeared as Louis busted thru the front door

"What in the Hell is going on? Heaven hasn't shut up for the past 3 hours" said Louis

""What are you talking about Lou?" said Liam "I haven't heard anything"

"Take the corn cob out of your ears Li" said Louis "I can't make out what they're saying, but they're pissed off for some reason... listen" as Liam closed his eyes

"Holy cow.. they're pissed off alright and its got something to do with Jessie" said Liam and opened his eyes

"Where's Marcus?" asked Louis

"He's out at the picnic table" I said

"Stay with Jessie" said Louis and ran out the back door.

LOUIS'S POV

"Marcus.. What in the Hell is going on?" I said 

"I'm being punished" said Marcus as tears ran down his face "HE is trying to take Jessie from me bc of what we did. It doesn't matter that we Love each other and that I want to marry her"

"You didn't break the rule.. did you?" I asked

"No, we didn't have sex" said Marcus quietly "We.. um... we helped each other... um... ease some tension?"

"Is that all?" I asked

"Yes, I swear, that's all we did" said Marcus "but all HE sees is that I touched a child"

"Well that explains everything" I said and sat down "They're not pissed off at you Marcus, they're pissed off with HIM"

"Louis, I can't loose her again.. please don't let HIM take her from me" said Marcus "I'll move out if I have to, just, please don't let him take her from this family"

"Go talk to Jessie, get that ring you gave her and put it on her right hand ring finger" I said "I don't need to know what you say, just say what you feel, make a promise you can keep and seal that promise with a kiss on that ring... Now go, we'll do the praying"

"Okay" said Marcus and ran in the house

"I don't know what kind of shit you're trying to pull God, but you need to stop" I said "Jessie & Marcus are soulmate and what they did was between them... two people in Love. When Marcus looks at Jessie, he doesn't see the 10 year old child, he see the woman you took from him 10 years ago. Jessie & Marcus are a part of this family and WE will handle this situation AS A FAMILY... SO BACK OFF!!" and went in the house

"I take it Marcus told you what was wrong?" asked Mom "What is it?"

"Yes he did" I said "That's between Marcus & Jessie Mom, all you need to know is that God is trying to take Jessie, that's why Heaven is pissed off. We need to do some serious praying... now"

"Join hands" said Mom "Heavenly Father... What you're trying to do is wrong. What was the point of allowing Marcus to be human again, if this is what you planned to do all along? Marcus & Jessie are human, and as such, they're going to make mistakes. You gave us free will - to make our own choices, to make mistakes and to learn from them. You can't interfere in how Marcus & Jessie decide they want to live their lives... You took my Grace.. don't take my Jessie too... In Jesus name, Amen"

"Amen" we said in response

"Jessie... Do you remember when I gave you this ring? I told you I would spend eternity loving you, as long as you're happy, I'm happy. You are my light in the dark, you are my day & my night, my moon & stars and its bc of you that I'm alive again" said Marcus "With this ring, I promise to make you smile and not be the reason you cry. I promise to make lots of babies with you and I promise as long as we're together, you'll never be alone. To the moon and back and around again, and for the rest of forever, I Love You Jessica Renee Foster-Aimsworth-Horan, my angel in Spanish lace" and kissed Jessie's ring.

"You put that on the wrong finger my love" said Jessie weakly and smiled

"Hey.. there's my beautiful Angel" said Marcus "I'll put this on the correct finger when I have Niall & Pamela's permission to make it official, I promise... How are you feeling?"

"Like a got hit by a truck" said Jessie "What's wrong Izzie?"

"I'm just worried about you sweetie" said Mom

"I'm fine Izzie" said Jessie "um.. did someone burn eggs?"

"Oh shit" said Haz and ran to the kitchen "Damn it... sorry guys... looks like it cold pizza for breakfast.. that was the last of the eggs"

"Oh yummy" said Jessie "I'll take a slice and one of Louis's famous iced coffee.. please my love"

"Absolutely" said Marcus 

"Hey munchkin" I said and sat on the floor next to the couch "What's the big idea getting sick, huh? Are you trying to give me gray hair?"

Jessie chuckled "Oh you know me Lou, go big or go home" said Jessie "besides, men who have a little gray in their hair are sexy... ask Gemma"

"Oh really" I chuckled "I'll have to remember that... Can I talk with Jessie & Marcus privately guys?"

"Sure sweetie" said Mom "Come on men, lets go upstairs and get dressed while they talk"

"Okay Mom" said Liam & Zayn

"Okay princess" said Haz 

Marcus sat down as everyone went upstairs.

"What do you want to talk about Louis?" asked Jessie

"Marcus told me about what you two did last night. hey, hey, calm down munchkin and just listen" I said calmly as Jessie looked at me "I'm not your parents, and I'm not going to give you a lecture. What you & Marcus do in private is your business and no one else's... not even God's... but you know this is why you got so sick, right?"

"Wait.. What? God did this?" said Jessie "The dream too?"

"Yep, afraid so munchkin" I said 

"So I got sick bc God is a fucking prude?" said Jessie as tears ran down her cheeks "This is just fucking great... Hey God, why don't you ask St. Peter for a blowjob and leave me the fuck alone, you asshole"

"Hey, calm down munchkin.. you have every right to be upset, but you don't have the right to be vulgar... physically you're still a kid so be civil" I said "The only reason you're still here is bc Andrew & the boys refused God's order to take you upstairs and the rest of us gave God something to think about"

"So what? I'm living on borrowed time?" said Jessie

"No" said Andrew "God rescinded the order.. you're staying right here. He heard what Louis, Mary, Marcus & you said and decided Louis was right, this is a family situation and he promises to stay out of you & Marcus's business. Truth be told, God doesn't like being yelled at by you Jessie, but he is learning, so be patient with him"

"Yeah... I'll have to think about that last part" said Jessie "bc of his little stunt, my day trip to London is shot to Hell in a hand basket and can't happen till next week... that man could fuck up a wet dream 5 ways to Sunday and 10 on Tuesday"

"Then take the day off munchkin" I said "get caught up on your sleep, watch a movie, whatever you want as long as you stay on this couch.. understood?"

"Yes sir" said Jessie "but I need a favor first"

"Sure munchkin, whatcha need?" I said 

"I need the roles of film from yesterday dropped off at the 1-hour photo lab inside the pharmacy" said Jessie "I can have Haz pick them up after work"


	93. Chapter 93

Chapter 93

LOUIS'S POV (Continued)

"Where are they angel?" asked Marcus

"In my camera bags, but I can't remember which one, so bring me both of them please" said Jessie

"Okay, be right back" said Marcus and went upstairs, then came back with the bags "here you go sweetie"

"Thanks" said Jessie and slowly sat up "Ow.. damn, okay, I'm up" and looked thru her bags "There's 6 rolls of 35mm, 36 exposure film - 4 color and 2 black & white and an SD card with a few photos on it... I need 5x7s in a matte finish, single prints of everything... I can get extra copies after everyone has picked out which ones y'all want"

"Okay... single prints, 5x7's in a matte finish, 6 rolls of 35mm-36 exposures - 4 color and 2 black & white and 1 SD card of everything" I said 

"That's it" said Jessie "and put all in my name & phone number"

"You got it munchkin" I said and stood up "Now get some rest" and went to the stairs "MOM! WE'RE DONE TALKING.. I'M HEADING OUT"

"oh okay" said Mom as she came down the stairs "I forgot to ask you last night if you were planning on being here when Ni & Pamela come home tonight"

"Yeah, we'll head over after dinner, around 7:30" I said 

"Okay sweetie, we'll see you then" said Mom "Have a good day and drive safe"

"I will" I said "I mean it munchkin, don't get off that couch unless its to go to the bathroom.. get some rest"

"Yes sir" said Jessie and gave a military salute

"If you need to talk Marcus, use Jessie's phone and call me" I said 

"I will.. Thanks for listening Louis" said Marcus

"You're welcome Marcus" I said and left the house

MARY'S POV

"How are you feeling sweetie?" I asked

"My back still hurts, but its okay if I don't move" said Jessie "My head feels better, but now I'm cold"

"Okay, lets do another temperature check" I said and put the thermometer in her ear and checked her forehead "It feels like you fever has come down, but you're still warm sweetie... okay, lets see" as the thermometer beeped "Yep, it has, its only 100F now, that means the Ibuprofen I gave you is working"

"Why am I so cold if the fever has gone down?" asked Jessie

"Because we had to give you a cool bath when you passed out" I said "Once your fever breaks, you'll start to warm up sweetie"

"Oh okay" said Jessie "I'm sorry Grandpa, we'll go to London next week.. I promise"

"Don't worry about that princess" said Zayn "We have a whole month to go before school starts so Meghan, Charlie, Sarah & Brian can come with us. You just get better"

"Okay Grandpa" said Jessie

"I'll go wake up Sarah" said Liam and went upstairs

LIAM'S POV

I knocked on the door as I entered the room. Sarah was sitting in bed, her face streaked with tears.

"Hey.. What's wrong Sarah?" I asked

"Is.. Is Jessie okay?" asked Sarah as fresh tears ran down her face

"Oh honey.. come here" I said as Sarah crawled into my arms and cried "Shh, its alright.. Jessie's fine honey, she's awake downstairs on the couch. Come on sweetie, you'll feel better when you see her"

"Okay" cried Sarah as I carried her downstairs to the couch

"What's wrong petal?" asked Mom

"She was scared that Jessie wasn't okay" I said 

"Aw come here petal" said Jessie and held out her arms as I set Sarah down "Its alright Sarah, you wont hurt me" as Sarah ran into Jessie's arms

"I thought you got snarked" cried Sarah

"Shh, I'm okay petal, I'm not going anywhere, I promise" said Jessie and rubbed her back "You & I are going to grow old & gray together. Now, let me see that beautiful face" Sarah looked at Jessie as Jessie wiped her face with her sleeves "that's better... See? I'm fine.. my fever is going down and we can spend the whole day watching movies and eat cold pizza & Ice cream. How does that sound?"

"Can we watch Disney movies?" asked Sarah

"Sure we can.. we can watch whatever you want" said Jessie

"I'm going to go get some groceries Mom" said Zayn "Is therte anything you want me to get for dinner?"

"Ooo burgers" said Mom "get the stuff for garbage brugers"

"Make a list Grandpa and I'll make potato salad" said Jessie "I can sit at the table and chop the vegetables and Marcus can boil the potatoes & eggs"

"Okay, but you better take a nap princess" said Zayn

"I will, I promise" said Jessie

Zayn got a piece of paper & a pen "Okay, I know what we need for the garbage burgers" said Zayn "What do you need for your potato salad?"

"How many are going to be here for dinner?" asked Jessie

"Oh gosh" said Mom "Us, that's 7... 7 at the airport... Andrew & the boys, that's 5.... Oh Hell - figure 30"

"Damn Mom" I said 

""We have a big family now Liam, you may as well get used to it" said Mom "bc once the babies get here and everyone starts having babies, its going to get even bigger"

"Oh gosh.. I didn't think about that" I said "Go ahead Jessie"

"Okay, an army" said Jessie "I need 3 jars of mayo as big as you can get.... a bottle of mustard... 6 dozen eggs - 3 for the salad and 3 for us... 5-5lbs. bags of baby red potatoes... 3 bunches of green onions... and 3 jars of sweet pickles. For your garbage burgers, you're gonna need 30lbs. of burger... 6 huge tomatoes... 1 Vidalia onion... 3 heads of lettuce... slice cheese and lots of burger guns"

"And if there's only 19 for dinner, we're going to be eating potato salad for a week" I said 

"Better safe than sorry Grandpa" said Jessie "Thank God we have 2 stoves" and started to get up off the couch

"Where do you think you're going?" I said "You were told not to get off the couch"

"I'm going to go get my purse" said Jessie "I already promised to take a nap and if I don't try and walk, I'm gonna need a wheelchair and you'll need crutches bc I'll run you over. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get my purse"

"Yes ma'am" I said and moved out of the way as Jessie made her way upstairs slowly

Sarah giggled "I guess she told you, didn't she" said Sarah "Jessie is very independent & stubborn and absolutely HATES being treated like an invalid, so you might as well let her do as she wants"

Jessie came back to the stairs, sat on the top step and took several deep breaths.

"Okay... when I get back to the couch... I'm going to lay down" panted Jessie "Holy shit this hurts" and came down the stairs and then collapsed onto the couch "Oh God... put a wheelchair on that list too.... someone just shoot me now and God can go fuck himself for doing this to me" and got some money out of her purse "Use this first and don't use your card unless you have to, okay?"

"Okay princess" said Zayn

"Where does your back hurt most angel?" asked Marcus

"From the middle of my back down to my tailbone" said Jessie "It feels like I got whacked in the kidneys"

"I'll go get you a heating pad sweetie" said Mom and went to the storage pantry and came back with the heating pad and plugged it in "I'll turn it on HIGH HEAT to warm it up and click it down to LOW HEAT" and laid it across Jessie's back "It will help relax your back muscles

"Ahh.. oh that feels better" said Jessie and closed her eyes.. soon she was sleeping

"Shh, lets let her sleep for a while" whispered Mom "Lets go have some tea & coffee and see what we can fix for breakfast" and went to the food pantry "We have cereal and instant oatmeal... Which would you like Sarah?"

"Oatmeal please" said Sarah

"Okay.. lets see.. we have apples & cinnamon, strawberries & cream, mixed berries and banana nut" said Mom

"Mixed berries please" said Sarah

"Mixed berries coming right up" said Mom as she took the packets, added water and put it in the microwave

"I didn't know we had that" said Haz "We always have eggs"

"Jessie bought it last week when she bought the stuff for the pizzas" said Mom "She said she would sometimes have it for dinner when David was out getting drunk. She hasn't touched it since she bought it. I think it makes her feel better knowing that its there"

"Ah okay" said Haz "Is she going to be alright?"

"She'll be fine Haz" said Mom "She needs rest and for Ni & Pamela to get home. You just watch, once they're home, she'll be her old bubbly, bouncy self again and her sore back will be forgotten" the microwave dinged and Mom took the bowl out, added a little butter and stirred it up "Here you go petal"

"Thanks Izzie" said Sarah and took a bite "Wow, this is good, it tastes like a fruit pie"

"Zayn, put 4-5lbs, bags of apples on the list with 3 tubs of vanilla ice cream" said Mom "I feel like making apple cobbler for desert tonight... Would you like to help me Sarah?"

"Oh yes please, I love to help bake" said Sarah " I forgot to ask, how did you like the double chocolate chip cookies we made a couple of weeks ago?"

"They were incredible" said Haz "They were worth getting kicked out of the kitchen. I can't wait to try Jessie's double chocolate coffee cookies that her Grandma used to make"

"What kind of apples Mom?" asked Zayn

"Any kind of tart & sweete baking apples sweetie" said Mom "Back home, I would use MacIntosh, Jonagold, & Granny Smith apples. If they have them, get 1 bag of Macintosh, 1 bag of Granny Shith and 2 bags of the Jonagold. If not, then get whatever you can find"

"That's a lot of apples Mom" said Liam "Are you sure you need that much?"

"I'll use what I need and the rest we can snack on sweetie" said Mom

"Oh okay Mom" said Liam

"I wrote them down Mom, so we'll look for them" said Zayn "and we'll take Jessie's car and put gas in it on our way home"

"Okay sweetie... Did you take your vitamin?" asked Mom

"Damn, I forgot.. I'll take it now" said Zayn and got the bottle out of the cupboard "Thanks for the reminder Mom" and took his vitamin

"You're welcome sweetie" said Mom "We'll be at our appointment when you get back, so have fun and drive safe please"

"You too Mom" I said as we headed for the door "Oh.. Hi Beth, Mom & Haz are in the kitchen. We need some things at the store.. We'll be back soon"

"Hi Liam" said Gran "Oh Okay" and went into the kitchen

MARY'S POV

"Oh Beth.. I'm so sorry, we forgot to call you" I said "Jessie woke up sick this morning"

"Is she okay?" asked Gran

"She's fine.. She just hasn't been getting enough sleep and has been doing too much" I said "It finally hit her this morning with a fever & aches. She just fell asleep"

"The poor darlin" said Gran "I'll stay and help Marcus take care of her & Sarah while you're at the doctor's office dear"

"Thanks Beth, that would be great" I said "Liam said the appointment takes about an hour, so we should be back around 11:30. We need to pick up an air mattress for Sarah while she's here"

"Take your time Mary, we'll be fine" said Gran "Why don't you & Haz go to the baby store and start making your wish list so when the kids move next door, you can start setting up your nursery"

"We're doing that on Wednesday" said Jessie sleepily "We're also getting Izzie's maternity clothes... Hey Gran"

"Hey sweetie.. How are you feeling?" asked Gran

"I feel hot again, but my arms are ice cold" said Jessie

I went over to Jessie and felt her head "Oh baby, you're burning up again" I said "You need to go to the hospital Jessie"

I'll stay here Mary and wait for Liam & Zayn" said Gran "Call if they admit her"

"Sarah, run upstairs and get dressed, we're leaving in 3 minutes" I said

"Yes ma'am" said Sarah and ran upstairs

"Thanks Beth.. Haz, pull my car up, I need to go to Jessie's room" I said "I'll be right back sweetie"

"Okay Izzie" said Jessie

I ran upstairs to Jessie's room, grabbed her shoes, phone and headed to my room and grabbed my keys, phone & purse and met Sarah in the hallway.

"I'm ready Izzie" said Sarah

"Okay sweetie, lets go" I said and went downstairs "Okay Hazzz, we'll take both cars, Marcus you're coming with us too... We'll get Jessie settled and Haz & I will go to our appointment with Sarah. If they don't admit Jessie, I'll bring her home. If they do, well, we'll figure that out if it happens"

"Sounds like a plan princess" said Haz "Sarah can ride with me so Jessie can lie down. Come on little one"

"Marcus, carry Jessie please, I don't want her passing out trying to walk" I said 

"Okay.. Come on angel, arms around my neck" said Marcus "That's my girl"

"Izzie grab my purse, you'll need my passport & insurance cards-" said Jessie and passed out again

"Damn... DAMIAN" yelled Marcus

"Yeah boss?" said Damian

"Jessie passed out again" said Marcus "Help me carry her out to Mary's car"

"Holy shit... Does she have a fever?" asked Damian

"Yeah, we're taking her to the hospital" I said 

"Okay boss, just put her in my arms, I'll carry her" said Damian "I've got her, lets go. I'm going with you... Catherine's worried"

We got in the car and headed for the hospital. It felt like it took forever to get there. We parked and headed for the emergency entrance.. there was a man sitting outside the doors in hospital scrubs.

"Excuse me, but do you work here?" I asked

"Yes ma'am, I'm Dr. Hayes, how can I help?" said the doctor

"My niece is sick" I said "She woke up this morning with a fever and aches. I took her temperature and it was 104F, then she passed out. We ran a cool bath and had her in it till she woke up and was able to take some Ibuprofen, then she passed out after that. Her fever came down to 100F and she slept for about 30 minutes and when she woke up, she was burning up again and passed out for a third time, so far"

"Okay, lets get her inside" said the doctor "What's her name and D.O.B.?"

"Jessica Renee Horan... It used to be Foster-Aimsworth… D.O.B. January 1st, 2001" I said 

"I remember her.. She threatened to sue me for Medical Malphesance and Attempted Murder" chuckled Dr. Hayes

"Yeah, she was here with my sons, grand-daughter & her fiancé" I said 

"Does she have any allergies?" asked Dr. Hayes

"I don't know" I said "She may, I just don't know"

"Okay, we can find out when she wakes up. Is there anything else I need to know?" asked Dr. Hayes

"Um.. She's 10, she's already started menstrating - 10 days ago and we suspect she had a miscarriage 9 days ago" I said "Her biological Father sexually abused her"

"Has she had a pelvic exam since?" asdked Dr. Hayes

"No, and I don't know if she did before she came to live with us" I said "Jessie was in the car accident that killed her Father. We suspect the trauma caused her to menstrate early"

"Okay, I'll order a pelvic exam, we'll draw some blood for testing and work on getting her fever down" said Dr. Hayes "We should know more soon"

"I have a Dr.'s appointment" I said "This is Marcus, Jessie's boyfriend and his brother Damian, they'll stay with her and I'll be back in about an hour"

"Yes ma'am" said Dr. Hayes "I'll keep Marcus informed and we should know what's made her so sick by then"

"Thank you Dr." I said "Marcus, here's Jessie's purse, her passport & insurance cards are inside along with her phone. If you need me, call Haz, his number is in her contacts"

"I will, thanks Mary and good luck at the appointment" said Marcus

"Thanks Marcus and you're welcome" I said "Do you need anything before we go?"

"No, I'm good" said Marcus

"Damian, stay with Marcus please" I said "It will help pass the time if he has someone to talk to"

"Yes ma'am" said Damian "I wont leave until you get back, I promise"

"Thank you Damian" I said 

"You're welcome Mary" said Damian

"Lets go Haz, we'll take my car" I said 

"Okay princess, come on little one" said Haz "Its alright, Jessie's in good hands, I promise"

"Okay Haz" said Sarah and took his hand as we headed to the parking lot

MARCUS'S POV

"God I hope she'll be alright" I said and sat on the side of Jessie's bed

"Like Haz said, Jessie's in good hands" said Damian as a nurse came in

"Hello, I'm Amelia, I'll be Ms. Horan's nurse" said Amelia "I need to put this gown on her, so I'll need you to step out into the corridor for a moment please"

"Yes ma'am" I said as we stepped into the hallway as Amelia pulled the curtain closed and waited till she was done. A few minutes later, Amelia opened the curtain.

"You can come back in now, she's all set" said Amelia and folded Jessie's clothes and put them in a bag under the bed "I'll be back in a moment to take her temp and draw some blood. Do you have her insurance cards?"

"Yes" I said and opened her purse and pulled out her passport & insurance cards and handed them to Amelia

"Her passport & cards say her las name is Foster-Aimsworth.. I was told her last name is Horan" said Amelia

"Her last name is Horan... her adoption was finalized a few days ago and hasn't received her new passport & cards yet" I said 

"Ah.. okay, not a problem" said Amelia and went to the nurse's station and came back with an ID bracelet and a kit for drawing blood and started to take Jessie's ring off.

"That needs to stay on please" I said "She'll panic if its not on her hand"

"Okay, I'll cover it up then" said Amelia "We don't want her to loose it" and covered the ring with a gauze bandage around Jessie's finger

"Thank you Amelia" I said

"You're welcome" said Amelia as Jessie started waking up "Well, look who's up.. Hello Jessie, I'm Amelia, your nurse. How are you feeling sweetie?"

"I'm okay, I guess" said Jessie weakly "Where's Izzie?"

"Haz & Izzie went to their Dr.'s appointment angel" I said "They'll be back afterwards"

"Oh good.. Did Sarah go with them?" asked Jessie

"Yeah" I said 

"Who's my doctor?" asked Jessie

"Dr. Hayes... He'll be back soon sweetie" said Amelia

"Oh great... Dr. Talks-too-much" said Jessie "What's he doing.. writing his next book?"

Amelia giggled "He's trying to find you a female gynocologist to do your pelvic exam" said Amelia

"Ahh okay, I'll dial down the sarcasm then" said Jessie

"I need to take your temp and draw some blood okay?" said Amelia

"Go for it" said Jessie "Hey Damian... What are you doing here?"

"You passed out, so I had to help Marcus carry you" said Damian "Izzie asked me to stay and keep Marcus company while you were out"

"Ahh okay" said Jessie "Ow... flippin fish sticks"

"Sorry sweetie, I should've warned you first" said Amelia

"That's okay, its your job, I just don't like needles" said Jessie

"Well just breathe sweetie, I'm almost done. I need 2 vials for testing" said Amelia "Okay, one more and I'm all done... easy-peasy"

"What tests are you going to do?" I asked

"We'll check her iron & sugar levels, do a pregnancy test and check for any bacterial infections & viruses" said Amelia


	94. Chapter 94

Chapter 94

MARCUS'S POV (Continued)

"A pregnancy test?" said Jessie and closed her eyes "Oh God... 10 bucks says I had a partial miscarriage and I'm still pregnant" as tears ran down her cheeks then looked at Amelia "Can I get rid of it if I am?"

"Lets find out first sweetie" said Amelia "Just relax"

"Tell Hayes, I don't care if the gyno is male or female, just get someone here now" said Jessieas she started shaking "and tell him I need to talk to him immediately"

"Calm down angel... please? For me?" I said "just breathe, slow & easy... that's it angel, just breathe"

"I'll go get Dr. Hayes sweetie" said Amelia "please try to stay calm, okay?"

"Okay" said Jessie as Amelia left "Mom, please don't hate me for this"

"Catherine wont hate you Jess" said Damian "Trust me boss lady"

Jessie took my hand and put it on her belly "Tell me is you hear anything Marcus" said Jessie as I closed my eyes and listened

"No.. I don't hear anything angel" I said and opened my eyes "If there is a baby, its not alive... We'll find out soon"

"Okay" said Jessie and calmed down "Okay" as Dr. Hayes came in

"Amelia said you need to talk to me" said Dr. Hayes

"I need to ask you something and I want a straight truthful answer" said Jessie

"Okay.. shoot" said Dr. Hayes

"If the pregnancy test says positive" said Jessie and took a deep breath "Can you get rid of it?"

"It depends on how far along you are and the circumstances of its conception" said Dr. Hayes

"6 weeks by incestual rape" said Jessie

"Then yes, we can get rid of it" said Dr. Hayes "Lets wait for the results, okay?"

"Okay.. Thank you for being honest with me" said Jessie "I apologize for being rude last time"

"Don't apologize Jessie, you made me stop and think. I need to treat the patient first and ask questions later" said Dr. Hayes "Now, while we wait, I need your medical history"

"I don't know much" said Jessie "Marcus hand me my phone please" and gave it to Jessie "Dr. Clayton Matthews has all of that from birth to age 8... let me call him"

"Okay" said Dr. Hayes 

Jessie put the phone on speaker.

"Hello, Doc Matthews speaking" said the man

JESSIE: Hey Doc, its Jessica Aimsworth. I've got you on speaker... I'm in England, in the hospital. I have Dr. Hayes with me and he needs my medical history

DOC MATTHEWS: Okay, let me get your file. How you been little missy?

JESSIE: Oh you know me Doc, I'm raisin Hell every chance I get.. I gotta keep these Doc's on their toes ya know

DOC MATTHEWS: Yeah, well you go easy on them and quit threatening to sue em, they got a job to do. Okay, I've got it, what do you need to know Dr. Hayes?

DR. HAYES: Does Jessie have any allergies to medication?... Has she ever been hospitalized?... and any complications at birth?

DOC MATTHEWS: She's allergic to Amoxicillin... She was in the hospital at ages 2, 6 & 8 for yeast infections that got out of control. Jessie has a high tolerance for certain pains, so getting her to say what hurts can be a challenge. The birth was a breeze... her APGAR came back normal and she was born 7 days after her Mother's due date.

DR. HAYES: And before she moved here, was she up-to-date on her vacinations & booster shoots?

DOC MATTHEWS: Yep... she needs an MMR booster at 10 & 16, but she's good till then

DR. HAYES: an MMR?

DOC MATTHEWS: Measles, mumps and Ruebella

DR. HAYES: Ah, okay.. That's all I need Dr. Matthews, thank you. Is there a number I can put in Jessie's file, in case we need more information?

DOC MATTHEWS: Yep, this is my direct number. Jessie can give it to you and you're very welcomed. Hayes, call anytime... And you behave little missy or I'll have Jimmy take a switch to ya, ya hear me?

JESSIE: Yes sir, I'll behave... a little bit... I'll call ya soon Doc and tell Mrs. Matthews I'll send some photos as soon as I can

DOC MATTHEWS: She'd like that.. She misses you, we both do

JESSIE:I know, I miss y'all too. Get some sleep Old Man... Catch ya on the flip side

DOC MATTHEWS: Yeah, yeah, yeah... Talk atcha later care bear

and hung up "Dr. Matthews knows you pretty well" said Dr. Hayes

"Yeah.. He delivered my Mother, Catherine & I" said Jessie "He's been my doctor ever since.. Here's his number" and handed him her phone as he wrote the number in Jessie's file

"Okay, Thanks" said Dr. Hayes as Amelia came in

"Ms. Horan's blood work and results are in Dr." said Amelia and handed him a file

"Thank you Amelia" said Dr. Hayes and looked over the paperwork "Your iron & sugar are perfect and your test came back negative"

"Oh Thank God" said Jessie and crossed herself and relaxed

"And Dr. Matthews called it - you have a severe yeast infection" said Dr. Hayes "Which explains the fever & aches. I still want a pelvic exam tho, to make sure there's no other problems"

"Okay, I don't care who does it, I just want it done" said Jessie

"Okay Jessie, let me go see who is on duty so we can get this done" said Dr. Hayes

"Sounds good" said Jessie as Dr. Hayes left "All of this bc of a severe yeast infection... geez-o-Pete's... How stupid can I be?"

"Hey, you're not stupid" I said "Doc Matthews said you have a high tolerance for certain types of pain. You just need to be more aware of them, that's all"

"Yeah and I've had 4 since I was 2. You would think I'd have learned by now" said Jessie "I know the symptoms well enough to know when there's something wrong, but did I do anything about it? Nope.. I could've prevented all of this if I hadn't ignored it, like always"

"Are you going to ignore it from now on?" asked Damian

"Hell no, I'm done with this crap. The infections stop here and now" said Jessie "If my back is going hurt like this again, its gonna be bc I'm pregnant, not from some rabid yeast infection"

"Okay angel" I said chuckling "That wont be for a while yet so just relax"

"Excuse me Jessie" said Dr. Hayes and came in with another doctor "This is Dr. Michael Caldwell, he's going to do your exam"

"Hello Jessie" said Dr. Caldwell "Nice to meet you"

"Hello, nice to meet you too" said Jessie "Okay y'all hop outta here, me and the Doc have some business to attend to"

"Yes ma'am" I said and kissed her head "Come on Damian, lets go sit outside. Yell if you need me angel"

"That ain't happening mister, so go park your hiney outside" said Jessie "Hey Doc? Can Amelia stay during the exam?"

"Sure.. Do you mind Michael?" asked Dr. Hayes

"No, I don't mind, whatever Ms. Jessie needs is fine" said Dr. Caldwell "Amelia, can you help me get Ms. Jessie situated please"

"Yes sir" said Amelia

"Come on Marcus, we don't need to see this" said Damian

"Yeah okay" I said as we went outside and sat down "What in the Hell is a yeast infection?"

"Beats me boss" said Damian "I had brothers"

"Yeah? Well I was an only child" I said 

"Davis might know, but I think we should wait for Mary to find out" said Damian "at least she wont tease us for not knowing what it is"

"Yeah good point" I said and wiped my face "I feel like I've aged 10 years. Being human this time around is rough"

"That's bc you're in Love and still trying to figure things out" said Damian "Living in the present, looking to the future, remembering the past, its hard to stay focused on the big picture - a life with Jessie and having children, its a lot to take in"

"Yeah it is, but its what we both want" I said "I feel like I don't know where I belong. I can't do what I did before and I was happy doing what I wanted. Now I have to find something else to do and I'm at a loss in that area bc I loved building things"

"So build something" said Damian "Louis & Liam are starting up a new business, ask if you can partner up building houses and renovating them"

"Do you think they'll let me?" I asked

"Of course they'll let you, you're family" said Damian "and in this family, in particular, family comes first, even Liam, Zayn & Louis knows that. This family is where you belong, and as you said, with everyone working, you need to stay close to home. So take this time to help Zayn & Mary and after the babies are born, you'll know what you want to do - build houses or paint murals. Jessie will support whatever decision you make"

"Marcus, how's Jessie?" asked Mary

"She has a severe yeast infection" I said "She's having a pelvic exam now"

"Oh thank God" said Mary "You look confused.. What's wrong?"

"What in the Hell is a yeast infection?" I asked

"Its complicated mate" said Haz "All I know is that Gemma used to get them all the time, usually after her monthly cycle"

"Excuse me Marcus, Dr. Caldwell is done with the exam and Jessie is asking for you" said Amelia

"Okay, thank you Amelia" I said and went inside

"Jessie, you need to calm down or I'll have to give you a sedative" said Dr. Hayes

"I need Marcus" cried Jessie

"I'm right here angel.. What's wrong?" I said as Jessie hugged me tight "Shh.. Why are you crying?"

"Ask him!!" cried Jessie "Its not fair!!"

"Dr. Caldwell found scaring in Jessie's uterus" said Dr. Hayes "The hymen was ruptured... she cant have children"

"Oh no" said Mary "Can she if she has surgery?"

"If the rupture had been found sooner, perhaps, but its scarred over her tubes" said Dr. Caldwell "We can remove the scar tissue, but the chances of her having children is very slim, if at all"

"Can she carry a child if you did an egg retrieval?" asked Mary

"Yes, she can carry a child" said Dr. Caldwell "Her uterus is still in tact"

"Okay, what's our window here?" asked Mary "bc her parents are flying home as we speak and the soonest we could make this happen would be Monday"

"Okay, here's my card. Talk it over with her parents and as soon as her yeast infection clears, call me and we'll schedule either the scar removal surgery or the egg retrieval surgery" said Dr. Caldwell

"Thank you" said Mary "Is there a prescription for the infection?"

"Yes, Dr. Hayes will have that with her discharge papers" said Dr. Caldwell "She'll recover faster at home Alex... Ms. Horan has been traumatized enough for today"

"I agree" said Dr. Hayes "Jessie, you can get dressed while I get your paperwork together, okay?" Jessie nodded as the doctor's and Amelia left

"Come here sweetie" said Mary and scooped Jessie onto her lap "I know Jessie, don't be sad baby, we'll do our research and Momma & Papa will be right there with the rest of us and we'll figure this out"

"Its just not fair Izzie" whispered Jessie

"I know its not baby, I know" said Mary and rocked Jessie in her arms "but I promise, we'll find a way... okay?"

"Okay" whispered Jessie "I Love You Izzie"

"Oh, I Love You too baby" said Mary and wiped her eyes "Now, lets get you dressed so we can go home. Liam & Zayn have been blowing up my phone worried about you"

"Oh gosh, poor Grandpa" said Jessie "I hope he didn't eat all of the strawberry ice cream.. you know how Zayn gets when he's worried.. no ice cream is safe"

"I know, right?" chuckled Mary "Hurry up and get dressed baby"

"Yes ma'am" said Jessie "Where are my clothes?"

"They're right here angel" I said and grabbed the bag from under the bed and gave it to her

"Thanks Marcus" whispered Jessie "I'm sorry"

"Hey, no apologies angel" I said "I'm not mad or upset, you got some bad news. Anyone would've reacted the same way you did, but we have a plan now, so lets focus on that.. Okay?"

"Okay... Help me get dressed?" asked Jessie

"Of course I'll help" I said and helped Jessie get dressed "There you go, all done... hey, Ni & Pamela will be home in 6 and half hours with Jimmy, Mack & Simon, so put a smile on that beautiful face.. we have work to do when we get home"

"Oh gosh.. my potato salad" said Jessie as Dr. Hayes came in with Jessie's paperwork

"Okay Jessie, I want you to take it easy for at least 24 hours, no running around and no heavy lifting, Understood?" said Dr. Hayes "I also want you to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night, drink lots of water and lay off on the banana's... your potassium levels were really high which is why this you got a yeast infection"

"I don't understand? I only have a banana once or twice a week" said Jessie

"Do you take a multi-vitamin?" asked Dr. Hayes

"Yeah but... Oh my God" said Jessie and smacked her head "My vitamin has potassium in it"

"Yeah, it probably does" said Dr. Hayes "So if you feel like having one, just eat half of it okay? and no more than 3 halves in a week, so pace yourself"

"I will, I promise" said Jessie "I'm sorry for flipping out like that"

"Dealing with patients flipping out is part of the job description" said Dr. Hayes "I'd have been more concerned if you hadn't flipped out" and sat down on the side of the bed "Dr. Caldwell is the best doctor for you Jessie, I swear. If anyone can help you be a Mother someday, its Dr. Caldwell, so I want you to relax and get better, okay?"

"Okay" said Jessie and hugged Dr. Hayes "Thank you" she whispered

"You're welcome Jessie" said Dr. Hayes and kissed the side of her head "Now go on home and get ready to see your parents and have fun young lady"

"Yes sir!" said Jessie and smiled

"I need a signature and she's ready to go ma'am" said Dr. Hayes and handed the paperwork to Mary

"Okay" said Mary and signed the paperwork "Haz, take my car and drive everyone home. I'll take the truck and get Jessie's prescription filled and get the air mattress, then meet you at home"

"Okay princess" said Haz "Drive safe... please?"

"I will, I promise" said Mary "I should be there is 45 minutes or so" as they swapped keys "Jessie, I need your insurance cards for the pharmacy"

"Okay Izzie" said Jessie and got them out of her purse as we headed to the parking lot

"Mary.. wait" said Damian "Go with Haz in the car... Davis! get over here"

"What's up Damian?" asked Davis

"Mary is supposed to drive Haz's truck, but something doesn't feel right" said Damian "You're the only one of us that knows how to drive a car, so you need to drive the truck to Mary's... I'll ride with you"

"Okay Damian" said Davis "I'll follow you Haz"

"Guys, I've been driving this truck for years" said Mary "I'll be fine"

"If Damian says something doesn't feel right, listen to him Mary" said Davis "He's never been wrong... ever"

"Alright Damian, Davis can drive the truck" said Mary "I'll have Liam get the mattress & Jessie's prescription filled" and gave the keys to Davis

"Thank you Mary" said Damian and relaxed

"Um.. Haz?" said Davis and looked at the truck "Was the steering wheel shaky when you were driving today?"

"Yeah, a little" said Haz "It always shakes a little.. Why?"

"Because the driver's side front tire is almost flat, that's why" said Davis "How long has it been shaking?"

"I noticed it last Friday" said Haz "I was going to have Louis look at it. I never thought to check the tires"

"Okay Damian, I will never doubt you ever again" said Mary "The problem now, is that the spare tire is at home in the garage with the jack"

"Okay" said Davis and disappeared, then returned with the tire and the jack and changed the tire "There all set" and put the tire in the truck bed with the jack and got in the truck "Lead the way Haz"

"Come on everyone" said Mary "Sarah sit between Jessie & Marcus and put your seatbelt on"

"Yes ma'am" said Sarah and sat next to Jessie "Are you okay jellybean?"

"I will be petal" said Jessie and smiled "How did the appointment go?"

"Oh... it was amazing" said Sarah "We got to hear the babies heartbeats"

"Wait... What? Heartbeats?" said Jessie "as in 'more than one'?"

"Yep... twins" said Sarah

"No... way" said Jessie "Holy shit... Have you told anyone yet?"

"Nope, you're the first to know" said Haz 

"When is your due date?" asked Jessie

"Mid-A;pril" said Mary

"Oh my God... I had it all wrong... I thought Momma was gonna have twins" said Jessie "But when I listened that day you took the test, I only heard one heartbeat"

"I know... theit heartbeats are in sync, but there's definitely 2 babies" said Mary and handed Jessie the pictures "See?"

"Oh gosh" said Jessie "Marcus look... twins"

"Oh wow" I said as I looked at the pictures "Congratulations you two"

"Thanks Marcus" said Haz "Now you can't tell anyone else Sarah, we're going to tell everyone after dinner, okay?"

"Okay Haz" said Sarah

"You know Anne's gonna faint when she hears this" said Jessie "So make sure she's sitting down"

"You think so?" said Haz

"Yup.. you remember when she found about about that 'baby', how excited she was" said Jessie "when she hears that you're having twins, he excitement is going to send her over the edge"

"Well, that's a chance we're just going to have to take" said Haz "bc if we tell her before we tell everyone else, she'll call them all and tell them"

"That's true" said Jessie "So Haz, how are you with the news that you're going to have twins?"

"I'm so excited, my hands are shaking" said Haz

"Yeah Haz almost fell off his chair when the doctor saif there was 2 babies" said Sarah "Haz said that Liam & Zayn were gonna flip"

"Yeah, Dr. Carlisle wasn't aware that we're related" said Mary "This is the first time she's had multiple births in one family with dues dates so close together"

"Did she recognize your name Haz?" asked Jessie "You do realize that she delivered you, right?"

"Yeah, she did" said Haz "She said that THAT was definitely a first - to deliver the babies of one of her first babies... apparently, I was the first baby boy Dr. Carlisle delivered, which is cool"

"Really? Wow, that is cool" I said 

We pulled into the driveway with Davis & Damian right behind us and got out of the car.

"So Davis... How did it feel to drive a car again?" asked Jessie

"Oh Man, it was the best feeling ever" said Davis "Had this been a convertible, it would've been so much better"

"Hmm... maybe I should have Mom's car shipped over" said Jessie "You'd love it, its a convertible"

"Catherine's car?" said Davis "What is it?"

"Yeah, its a 1968 Dodge Charger" said Jessie "black on black... Mom loved that car and now its mine"

"Oh dear God" said Davis "That's a bad-ass car... it can go from zero to 80 in 0.3 seconds" and crossed himself then shuddered

"DAVIS!! Oh.. my God" said Jessie "What is it with Men and having sex in cars? Now I have to scrub my brain with bleach" and stormed off towards the house and slammed the door

"Way to go dumbass" said Damian and punched Davis in the shoulder

"Ow.. What the Hell Dude?" said Davis

"I'll tell you back home... we have to go" said Damian

"Okay... Here's your keys Haz" said Davis "and check your tires from now on" and disappeared with Damian

"Lets go check on Jessie" said Mary


	95. Chapter 95

Chapter 95

MARCUS'S POV (Continued)

We headed to the house and wernt inside. Jessie was in the kitchen getting out several pots & sauce pans.

"Is Jessie alright Mom?" said Liam "She came in the house, slammed the door and went right to the kitchen and hasn't said a word"

"No... I'll tell you.. outside" whispered Mary as we followed her outside to the patio "Jessie had a pelvic exam done"

"Oh God... What did they find?" asked Liam

"She has a lot of scaring, and the doctor said..." said Mary and took a deep breath "Jessie can't have children without surgery... either to remove the scar tissue or to retrieve her eggs for insemination"

"Oh my God" said Zayn

"Jessie flipped out... Dr. Hayes threatened to sedate her if she didn't calm down" I said

"I told Jessie we would do our research and talk it over as a family" said Mary "and as soon as her yeast infection clears up, we'll schedule the surgery"

"God this isn't fair" said Liam "How much shit does Jessie have to go thru? Hasn't she earned the right to have children and be happy?"

"Jessie has a yeast infection?" said Zayn "Is that what made her so sick?"

"Yeah" I said "Jessie called Doc Matthews back in Savannah for her medical history. He said that she was hospitalized when she was 2, 6 & 8 years old... apparently Jessie has a high tolerance for certain types of pain, so when she knew she had an infection, she ignored it. Dr. Hayes said her potassium levels were really high and that that's why this infection was so bad"

"I need one of you to go get Jessie's prescription filled and go to the department store and get an air mattress for Sarah" said Mary

"I'll go Mom" said Liam "If I don't, I'm going to get really upset"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary and handed Liam the keys prescription and insurance cards "Thanks, take my car and drive safe please"

"I will" said Liam and left

"Oh, is he in a foul mood" said Zayn "He's been like that since we home and Beth told us you had taken Jessie to the hospital. Li said last night that something was wrong with Jessie bc of how she got sick and crying before Rothsdale showed up. He said Jessie never cries when she gets a headache,,, we should've said something"

"Sweetie, Jessie didn't have a fever then" said Mary "You know how Jessie feels about hospitals, she wouldn't have gone"

"We still should've said Mom" said Zayn "Jessie was sleeping when we left, had we told you, it wouldn't have been such a shock and we wouldn't have been so worried"

"Good point Zayn" said Haz

"I'm sorry Zayn" said Mary "When Jessie her woke up, her fever had come back and she passed out again and like it or not, till Ni & Pamela get here, Jessie is my responsibility. If the doctor had admitted Jessie, I would've called you, but they didn't so relax sweetie"

"Yes ma'am" said Zayn

"Now that that's settled, lets go see if Jessie needs any help and Haz needs to go to work" said Mary

"Okay princess" said Haz

We went inside to see what help Jessie needed and found her sitting at the kitchen table chopping vegetables and listening to her Ipod while the potatoes & eggs were boiling. I knocked on the table to get Jessie's attention.

"Need any help Angel?" I asked

"Nope, I'm almost done here" said Jessie "I wont need help till the potatoes are done & need to be drained and the eggs need to be peeled"

"Okay angel" I said and sat down "What are you chopping up?"

"Sweet pickles... you can have one if you want" said Jessie "They're really good"

"Ooo.. Did I hear someone say sweet pickles?" said Mary

"Yep.. here Izzie" said Jessie and handed a pickle to Mary

Mary took a bite and moaned "Oh my God, I love sweet pickles" said Mary "Here Haz, try a bite" and held it in front of Haz and took a bite

"Oh wow, those are good" said Haz "maybe I should get a couple of jars after work"

"Ooo yes please" said Mary

"Hey Haz can you do me a favor after work?" asked Jessie

"Sure peanut" said Haz 

"I had Louis drop off the film from yesterday at the 1-hour photo lab inside the pharmacy this morning" said Jessie "Could you pick it up for me?"

"Absolutely... How many are there?" asked Haz

"There's 6 rolls of 36 exposure, single 5x7 prints and single prints from an SD card" said Jessie "Here's $100 to cover it.. its all in my name & phone number and I need the receipt. AND NO PEEKING HAZ"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz 

"I'm serious Haz, I still have to set them up so no peeking" said Jessie

"I promise Jessie, I wont peek" said Haz and took the money Jessie gave him "I'll be home soon princess, I Love You"

"I Love You too Haz" said Mary as they kissed "Drive safe please"

"Yes ma'am.. Always" said Haz "Have fun ladies" and walked out of the house

"Mary, I made up some celery sticks.. some have cream cheese and some have peanut butter on them for us to snack on" said Jessie "They're in the fridge"

"Oh thanks sweetie" said Mary and got them out of the fridge "would like a couple Jessie?"

"Yes please, with cream cheese" said Jessie

"You seem in a better mood" said Mary

"Cooking always puts me in a better mood" said Jessie "It helps take mind off things I don't want to think about"

" I see" said Mary and set a plate of celery sticks on the table "Well I'm glad to see you smile again bc I have a question"

"Okay, What?" said Jessie

"On Wednesday... How are you going to go shopping with Pamela & I and be at the high school at noon to practice?" asked Mary

"Oh crap" said Jessie "I guess I'm not.. so you & Momma will go shopping for clothesand then you'll go to the baby store and make your wish list with pictures of the items you want. I'll give you my digital camera so you can snap pics, then you can pick me up at the school when you're done"

"Should I get the baby basics?" asked Mary

"Sure, if you want to, go ahead" said Jessie "If you decide you want to wait till you have a nursery, that's fine too Izzie, its your choice"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"How was your appointment Mom?" asked Zayn "Isn't Dr. Carlisle the best?"

"Yes she is" said Mary "It went great, the baby is fine and my due date is Mid-April - on or around the 15th"

"Oh wow.. 2 weeks after mine" said Zayn "This is so cool"

"I know right?" said Mary "We're going to have our best Easter & Mother's Day gift ever Zayn... We're gonna be Mommy's together"

"Yes we are" said Zayn and started laughing

"And I'm going to spoil those babies rotten" said Jessie "and love every single second doing so" Jessie's phone rang "Its Papa"

JESSIE: Papa? How are you calling from the plane?

NIALL: We just landed poppet

JESSIE: Already? We weren't expecting y'all for another 5 hours

NIALL: I know baby, blame your Momma.. She wanted to get home fast. I called Evan and he should be there any minute to get the car

JESSIE: Okay Papa.. Are you going to work? or are you coming home?

NIALL: I'm coming home, I gotta see my baby

There was a knock at the door.

MARCUS: That's Evan,, I'll get the door

JESSIE: Evan's here Papa, he'll be there in 20 minutes. How was Simon?

NIALL: After Mack knocked him out, he slept the whole flight, he just woke up. Are you okay? Jimmy says you don't sound right

JESSIE: I'm fine Papa... Stop off at the music store and get Anne's house keys from Haz on your way home

NIALL: Okay poppet

JESSIE: How's the sunburn?

NIALL: A little sore, but I'm good... no blisters, fever & chills or aches

JESSIE: Oh good... Maura & Gran were worried, but I knew you'd be okay with Mack taking care of you for me

NIALL: What are you doing?

JESSIE: I'm making potato salad to go with dinner

NIALL: What's for dinner?

JESSIE: Garbage burgers

NIALL: Weren't you supposed to go to London today?

JESSIE: Yeah, but I woke up sick so we had to cancel... Don't worry Papa, Izzie took good care of me and I'm starting to feel better

NIALL: Okay baby

JESSIE: Where's Momma?

NIALL: She's talking to Travis about the bird and whatever he's saying, she does not look happy about it

JESSIE: That's not good... apparently there's wire damage Papa... between you & me, I could get Momma a brand new bird if Travis can't fix it... just sayin

NIALL: *chuckling* We'll cross that bridge when it comes baby

JESSIE: Okay Papa.. Oh wait till you see Anne's house.. Louis & the guys painted the inside and it looks so fresh & clean

NIALL: Wow.. Really?

JESSIE: Yeah, they did it yesterday during the photo shoot. It took us about an hour last night to get it put back together

NIALL: Dang, you guys work fast. We saw the pictures you sent of the nursery poppet, it looks great. What did Liam & Zayn think of it?

JESSIE: They love it.. and Charlie hooked up the webcam baby monitor too

NIALL: Gee whiz poppet, did you leave anything for Liam & Zayn to do?

JESSIE: Nope, all they have to do is relax and wait for the baby shower and that wont be till November when they get the babies genders confirmed

NIALL: I see... Well poppet, Evan's here so I'm going hang up so we can get loaded up & get home

JESSIE: Okay Papa... Don't forget to get Anne's keys

NIALL: I wont poppet.. See you in 20

JESSIE: Yep, see you in 20

and hung up then started texting.

"Who are you texting angel?" I asked

"Louis" said Jessie "I just want to know if he brought the groceries for Mack over to the house yet"

"Ah okay" I said as Jessie's phone buzzed

"Oh good" said Jessie "Louis already brought the groceries over to the house and said he'll bring the keys when they come over tonight"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

Jessie put the chopped sweet pickles in her bowl of vegetables and put it in the fridge and turned off the pots of eggs.

"I probably wont use all of the eggs Izzie, so what I don't use, I'll make you some egg salad" said Jessie

"Thank you Jessie, but egg salad & hard boiled eggs don't sit right with me sweetie" said Mary

"You could make deviled eggs princess" said Zayn "Liam loves them and they may put him in a good mood... please?"

"Deviled eggs it is then" said Jessie as the front door opened

"Hey princess... I found this guy in the driveway with a crap ton of luggage" said Liam "He says he knows you"

Jessie turned around "POOH BEAR!!!" yelled Jessie and ran and jumped into Mack's arms

"Oh care bear" said Mack "I missed you so much" as they held onto each other

"I missed you more" said Jessie and looked at Mack "You let your hair grow out... I like it"

"you've gotten so tall and look at you.. just as beautiful as ever" said Mack "And cooking up a storm I see"

"I'm making your favorite - Maggie's potato salad" said Jessie

"Ooo with the sweet pickles & green onions?" said Mack

"Yep.. its not the same without them" said Jessie

"Why don't you introduce me to everyone" said Mack

"Oh gosh" said Jessie as Mack set her down "Mack, this is Mary, Sarah, Beth, Zayn... and Marcus.. everyone, this is Mack"

"Its nice to finally meet you mack" said Mary

"Its nice to finally meet you too Mary" said Mack "So? Are you excited to see your dress yet?"

"I'm beyond excited" said Mary "When Jessie said you could shorten it, I was so relieved beyond words"

"Well we'll start work on it tomorrow" said Mack

"Okay, sounds good" said Mary

"Sarah... Wow, you're even more beautiful in person" said Mack

"Thank you" said Sarah "Wow.. You're really tall and you look just like Haz… you could be brothers"

"Who's Haz?" asked Mack

"My fiancé" said Mary "You'll meet him soon, he's at work"

"Ah okay" said Mack "Well thank you young lady... And Beth, is it?"

"Yes it is.. Its nice to meet you, I'm Niall's Grandmother" said Gran

"I can tell, you have the same color eyes" said Mack "Its nice to meet you too. Niall tells me you knew Maggie & William"

"Yes, we met in Dublin when Maggie was pregnant for Jessie's Mother" said Gran "They were on a vacation when we met"

"I remember the picture, Maggie showed it to me once" said Mack "You're still just as beautiful as you were then Beth"

"Thank you Mack" said Gran

"The potatoes are done angel" I said 

"Oh okay.. Can you drain them for me please?" said Jessie "Dr. Hayes said no heavy lifting"

"Sure angel" I said amd got out the strainer "Do you have a bowl to put them in?"

"No, just put them back in the pot darlin" said Jessie "Rinse the pot in cold water before you put them back in so that they cool off faster"

"Okay angel" I said 

"Mack, this is my husband Zayn" said Liam

"You're Pamela's Dads.. Wow, its so nice to finally meet you" said Mack and shook their hands "Pamela says you are having triplets"

"Its nice to meet you too" said Zayn "Yes, we are, in March. Jessie & Jimmy say they're all 3 girls"

"Oh wow.. Congratulations" said Mack "When will you know for sure?"

"Not till November" said Zayn "Would you like to see the nursery Jessie put together?"

"I'd love to" said Mack and followed Liam & Zayn thru the doors "Oh, its gorgeous, I love the walls, they look so real"

"Marcus painted the mural and the flowers around the door" said Zayn

"Marcus painted this?" said Mack in awe "Holy wow, its incredible"

"Thank you" I said "It turned out better than expected"

"Amazing... How long did it take you?" asked Mack

"18 hours from start to finish" I said "I put the family in it.. the men are gnomes hidden around the unicorns & the ladies are faeries and I put Mary & Jessie's dogs in it, before they passed"

"You did an amazing job Marcus, truly amazing" said Mack "Are you a professional artist?"

"No, this is just a hobby I do sometimes" I said 

"Well, if you ever decide to do this professionally, I know lots of people who would love to have portraits like this so let me know" said Mack

"I'll have to think about it" I said "I make no promises"

"Take your time, there's no expiration on my offer" said Mack

"Okay, thanks" I said 

"Come on Pooh bear, I want to show you Anne's house" said Jessie

"Okay care bear, lead the way" said Mack

"You'll meet everyone else later" said Jessie "I'll be back Izzie, and then I'll start putting the salad together"

"Okay sweetie, don't overdo it" said Mary

"I wont, I promise" said Jessie and left the house with Mack


	96. Chapter 96

Chapter 96

JESSIE'S POV

"I Love the front yard" said Mack

"Haz & Papa planted the rose bushes for Izzie when she was on vacation last month in Michigan" I said "It was Haz's idea as a surprise for Izzie bc they're soulmates"

We walked thru the door at Anne's "Oh its beautiful" said Mack

"Wait till you see the upstairs" I said "JIMMY! WHERE YOU AT?"

"THE YELLOW ROOM DOODLEBUG" yelled Jimmy

"Come on" I said as we went upstairs

"Oh, I love these rooms" said Mack "They're so cozy"

"Anne chose the colors and Gemma bought the rest so that it all matched" I said as we walked into the yellow bedroom. Momma, Papa & Jimmy were unpacking and organizing the clothes "What do you think Pooh bear?"

"Its beautiful care bear" said Mack

"I hope you don't mind Mack, but we picked this room bc it had the biggest closet" said Momma

"Its perfect Pamela, Thank you" said Mack

"You're welcome" said Momma and came over and hugged me "I heard you woke up sick.. How's my baby?"

"I'm feeling better Momma" I said "I'm just happy you & Papa are home" and then walked over and hugged Papa and relaxed when I smelled Papa's cologne "I missed you both so much"

"We missed you too poppet" said Papa

"We're almost done baby, why don't you show Mack the rest of the house" said Momma

"Okay Momma" I said and headed towards the stairs "Here's the bathroom, the linen closet is across the hall" and opened the door "Its fully stocked and the towels & washcloths are new so don't wash any clothes with them or they'll turn them pink & gray. There are extra sheets for each color bedroom and if you need a heavier bedspread, the duvets are at the bottom of the closet, just take the color for your room and you're all set"

"Wow, Okay" said Mack "Lets go see the downstairs"

"Okay" I said as we went back downstairs to the kitchen "I made sure y'all had a blender for your smoothies and a second coffee pot for Simon's decaf coffee. Here's the food pantry and this is the storage pantry - it has all of your pots & pans, extra dishes, tablecloths, placemats & napkins, and baking pans and stuff... This is the laundry room, all of your cleaning supplies, laundry soap & dryer sheets are up here on the shelf and there's a study & formal dining room, but they're empty so we'll be using them for storage for now... Any questions?"

"Can I use the dining room as a work area?" asked Mack "Its large enough that I can keep the Livingroom obstacle free"

"Absolutely" I said "If you need tables and stuff let me know bc Izzie has lots of tables in the garage in the garage you could borrow"

"Oh Okay good" said Mack

"When Anne lived here, she usually came over for breakfast & dinner, so if you want too also, you're welcome to do so" I said "Jimmy did too... I tend to make a lot of food when I cook, so there's always plenty"

"Oh okay care bear" said Mack "I brought you something from home" and went to a small bag and opened it "I didn't trust Jeff with these, so I brought you the family cookbook & Maggie's private recipe box. And yes, the recipe for Maggie's double chocolate coffee cookies is in there, I checked"

"Oh Pooh bear.. Thank you" I said as Mack handed me the tissue-wrapped box & book "You're the ultimate best ever"

"You're welcome care bear" said Mack "I knew they were important to you and I didn't want you to have to wait for them. You've waited long enough... Hey now, what's the tears for?"

"I've just had a rough morning is all.. I'm fine" I said and wiped my eyes

"You're not fine care bear" said Mack "Why are you wearing a hospital bracelet?"

"Because I had to go to the hospital this morning" I said "I woke up with a 104F fever and I passed out 3 times... so Haz & Izzie took me to the hospital. I have a yeast infection - a bad one this time"

"Oh honey" said Mack and sat down on the floor and pulled me onto his lap "So what happened bc I know there's something you're leaving out"

"I had to have a pelvic exam" I said and took a deep breath "The doctor found some scaring and said I can't have children without surgery and I'm scared Pooh bear, you know I HATE hospitals"

"Oh my poor baby" said Mack "What did Mary say about all of this?"

"Izzie said that we'd talk it over with Momma & Papa and weigh all of my options together" I said "and whatever option we decided on, we'll schedule the surgery after the infection clears up"

"That's good advice" said Mack "What are the options?"

"Either scar removal surgery or egg retrieval surgery for insemination at a later date" I said 

"Is that why you're crying?" asked Mack

"Yeah, its just been a bad morning" I said "but now that you're all home and safe, I can relax and get better"

"Well what are you doing for the rest of the week?" asked Mack

"Tomorrow, Momma & I have to get firearm recertified & get Izzie's bridal shower gift... Wednesday, I have music practice... Thursday, is Izzie's bridal shower... Friday, is the Wedding... Saturday, is the music festival and Sunday is our all-day family day at the lake and our Men vs. Women water fight... you're on my team girlfriend" I said 

"Jesus care bear, no wonder you got sick" said Mack "You're doing too much.. you need to slow down honey"

"I'm trying Pooh bear.. I swear to God" I said "I haven't done anything today except chop vegetables, this is the most I HAVEN'T done in 3 days. Dr. Hayes said I couldn't do any heavy lifting, no running or high-activity for 24 hours and I'm trying really hard to do what he said, but I'm starting to go nutso from boredom"

"We're all set Mack" said Momma "You are officially unpacked... How's my baby?"

"Not too bad, all things considered" said Mack

"Oh hey, I learned something new" I said "Y'all want to see real quick?"

"Sure baby" said Momma

"Okay, hold the car keys in the palm of your hand and watch them" I said 

"Okay" said Momma and did as I asked as the keys floated out of her hand and into mine "That's pr-" Momma stopped "HOLY SHIT!! YOUR EYES ARE PURPLE!!"

"Yep.. now watch them" I said as I closed my eyes and shuddered, then re-opened my eyes

"Wow, they're blue again" said Momma "Why did they turn purple?"

"Because the amount of concentration & focus it takes to move things, makes them change color" I said "Marcus & Damian noticed it last night when Rothsdale was here.. yeah, he knows all about Des and me being able to read, his wife Hannah reads too so he's used to it"

"No way" said Momma "Dang.. What else did we miss?"

"Hmm.. lets see" I said "Davis is in Love with Evan's sister, Meghan... Collin has a date with a hair-dresser... Haz's eyes change color... Marcus taught Louis to read and Damian asked Catherine out on a date.... Oh and I'm playing with the Orchestra at the music festival"

"Holy shit" said Papa "No... fucking... way"

"Yup" I said "I guess next time y'all will think twice before flying off again, huh?"

"I guess so" said Momma "SIMON!! GET YOUR FANNY DOWN HERE!!"

"Gee, ow... ya ain't gotta yell Pamela" said Simon "I was on my way down" and held his head

"Aw.. Does the poor baby got a hangover?... Good" I said and walked over to Simon and punched him in the mouth "That's for getting drunk and picking a fight with my Momma & Mack. Do it again and I'll give you more than a fat lip.. Got it?"

"Yes Ma'am" said Simon

"Now get your ass next door and I'll get you an ice pack for your lip" I said "and if you make a single snide comment, I'll call Damian and you don't want to know what will happen"

"Yes Ma'am" said Simon

"Next time, she's coming with us" said Mack and chuckled

"Yeah, no kidding" said Jimmy

"I've had a lousy fucking morning Simon and the last thing I need is to deal with your shit" I said as we headed home "Sorry Momma, Papa, you don't need my foul mood either"

"That's okay poppet" said Papa "We heard what you & Mack were talking about... just go easy on the swearing, okay?"

"Yes Papa, I'm trying" I said as we walked thru the door "I found some strays Izzie.. They look familiar.. Don't they?"

"Ni.. Pamela.. I missed you so much" said Mary and hugged them both "How was the flight?"

"It was good Mom" said Momma "How did your appointment go?"

"It was great.. I'm right on track, the baby is fine and I'm due in Mid-April.. around the 15th" said Mary

"Oh Thank God" said Papa "I asked Haz and he said to ask you... We were worried something was wrong"

"Nope, we're all healthy & fine" said Mary "You must be Simon.. I'm Mary, Pamela's Mom. It nice to meet you"

"Yes Ma'am, its nice to meet you as well Mary" said Simon

"Oh Pamela.. Niall, welcome home" said Gran and hugged them both "Niall, you had your Mother & I worried sick about you... How are you feeling dear?"

"I'm a little sore, but I'm fine" said Papa "I called Mom already and she said she'll be here after work, so relax Gran"

"You look good Ni, you too Peaches, a little time in the sun is a good thing" said Zayn "Just don't forget the sunscreen next time Ni"

"Yeah, I know Zayn" said Papa "I wont forget it ever again... How are you feeling Zayn? You look tired"

"I'm fine, its just been a busy morning" said Zayn

"Hey Izzie, check it out" I said and set the book and box on the table "Mack brought me the family cookbook and Gammie's private recipe box"

"Oh wow" said Mary as I unwrapped them "When was the cookbook made? Some of these pages look ancient"

"1732 to present" I said "Every recipe was written by the women in my family and was passed down the generations. That's when Gammie decided to do a family tree based on all of these names"

"Amazing" said Gran "Almost 300 years of family recipes.. Oh this is a true treasure sweetie"

"KI know... If I can read these recipe's well, I'd love to make one, one day" I said as I flipped thru the pages "Maybe even re-write them and make a better book so that this one can be kept for safe keeping"

"Oh... my... God" said Mary slowly

"Izzie? What's wrong?" I asked

"Mary Marcella Wallace-Williams" said Mary and pointed at the book "That's my Mother's name"

"Oh.. my.. God" I said "Holy shit Izzie... We're actually family"

"Holy shits & giggles" said Momma

"Oh wow" said Liam "This is so cool, Grandma is related to the Foster Family. Mom, don't you have all of the family names in Grandma's family bible?"

"Yeah.. I think its in the study" said Mary

Liam got up and went into the study "I FOUND IT" yelled Liam and brought it to the table "Who's name was before Mary's, Jessie?"

"Isabel Alyssa Wallace-Snow" I said "I'm assuming 'Snow' is her married last name"

"Grandma's sister" said Liam "keep going"

"Gwen Louise Foster-Wallace" I said 

"My Great-Grandmother" said Liam

"Rosalind Agnes Grant-Foster" I said and held my breath

"Gwen's Mother" said Liam

"Izzie... We're cousins" I said "Rosalind was Pappie's Momma"

"Oh gosh" said Mary "I never knew my Grandma had a brother, Grandma never talked about her family and she died when I was 12 and Mom didn't talk about them either"

"I wonder..." said Liam and went back to the study and came back with 3 huge books "These were with the Bible Mom... Why do we have 4 family Bibles?"

"One was your Dad's, one was my Grandpa's and I don't know where the other one came from" said Mary "it was in a box Mom kept in her closet.. After Mom & Dad died, your Dad brought a bunch of boxes home and put them in the attic. After John died, I guess it got shipped here when I moved and I never gave it another thought"

Liam started opening the books "Okay, this one is Dad's... this one is Grandpa's... I think this one was Grandma's bc there's a letter" said Liam and read it out loud

Dear Mother,  
I'm sorry you don't approve of whom I choose to marry. I can not do as you want. Please forgive me for choosing Love over money, but as you have said so many times, 'Money doesn't buy Happiness'.  
Don't try to find me, unless its to apologize.

Sincerely yours, 

Gwen Louise Wallace

"Damn.. well, I guess we know what happened there" I said "Rock on Aunt Gwen... sorry Papa, but it sounded like Grandma Rosalind was a royal bitch"

"What's the date on that letter Liam?" asked Mary

"There isn't one" said Liam ""It sounds like Gwen ran away from home to marry Grandpa Wallace"

"Then half of my inheritance goes to Izzie" I said "Seeing as Gwen was William's sister and a Foster, the money would've gone to Marry and then Izzie"

"Jessie's right Mary" said Jimmy "We have the proof and as the current living descendant of Gwen Foster, you are entitled to half of the Foster Family Estate"

"No Jimmy" said Mary "Gwen gave up her inheritance for a reason. My Grandparents & Parents set up their Estates as trusts... as did John & I. The boys, Pamela, this baby and her children, don't have anything to worry about, they've all been taken care of"

"Wait... What?" said Momma

"Okay, I was hoping to have this conversation in private, but here it goes" said Mary "When Gwen died, I received a trust when I was 25... When my Mom & Dad died, Li & Lou received a trust when they turned 25... When John died, Pamela will be given access to it on her Wedding Day as per John's request and this baby has a trust as well that she will get on her Wedding Day"

"Are you kidding me?" said Momma "How long have you had this trust Mom?"

"Since the day Liam told us that Dani was pregnant" said Mary "John cashed in his 401K and set it up.. its gaining interest for 20 years"

"How much?" whispered Momma

"Holy shit" said Liam "Are you serious?"

"When John & I lost Grace, we kept her trust in place, in case I got pregnant again" said Mary "I guess deep down, I knew I would have another baby one day, so when I found out I was pregnant, I called Edgar and told him about the baby and that Pamela was living here and was getting married. He'll be here the day after the Wedding to get Pamela's signature"

"Mom... How... much?" said Momma slowly

"$30 Million" said Mary as Momma collapsed onto the floor

"I... can't... breathe" panted Momma "Oh... God" and started crying

"Come on darlin" said Mack "Let Pooh bear get you off the floor and into a chair... Shh, just breathe Pamela" as he picked Momma up and set her at the kitchen table

"Momma Look at me" I said "That's it, look at me" and put her hand on my chest "No, don't close your eyes Momma, look at me, that's it... Feel my heartbeat and slow you r breathing, in thru your nose, out thru your mouth, that's it Momma, just breathe and listen to me. I know its a shock, but your Grandpa loved you as if you were his daughter and made sure you were taken care of. Don't think of the amount, just think of John.. remember the blue carnations? That's it Momma, remember the flowers and relax. Papa can you get Momma a pain killer and a bottle of water please"

"Okay poppet" said Papa

"I know, the ringing will pass Momma" I said as Papa gave me the pain killer and water "Thanks Papa.. Okay Momma, come on and take this, it'll make your head feel better... aw damnit Momma" and smacked the back of her head

"Hey!!" said Momma

"Welcome back Momma" I said "next time, don't go catatonic and I wont have to hit your reset button... take the pain killer Momma, you'll feel better"

"Oh.. okay" said Momma and the pill "Thanks baby"

"You're welcome Momma" I said "Are you gonna be alright? cuz I need to put the potato salad together"

"Yeah, I'll be fine baby, go ahead" said Momma

"Okay... Liam, go set those back in the study and help Mary, Gran & Grandpa peel apples... Marcus, start making burgers, 30 of them... Jimmy, start slicing onions... Papa, slice tomatoes... Mack, rinse and peel a head of lettuce... Sarah, I need you to get a can of dog food and put it in Chelsea & Trudy's bowls please and Simon, you're on stand-by bc I can't lift anything heavy"

"Yes ma'am" said Simon

"Hey Izzie... I'll bet Pappie knew you" I said 

"Why do you say that sweetie?" asked Mary

"Because Pappie told my Mom once, that she looked like 'Mary' " I said "I'll bet he was talking about your Mom and if her knew her, then he probably new you too... and that would explain why my Mom had that dream about Momma when she got her tattoo"

"You have a tattoo Pamela?" asked Mack

"Yeah, I have 2.. one on each shoulder blade" said Momma "A phoenix on my left and the Marine's coat of arms on the right.. I keep them covered up sometimes"

"Ah.. that explains why I didn't see them when we were at the beach yesterday" said Mack

"Yeah.. Dad & Pops didn't know I had then bc I got them done when I was away at College" said Momma

"What College?" asked Mack

"University of Michigan" said Momma "I have an Athletics Degree with a minor degree in Law and I'm CPR & First-Aide certified"

"Impressive... Beauty & Brains" said Mack

"Okay lemur monkey, explain why you have to get firearm recertified with your Momma" said Papa

"Because I have a gun.. It was in my camera bags that Jimmy brought me along with all of my permits & proof of ownership" I said "I had to show them to Rothsdale yesterday and that's when he noticed that my current permit was temporary and that I needed to bring it and all of my paperwork on Tuesday, to recertify it and keep it legal. And bc I'm 10, I need to have a parent with me and Momma needs to get certified by Monday, so Rothsdale said he'd get us both squared away at the same time"

"You don't have a gun" said Liam

"Yes she does" said Mary "Louis & I saw it"

"Where are you keeping it?" asked Momma

"Locked up in my desk, in my room" I said "and no, its not loaded, the clips & bullets are locked up with it... It was David's and its the only thing of his that I have"

"Ah... What is it?" asked Momma

"Its a 9mm Barretta" I said "It has 2 clips that holds 16 rounds each with hollow points"

"Are you trying to kill a semi truck?" asked Liam

"Nope" I said "Just that crazy bitch Montgomery"

"Excuse me?" said Momma "What are you talking about?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you... Guess who the dirty cop was?" I said "Chief Montgomery"

"No way" said Papa

"Yeah, she got in the house yesterday and waited till I was alone in the back yard and pulled a gun on me" I said "My gun & phone were in my camera bag so I dialed Rothsdale and pulled my gun on her till he showed up and arrested her"

"Why was she here?" asked Papa

"To find Des" I said "And to kill Me, Anne, Haz, Gem & Momma, along with whoever tried to stop her"

"Why me?" said Momma

"Because you stopped Des when you called Louis after he hit me" I said "She offered you the job of finding a dirty cop, so she could make it look like you got shot by someone else"

"That crazy bitch" said Zayn

"Rothsdale said you still have the job" said Marcus "Baxter needs a partner bc Rothsdale is filling in as Chief till the position is filled... I personally hope they offer him the job, he deserves it"

"Do you want me to feed the girls jellybean?" asked Sarah

"Sure petal, out on the patio, okay?" I said 

"Okay.. Simon, could you get the door for me please?" asked Sarah

"Sure sweetie" said Simon and opened the back door

"Thank you" said Sarah "Chelsea, Trudy, dinner time.. come on pretty babies... nope, no jumping, good girls... here you go, eat it all gone and then we'll play"

"Your dogs are beautiful Mary" said Simon

"Thanks Simon, but Trudy is Jessie's dog.. Chelsea is mine" said Mary

"Which one is Trudy?" asked Simon

"The tan & white Corgi is Trudy... Chelsea is a Siberian Husky" said Zayn "Trudy is 6 months old and.. How old did Robin say Chelsea is?"

"3 months old" said Mary

"This really nice lady in London heard what happened to Duchess and the next morning, I mean within hours, a man showed up with this huge cloth-covered basket saying he had a special delivery and there she was, sleeping inside" I said "I picked her up and she snuggled into my arms and went back to sleep... and she snores, its the cutest thing ever"

"Where do they sleep?" asked Mack

"In the baby play yard in the Livingroom near the stairs" I said "They have their toys & blankets they sleep with in it"

"Izzie, I'm going to go play with the girls for a bit... Will you call me when the apples are ready?" said Sarah

"Sure petal, go ahead" said Mary

"Thanks Izzie" said Sarah and ran out the back door

"Is Sarah staying all wekk Mom?" asked Momma

"Yeah.. Linda & Tom agreed that Sarah & Brian needed a little space from each other" said Mary "Sarah's going to sleep on an air mattress in Marcus & Jessie's room"

"What?" I said chuckling "What's that look for Pooh bear?"

"You & Marcus share a bedroom?" said Mack

"Yes, is that a problem?" I said "Because Momma & Papa said that was fine as long as we didn't break their rule"

"Which is?" said Mack

"No sex till I'm 18" I said "and we agreed"

"Pooh bear, I told you about Marcus & Jessie.. remember?" said Jimmy

"No, what you said was that Jessie had a boyfriend... NOT ONCE did you say that they slept in the same bed, in the same room" said Mack "I may have been born on a SUNDAY, but it sure as Hell wasn't YESTERDAY"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes "JAMES MORRIS BURKE... please tell me that you told Mack the OTHER thing about Marcus & I" I said calmly

"Um... No" said Jimmy

"Aw Jesus Christ Jimmy... No wonder Mack's busting a blood vessel over here" I said and sighed "Mack, Marcus & I have known each other for a long time"

"How long?" said Mack

"Almost 20 years" I said 

"That would mean that you've known each other since before you were born, Jessica... Don't toy with me" said Mack

"That's exactly what I mean" I said "And toying with emotions is not in my wheelhouse.. DON'T TRIFLE WITH ME MACKENZIE WALTER FITZSIMMONS"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... calm down you two" said Liam "Jimmy, why don't you tell Mack THE WHOLE story and Mack, you need to listen and think outside the box of what is impossible, okay?"

"Okay" said Jimmy

"Okay" said Mack "Because what she's saying makes no sense"

"It will, trust me" said Liam "Jimmy, the floor is yours and Simon, just listen"

As Jimmy explained everything, Marcus went upstairs and came back with his portfolio.

"And that's everything Mack" said Jimmy

"I painted this after Jessie left... in March of 2000" said Marcus "I want you to look at it.. very closely"

"Okay" said Mack as Marcus opened the folder to my portrait "Oh my God... How.. How old was she?"

"She was 24" said Marcus "I fell in love with Jessie in 1991, when she was 15. We were together for 9 years when she left to be Catherine's daughter. That is why Ni & Pamela have the rule AND why Jessie & I share a room and a bed"

"Now does what I said make sense?" I asked

"Yeah, it does" said Mack "I'm sorry I lost it care bear, forgive me?"

"Of course I forgive you" I said "I thought you knew, had I known you didn't, I would've told you way before now Pooh bear"

The front door opened "Jessica Renee Foster-Aimsworth-Horan, if you ever do this again, I'll hit you with a perfume bomb" said Haz and dropped a box on the coffee table

"Haz?.. What's wrong?" I asked "What's in the box?"

"Photos from your SD card" said Haz "475 photos Jessie... Do you know how much that cost?"

"Oh no... Haz, I am so sorry" I said "How much do I owe you?"

"$150 dollars" said Haz 

"Oh my God" I said "I swear to God Haz, I thought I put a new SD card in my camera... I should've double checked it first. Let me get the money for you" and ran upstairs "OW!! FLIPPING FISH STICKS!!… MARCUS XAVIER SMITH I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!!" and came downstairs holding my right eye

"Oh for God's sake angel... Where was this one at?" said Marcus

"IN THE CLOSET MARCUS!!" I yelled "YOU JUST WAIT TILL SUNDAY BECAUSE YOU'RE A FUCKING DEAD MAN!!!" and got an ice pack from the freezer and held it on my eye "Now, unless you want to DIE now, I suggest that you go upstairs and find the rest of your 'forgotten' boobytraps bc if I get hit by ONE MORE boobytrap, I'm calling Damian... Do you understand me?"

"Yes Ma'am" said Marcus and ran upstairs

"Let me see how bad it is Jessie" said Mary and lifted the ice pack "Its not bruised sweetie, its just red... Looks like your cheekbone caught it again... keep the icepack on it for 10 minutes, okay?"

"Okay" I said and walked over to Haz "Here Haz.. I'm really sorry about this"

"OW!!" yelled Marcus "OW!!… OW!!… OW!!"

"YOU FORGOT MY ASS!!" I yelled "NEXT TIME DRAW A FUCKING MAP!!"

"What do you mean by 'again', Mom?" said Momma

"Saturday after we got back from dress shopping, Jessie went upstairs to change and got hit in the eye by one of Marcus's boobytraps... in her dresser" said Mary

"Oh no" said Papa "I told Marcus not to do that"

"Papa.. you knew?" I said "and you left here without telling me?"

"I'm so sorry poppet" said Papa "I told Marcus to keep his ambushes & boobytraps outside bc Mary would skin us all if he broke the house"

"OW!!.. OW!!… SON OF A BITCH" yelled Marcus

"Oh my God" laughed Momma

" HAHA MARCUS... KARMA'S A BITCH HELL BENT ON REVENGE" I yelled

"OH SHUT UP" yelled Marcus "NOBODY ASKED YOU JESSICA"

"They argue like they're married" said Simon

"Yeah, I know" said Mack

"YOU STARTED THIS MARCUS, NEXT TIME DON'T TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF!!" I yelled "MY FAMILY DOESN'T NEED TO SEE WHAT'S MINE"

"SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP" yelled Marcus

"EXCUSE ME?" I yelled as I went upstairs

"I DON'T MAKE EXCUSES" yelled Marcus

"SUCK THIS UP... BUTTERCUP" I yelled and punched him in the eye

"OW!! JESUS CHRIST JESSIE, STOP OR I'LL HOSE YOU DOWN IN THE SHOWER" yelled Marcus

"IF YOU DONT LET GO OF ME MARCUS, I'LL GIVE YOU MORE THAN A BLACK EYE!!" I yelled


	97. Chapter 97

Chapter 97

NIALL'S POV

"That's it" I said and went to the stairs "JESSICA RENEE HORAN, GET DOWN HERE... NOW!!"

Jessie came down the stairs followed by Marcus

"That's enough Jessie... not another word" I said "go finish putting you salad together... quietly.. go on" and Jessie went back to the kitchen

"I'm going to go start the grill" said Marcus and went outside

"Knock, knock.. Is the war over?" asked Anne as she came thru the door

"Yeah.. Comein Anne" I said as Anne came in and hugged me

"Welcome home Niall" said Anne "How was Georgia?"

"Oh Anne, its so beautiful there" I said "The beaches look like postcards and everyone we met were so nice"

"Wow.. I'm glad you had a good time" said Anne "How was your flight home?"

"It was good" I said "I sat in the cockpit with Pamela as the sun came up over the ocean... it was so amazing to see, it was like the water was on fire"

"Oh gosh.. oh, I'd go on a plane just to see that" said Anne

"Now I see why Pamela loves to fly" I said "Anne, its closest thing to Heaven you'll ever get to"

"So does this mean that I get to fly when we go to Ireland?" asked Pamela and hugged me from behind and rested her chin on my shoulder

"Nope... If we were going on a holiday, then yes" I said "but we're going so the rest of the family can meet you & Jessie before the Weddingso, no, you can't fly us there"

"Gran... Niall's being mean to me again" said Pamela in a mock pout

"Niall James.. behave" said Gran "Let the girl fly if she wants to"

"Yeah Niall, pleeease?" whined Pamela "Pretty please, with whipped cream & sprinkles on top?"

"No" I said

"Fine.. then you can sleep in the truck till we're married" said Pamela "I have no problem sleeping alone"

I groaned "Okay, yes, yes, yes you can fly us to Ireland" I said "Are you happy now?"

"Yay!! Thanks sunshine, you're the ultimate best" said Pamela and kissed my cheek and walked away

"No, what he is, is a marshmallow" said Haz

"And I guess that makes you the Rock of Gibraltar, right?" I said "ya twat"

"I never implied that I was" said Haz "I'm going with the philosophy of 'Happy life? Happy Wife'... If the woman wants to fly, let her for crying out loud... She got you home in one piece didn't she?... ya crazy git"

"Oh bugger off Haz" I said 

"Fine, have it your way Ni" said Haz "but you keep thinking like that and you two wont last 6 months" and went to sit next to Mary

"He's right Niall" said Gran

"Oh my God" I said "I give up... I'm gonna go see if Marcus needs anything"

"A kick in the ass is what Marcus needs" mumbled Jessie and continued cutting potatoes "Damn pain in my ass"

"What was that Jessie?" I asked

"Nothing Papa" said Jessie

"Mhm" I said and went outside "Hey"

"Hey... Is Jessie still pissed off?" asked Marcus

"Yep... you sure screwed the pooch this time mate" I said "I told you not to boobytrap her room"

"I should've listened.. I'm sorry Ni" said Marcus "She's never going to forgive me for this"

"Yes she will" said Sarah "You just need to apologize and mean it... and ask Ni & Pamela"

"You think so?" asked Marcus

"Yep" said Sarah "Go for it Tiger"

Marcus went to the door "Pamela.. Can I talk to you.. outside?"

"Sure" said Pamela and came outside and sat next to me "What's up?"

"I need to ask you both for permission to ask Jessie to marry me" said Marcus "I know for a fact that I almost lost her today, and with Jessie needing surgery, I can't wait till she's 18 to ask her. I absolutely promise, no sex till we're married, just please, let me ask her"

"If we allow this... When do you want to get married?" asked Pamela

"When Jessie feels she's ready" said Marcus "I don't want to rush her decision... I'll be ready when she is"

"Ni, What do you think?" said Pamela "We both know she's nowhere near ready now, but who's to say when she will be? Mom was 16 when she got married, and was 17 when she had Dad... We need to think about Jessie"

"Okay.. you can ask her" I said "Lets try and get her to 16 to say 'I do'.. Okay?"

"Okay" said Marcus "Thank you.. both of you"

"You're welcome" said Pamela & I

"When are you going to ask her?" asked Pamela

"Tonight, after dinner" said Marcus "I need to go apologize now or she'll say 'No' "

"Then come on Romeo, Juliet is waiting" said Sarah as we went inside

"Geez Doodlebug... Do you think you made enough salad?" said Jimmy

"Yes.. Izzie said to plan on 30 for dinner" said Jessie "If you can't handle it, feel free to go home and eat ramen noodles all night"

"Nope... I don't argue with the head honcho" said Jimmy "Mary scares me more than you do"

"Jimmy!!" said Mary and chuckled "Why would you say that?"

"Because, I've seen you shut Louis up with just a look" said Jimmy "and that, my sweet Mary, is very scary"

"Ah.. I see" said Mary "point made"

"Hey angel" said Marcus

"Hey" said Jessie, but didn't look at him

"I'm sorry angel, I didn't mean for this to get so out of hand" said Marcus "I swear to God, there's no more boobytraps in our room... forgive me?.. please?"

Jessie sighed and turned around "I'm sorry for punching you and yelling so much... I forgive you... forgive me?" said Jessie

"Always" said Marcus and kissed her red cheekbone "Does it still hurt?"

"A little, but not so much" said Jessie

"How did your salad turn out?" asked Marcus

"Its to die for" said Mack "What do you want to do with the rest of these eggs care bear?"

"Um... lets make some deviled eggs Pooh bear" said Jessie

"Ooo good idea" said Mack "I found this new way of making them... you use sour cream & chives instead of mayo, mustard & paprika... its sooo good"

"It sounds more like dip than deviled" said Jessie

"Well we've got 20 eggs, why don't I take a couple and make up a sample to try?" said Mack

"Sure.. go ahead" said Jessie "The chives are in the food pantry, 3rd shelf from the top on the left"

"Ooo sweet... you are gonna love em" said Mack

"Oh here we go again" said Pamela "First it was chicken & waffles, now this?.. You keep this up Mack and I'm going to loose my fiancé"

"Never poppet... My heart belongs to the most beautiful pair of purple eyes the world had ever seen" I said 

"Not to mention a legs that could make a gay man go straight" said Mack "I'm just sayin"

"Hey... back that honey pot up there Pooh bear, that's my Momma you're talking about" said Jessie "Don't be lookin at her legs like that... I'll have to scrub my brain with bleach"

"Sorry care bear" said Mack "but its the truth... Catherine did too and she made my dresses look damn good"

"Oh dear God,, would you stop" said Jessie "I can't take it any more"

"That's what he said" said Simon

Zayn burst out laughing.

"Oh no.. not again" said Pamela

"That's what he said" said Jimmy and started laughing

"Stop,, please" said Zayn and wiped his eyes, still laughing "Oh .. God"

"That's what he said" said Mack, laughing

"Breathe Grandpa.. Y'all need to stop" said Jessie "Slow & easy Grandpa, that's it, just breathe... I know these jokes are funny, but Grandpa goes into laughing fits... its not good for the babies"

"Oh gosh.. sorry care bear" said Mack "Sorry Zayn"

"Its okay.. Mack.. you.. didn't know" panted Zayn

"Slow it down babe" said Liam "That's it... deep breath.. hold it... and release it... Are you okay now?"

"Yeah.. Oh man, now I'm dizzy" said Zayn

"When did you eat last Pops?" asked Pamela

"I haven't really... I had some celery sticks with peanut butter on them and some tea" said Zayn

"Okay.. I'll make you a sandwich" said Pamela "It sounds like your sugar level dropped"

"Just a half sandwich Peaches, its too close to dinner" said Zayn

"Okay Pops" said Pamela "Salami & swiss with mustard?"

"Yes please" said Zayn

"You got it" said Pamela and made the half a sandwich "Here you go Pops... small bites"

"Thanks Peaches" said Zayn and did as he was told

"You're welcome" said Pamela

"That's my fault Pamela" said Haz "I was making eggs this morning while Mary & Liam were helping Jessie and burned them, so Zayn & Liam had to go get groceries"

"Next time Pops, make a sandwich" said Pamela "and eat on the way or I'll hit your reset button... hard"

"Yes ma'am" said Zayn "I will, promise"

"Okay Jessie, try this" said Mack and handed her an egg, and took a bite

"Oh wow.. this is good" said Jessie

"May I?" asked Liam

"Sure Liam" said Mack and handed him one

"Oh Holy wow" said Liam "You gotta make these... I like these better than the other way... try it Ni"

I took one and shared it with Pamela "Oh.. my.. God" I said as Pamela ate hers

"I agree" said Pamela "you have to make these... Mom, oh, you'd love these"

"I'll take your word for it sweetie" said Mary "You know hard boiled eggs don't sit well with me"

"Oh yeah... I forgot, sorry Mom" said Pamela

"That's okay sweetie" said Mary "Sarah.. the apples are ready... lets put this together, its going to take an hour to bake"

"Okay Izzie.... What do we need?" said Sarah

"Cinnamon, sugar, flour, cornstarch, the can of oatmeal, salt & raisins" said Mary "Jessie, can you get 5 sticks of butter... melt 3 in the microwave and get me 3-9x13 glass baking dishes out of the storage pantry... bottom shelf to the right of OLd Joe please"

"Yes ma'am" said Jessie

"What are you making Mom?" asked Pamela

Apple cobbler for desert" said Mary "with vanilla ice cream"

"Oh... I'm in love" said Mack "Sorry Haz, but I can't let you marry Mary... she just stole my heart"

"Oh hush you flirt" said Mary

"They say 'the quickest way to a Man's heart, it thru his stomach' " said Mack

"They also say 'Give a Man a fish and he'll eat for a day... Show him how to grill it, and you'll never see him again' " said Mary

"Aw snap.. She got you Pooh bear" said Jessie

"Oh, she's good... didn't even miss a beat" said Mack

"Good one Mary" said Gran "High-5" and smacked their hands together

"Oh, we're toast come Sunday" whispered Marcus

"Yep.. we are" I whispered "The old lady's gotta go"

"Yep, no doubt" whispered Marcus

"PAPA!!" said Jessie

"Oh shut up lemur monkey" I said "Like you ladies haven't said the same thing about us"

"We may have, but at least we may or may not have said it in private" said Jessie "Y'all seriously need to learn 'The Art of War' "

RULE #1: Don't write anything down and keep your mouth shut in the presence of the enemy

RULE#2: NEVER tip off the enemy to your battle plan

RULE#3: Divide & Conquer IS NOT always the best option

RULE#4: Learn to fake it

RULE#5: IF you're gonna die, shut up and take it like a Man

"Holy shit... What kind of War are we fighting?" said Mack

"Its an epic water fight... Men vs. Women in a battle for Supremacy" said Jessie "Winning team gets bragging rights for 1 year and the losing team has to make dinner... and it WONT be us"

"Damn straight it wont" said Pamela and smacked Jessie's hand with hers

"Is Phase I set?" asked Jessie

"Yep.. as we speak" said Pamela

"Good... Commence with Phase II" said Jessie

"Yes ma'am Admiral" said Pamela and pulled out her phone "hey, you're a go... meet us here at 0530 Zulu on Thursday... yep, see you then... peace out" and hung up "In progress Admiral, set for 3 days hence"

"Excellent" said Jessie and went upstairs, then came down with 2 long metal boxes "Captain, lets go and grab that box of empty coffee cans.. Sergeant, when you're done, join us in Anne's yard"

"Yes ma'am Admiral" said Sarah as Jessie & Pamela went out the back door

"What the fuck just happened?" I said, dumbfounded

"I have no clue, but I'm gonna find out" said Marcus and went to the nursery to watch, so Jimmy & I followed right behind him

"What in the bloody Hell is that?" I said

"That, Gentlemen, is an AR-15 assault paintball gun" said Jimmy and put his hands on Marcus & I's shoulders "and we are so fucking dead" as we watched Jessie climb the tree and onto Anne's shed as Pamela set up the targets in the yard by the field fence, then assembled her own gun.

"What is she putting on that gun?" asjed Marcus

"A laser sight" said Jimmy as Sarah came out with her sling shot and loaded up with paint balls and got into their positions in Anne's yard

"They're in a 'turkey shoot' formation" said Jimmy "Oh God... I can't watch" and closed his eyes

"What's that?" asked Marcus

"Its where they hit the target at the same time from 3 different angles - down low, mid level & high up... each shooter has a different color paintball so that they can tell if they hit the target" said Jimmy

There was a dull thud as 3 different colors hit the target dead center.

"Oh Holy shit... they did it" I said "right in the center of the target"

"There's and old saying Men" said Mack "If you want to live a long life, NEVER mess with a woman who can shoot a gun and never misses" and walked away

"What do we do now Marcus?" I said "We have to live with them when this is all over... I'm at a loss here"

"I know Ni, I'm thinking.. just give me a minute" said Marcus "HAZ! GET IN HERE"

"What's up Coach?" said Haz

"Have you ever read any books on War?" asked Marcus

"Sure" said Haz "I've read books on War strategies thru history too - british & American, along with the battle of Waterloo... Why?"

"Because we have 5 days to learn every successful military strategy there is if we have any hope of winning" said Marcus "We need an overview map of the lake... where we can see the placement of trees, bushes, barriers, buildings, vehicle locations, bathroom facilities, water... everything, so we can plan strategy meetings"

"No problem" said Haz "I can use my laptop and get the maps at work & print them up... and we can have meetings at Gem's place with Louis before Ni & I have to be at the store"

"Okay, that works" said Marcus "We'll tell Louis, Liam & Robin tonight and if we cant make it to Lou's, we'll meet up at the park for meetings"

"We can't loose this guys" I said "The girls will never let us forget it if we do"

"Hands in guys" said Jimmy "No Retreat, No Surrender... God help us all"

"God help us all" said Marcus, Haz & I

"Lets go.. I've got 30 burger to cook up and we've wasted too much time as it is" said Marcus as we went in the kitchen

"Where's Mack & Simon?" I said

"They're out grilling the burgers" said Gran "They got bored waiting for you schmucks to do it"

"Aw shit" said Jimmy "Come on guys, lets go get the table & chairs out of the garage before Mack kicks our ass for slacking off"

We went to the garage and got the table and set it up, then went to get the chairs.

"Who do you think Pamela was talking to?" asked Haz

"Whoever it was, they'll be here at 5:30am Thursday" said Jimmy "I know Military time when I hear it"

"Military Time?" I said "Hmm... I'll bet the General's coming bc Becca is in Flight school"

"I'll bet Jake & Tim are in on this, cuz they said they had somewhere to be, but they'd be back next week" said Jimmy

"This is crazy guys" said Marcus "Ni, just check Pamela's phone and see who she called"

"No way mate" I said "I'm not going there, she'll kill me before we say 'I do'... and if she doesn't, Jessie will and if I'm gonna die, you're coming with me"

"Good point" said Marcus "Moving on"

Once we had the table & chairs set up, we set the table. Mom & Robin arrived, along with Andrew & the guys.. Linda stopped by, but couldn't stay.

"Here's your Ipod Jessie" said Linda "all of our songs are under 'music festival' "

"Oh thanks Linda" said Jessie "I'll see you Wednesday at noon"

"You're welcome Jessie.. see you Wednesday" said Linda and left as Jessie's phone rang 

"Its Rothsdale" said Jessie

JESSIE: Hello?

ROTHSDALE: Hey kiddo.. Are you sitting down?

JESSIE: Um.. I am now.. What's up?

ROTHSDALE: Guess who wants to meet you in 20 minutes?

JESSIE: Are you serious?

ROTHSDALE: Yep, and you are our first stop.. plus, I have some good news too

JESSIE: Oh gosh.. Oh yes, please come over... Momma & Papa are here too, they got in this morning

ROTHSDALE: Wow, that's great kiddo... Well, we'll be there in 20

JESSIE: Okay, see you in 20

and hung up "Hannah & the babies got released way ahead of schedule and are going to be here in 20 minutes" said Jessie "Oh my God, I get to meet my Godbabies"

"Oh Jessie, that's great.. right?" said Mary

"Oh Hell yeah, its beyond great, its wonderful" said Jessie "Oh gosh.. I need to go change" and ran in the house

"Where's Jessie going in such a rush?" said Mack

"She's going to change her clothes" said Mary "Mr. Rothsdale & his wife are coming over to see Jessie with her Godbabies"

"Oh wow" said Mack "I remember her telling us that yesterday before we left"

"Mr. Rothsdale & Jessie have gotten close since the accident" said Mary "He packed Jessie's belongings from the apartment she was living in... He called Haz & I bc a friend of our was in the accident also and told us about Jessie and here we are"

"Mom, they're here" said Zayn "I'll go tell Jessie and let them in"

"Thanks Zayn" said Mary


	98. Chapter 98

Chapter 98

ZAYN'S POV

"JESSIE.. HURRY UP PRINCESS, THEY'RE HERE" I yelled 

"BE RIGHT DOWN GRANDPA" yelled Jessie

"Knock, Knock" said Rothsdale as he came thru the door with his wife

"Hey Mr. Rothsdale, Mrs. Rothsdale… Jessie will be right down" I said "She's had kind of a rough day"

"So I heard" said Rothsdale "Hannah said that Jessie was in the hospital"

"Yeah, she got a yeast infection and spiked a fever, so Mary & Haz took her" I said "They got her fever down, gave her some antibiotics and sent her home" as Jessie came downstairs

"Hey kiddo" said Rothsdale "What happened to your eye?"

"Marcus & I have been pranking each other and one of his hit me in the eye" said Jessie "I'm fine tho"

"Alright then... Hannah, this is Jessie" said Rothsdale "Jessie, this is my wife, Hannah"

"Its nice to finally meet you Jessie" said Hannah "Steven has told me so much about you"

"Its nice to meet you too Hannah" said Jessie "Can you stay? We were just sitting down for dinner. We're just having burgers & potato salad and Mary made an apple cobbler for desert... You're more than welcome to join us, we have plenty"

"Hannah? Would you like to stay for dinner?" asked Steven

"I'd love to.. Thank you Jessie" said Hannah

"We're eating outside" said Jessie "The rest of the family is out back" and led the way to the back yard

"Oh goodness... you have a big family" said Hannah

JESSIE'S POV

"Yes ma'am... Momma, Papa, this is Hannah Rothsdale" I said "Hannah, This is my Momma, Pamela and my Papa, Niall"

"Nice to meet you Hannah" said Papa

"Nice to meet you as well" said Hannah "Steven has told me so much about all of you, I feel like I already know everyone"

"Then lets put the faces with the names" I said "Give a wave y'all… Mary & Harry... Anne & Robin... Liam & Zayn... Maura, Sarah & Beth... Marcus and his brothers Andrew, Damian, Davis, Collin & Stuart... and my Uncles Simon, Jimmy & Mack"

"Where's Gemma & Louis?" asked Steven

"They had plans, but they'll be here a little later on" I said as Chelsea & Trudy came running up "and this is Chelsea & Trudy... be nice and say hello"

"Aroooo, arf, arf" barked & howled Chelsea & Trudy

"Good girls... ah, ah, ahnot too close Chelsea, there's babies in there... shh, they're sleeping... you can see them in a bit, go play noe" I said as they ran off

"When did you get them?" asked Steven

"Andrew gave Chelsea to Mary Friday night and Trudy arrived Saturday morning" I said "A lady in London heard about Duchess and sent me Trudy"

"A lady.. in London" said Steven "THE LADY?"

"Yep, the one and only" I said "I called her and we talked for a bit. I see why everyone loves her.. She's a special lady"

"Yes, she is" said Steven

"Lets say Grace" said Mary "Everyone join hands... Jessie"

"Heavenly Father, bless this food with all of the Love that it took to make.. Thank you for bringing Momma & Papa, Jimmy, Mack & Simon home safe... Thank you for allowing Hannah & the babies to recover so quickly and able to be with us today... Bless us with your Love, Grace and Patience this week.. In Jesus name, Amen" I said

"Amen" said everyone

"Nicely done care bear" said Mack

"Thanks Pooh bear" I said 

"Okay everyone, get something to eat... We have everything for your burgers at the patio table so help yourselves" said Mary "If you want to know how to make a 'garbage burger' ask Pamela, she's the expert, otherwise fix them how you like"

"Izzie, the timers are buzzing" said Sarah

"Thanks petal" said Mary and went inside and came back out a few minutes later "Okay, the apple cobbler is cooling and I'm starving"

"Here Mom.. Pops said these were your idea, so here you go" said Momma

"Oh thanks sweetie" said Mary

"Okay Pamela, What's on a garbage burger?" asked Mack

"Okay Mackdaddy, watch and commit it to memory" said Momma "You don't want everything on one side of the burger, you want it on both sides so the burger is in the middle"

"Okay" said Mack

"Take your bun.. Mayo on both sides... Ketchup & Mustard on the top... cheese & tomato on the bottom.. pickles & onions on the top, now here's the kicker... take a piece of lettuce and put some mayo on it and a few drops of wasabi sauce - not too much bc a little goes a long way... set your burger in the lettuce and wrap it around it and set it on the bottom bun,,, carefully put the top on and smah it down, so that it oozes all over" said Momma "And THAT is a prime garbage burger"

"Okay" said Mack and did what Momma did "I tell ya, if I didn't know what was on it, I probably wouldn't wat it, but I'll try anything once"

Once everyone was seated the comments and conversations started.

"Oh wow" said Mack "I love the wasabi sauce on it"

"I know, right?" said Papa "Pamela made me one of these the day we met and I proposed that night, but she turned me down"

"Really? So how many times did you ask her before she said yes?" asked Mack

"Twice" said Papa "Then I asked Liam & Zayn for her hand and when they said yes & gave their blessing, I asked Gran for hers and I asked the General for his... Once I had them, I actually proposed and she said yes"

"Who's the General?" asked Mack

"My best friend Becca's Grandfather" said Momma "He's a career Marine.. so are his brothers, 4 sons & Becca... Becca is one of my bridesmaids and the General is officiating our Wedding"

"Wow.. What does Becca do?" asked Mack

"Becca's going thru combat flight training to fly F-16's" said Momma "I met Becca in College and we got our pilot's licenses together and she kept me sane during finals... Becca & her whole family will be here on September 21st, along with Ni's family"

"Yeah.. Jake & Tim are flying Papa's family here & back" I said "Papa just needs to tell me how many are coming.. which he still hasn't done"

"That's bc everyone needs to schedule the 5 days off from work poppet" said Papa

"Ah okay, keep me posted" I said 

"I will, promise" said Papa "You were right about the potato salad poppet, its really good... Its becoming one of my favorites you've made so far"

"Thanks Papa" I said 

"You made this Jessie?" said Steven

"Yeah.. Its my Grandma Maggie's recipe - she always put sweet pickles in it" I said "and its Mack's favorite"

"Do you cook a lot?" asked Steven

"Just for this past week.. Momma needed a break and Louis wanted me to teach him, so I said I would" I said "Cooking helps me keep my mind off things I don't want to think about"

"Like the surgery?" asked Hannah

"Yeah.. like that" I said "The surgery doesn't scare me, really, its having to stay in the hospital... I don't like hospitals.. there's too many voices and hospitals are just plain creepy"

"Yes they are" said Hannah "and bc its not home, you don't get much sleep"

"Exactly" I said "and what is it about nurses & doctors?.. its like they can't just walk in the room.. they gotta sneak in and scare the Holy crap out of ya... its creepy"

"I agree, its really creepy" said Hannah and giggled

"Izzie?" said Sarah

"Yes petal?" said Mary

"Can I tell everyone my secret?.. the suspence is killing me" said Sarah

"Sure... go ahead" said Haz

"Ooo Haz & Mary are having twins" said Sarah

"What?... And you didn't say anything Haz?" said Papa

"I told you.. ask Mary" said Haz "Dang Ni... When are you going to start using your brain for something OTHER than what its currently being used for?"

"When I'm dead I'll think of other things" said Papa "So shut up before you get me in trouble"

"Too late Papa" I said "so give it up... There ain't enough bleach on this planet to get rid of what's in your brain"

"Oh my God" squealed Anne "2 grandbabies? I get 2 grandbabies?"

"Yep, you do Mum" said Haz and gave her the pictures "See?"

"Oh gosh.. OMGosh" said Anne and pulled out her phone "Gemma, What are you doing?... well eat fast and get over to Harry's... oh no sweetie, its the most wonderful thing ever... hurry... I Love You too Gemma" and hung up "I can't believe it... twins" and wiped her eyes

"Aw Mum, don't start crying" said Haz "cuz... aw crap.. too late" and wiped his eyes "Thanks Mum"

"Oh honey" said Anne "Shh"

"I'm so happy Mum" cried Haz "I'm okay.. I already cried when I heard their heartbeats"

"Its pretty special, huh?" said Anne and wiped Haz's eyes

"Yeah it is" sniffed Haz

"You're going to be a great Daddy Harry" said Anne "Don't ever forget that"

"Okay Mum" said Haz

"Harry.. that feeling? it grows when you see them being born" said Steven "In the split second that it takes them to take their first breath, your whole life comes into focus and all your fears & worries just disappear and all you feel is pure Love & profound peace... its amazing"

Chelsea & Trudy started whining when one of the babies started fussing.

"I'll grt them darlin" said Steven and got up and uncovered the dual baby carrier "Hey there little man... shh, don't wake your sister.. I know, you want Mommy, huh?"

"Is he hungry?" asked Hannah

"No, he was just feeling left out" cooed Steven and laid Jordan in Hannah's arms, then got Stephanie out of her seat "Come here Harry"

Haz came over to Steven and laid Stephanie in Haz's arms.

"Oh wow... She's so tiny" whispered Haz "Look at those long fingers.. she's going to play piano one day, aren't you little one,,, Oh Hannah, she's beautiful"

"Just like her Mommy" said Steven "The prettiest bit of Scottish tartan I've ever seen"

"Can I take her to Jessie?" asked Haz

"Sure Harry" said Steven as Haz came over to me and put Stephanie in my arms

"Oh.. she is beautiful" I said "Everyone... May I present Ms. Stephanie Renee Rothsdale" as I kissed her head, he opened her eyes "Momma.. oh gosh, she has purple eyes just like yours"

"Oh wow" said Momma and came over to me "She sure does, doesn't she.. hey there beautiful sweetie" Stephanie yawned, stretched and started cooing

"Oh yeah?... I know, she is pretty isn't she?... that's my Mommy... its okay, go back to sleep sweetie" I said as she closed her eyes and curled up in my arms

"She's been doing that since the nurse put her in my arms last night" said Hannah "She sleeps, wakes up, stretches, talks and then goes back to sleep"

"Talking takes a lot out of her" I said and closed my eyes "She has very colorful dreams... birds, flowers, a stone cottage.. the smell of fresh baked bread, lilacs & vanilla?"

"That was our honeymoon" said Hannah and looked at Steven "There's no way.. How does she know that?" and looked at me

"Stephanie read your memories.. like I just read hers" I said "Just like you do... She's an empath... When soulmates become one, their baby or babies, in this case, are given a special gift - they can read, which is different from Me, Sarah, Jimmy, Liam & Louis - I'll explain that in a bit... but with twins, they'll read each other a lot, until they learn to talk, then it will become like... what's the word... Oh 'a twin thing'.... When they're separated, they'll know when the other is hurt, sick, happy, sad... its a connection"

"Oh okay, that makes sense" said Hannah "How is you & the others ability to read different?"

"In Sarah, Jimmy & I's cases, our ability to read is bc we are reincarnated souls... meaning we've lived past lives. Sarah & Jimmy have only had one past life. I've had a lot of them... 17 to be exact and I remember every one of them" I said 

"Why so many?" asked Hannah

"Because someone kept sending me to the wrong timeline" I said and looked at Marcus

"Hey, that wasn't my fault" said Marcus "That was my boss's blunder, not mine, I was just following orders.... Don't shoot the messenger bc the sender got the address wrong"

"Yeah okay" I said and rolled my eyes "In Louis & Liam's case, when a soulmate has a child or children with someone other than their mate, the children are born with the ability to read, which shows up as Imaginary friends and fades over time till they find their soulmate & come in contact with someone like me, who can show them how to read. Marcus can read bc he was an angel and was given a second chance bc his life ended by accident"

"So that's why I can't read Marcus & his brothers" said Hannah and sighed "I can read everyone except them"

"That's bc, except for Marcus, we're still angels" said Davis "and our thoughts are blocked from humans"

"Sorry Hannah, I block when I'm thinking" said Marcus

"That's okay Marcus" said Hannah "Jessie, would you like to trade?"

"Sure" I said as Hannah came over with Jordan "Okay, how do we do this?"

"Its called a 2-hand swap... put Stephanie in my arm, that's it, now cradle your arms under mine, yep, and I gently slip my arm out... there... its a little complicated at first, but it gets easier the more you do it" said Hannah and went to sit down

"This is Mr. Jordan Daniel Rothsdale" I said "Are you going to sleep all day or are you going to wake up and say hello young man" Jordan stretched and opened his eyes, gave me a big smile and started cooing "You think so?... well, I think you're pretty cute too... I know, your Mommy does smell like flowers doesn't she?... She does?... you think we should ask her?... Jordan says he wants to hear you sing again.. be patient, not everyone likes to sing in public young man"

"Yeah... I can't" said Hannah

"See?... I know sweetie but if you can be patient, I'll bet she sings you to sleep later... yes, I sing sometimes, but I don't know any baby songs sweetie, but I will learn some and next time I see you, I'll sing you one, I promise, okay?... "chuckling* okay, go ahead and take a nap then" and closed his eyes "He loves to hear you two sing and hopes to sing like his Daddy one day... you sing to them a lot"

"Yeah, I'd sing when the kids would keep Hannah up" said Steven "I guess they liked it, bc they'd settle down soon after"

"Steven... tell them the other news" said Hannah

"I was offered the Chief of Police job and accepted" said Steven

"Congratulations Chief" said Haz and came over and shook his hand "Louis is going to flip.. he was hoping they'd give you the job"

"Why am I going to flip?" said Louis as he & Gem came thru the door

"Mr. Rothsdale was offered the Chief's job" I said 

"YES!!… Congratulations Chief" said Louis and shook his hand

"Thanks Louis... Louis, Gemma, this my wife Hannah" said Steven

Nice to meet you Hannah" said Louis "and who is this little beauty?"

"Stephanie Renee" I said "and this is her brother Jordan Daniel"

"Oh he's a handsome fella" said Louis "How are you feeling munchkin?"

"Sit down Louis, its not good" I said "What's wrong?" said Louis and sat down

"Mary & Haz had to take me to the hospital after you left" I said "I had to have an exam and the doctor found some scaring and said I can't have children without surgery... either to remove the scar tissue or to retrieve my eggs for insemination at a later time"

"Oh baby... Are you okay with that?" asked Louis

"I'm getting there" I said "Now, get ready for this next bit of news bc Gemma may pass out when she hears it"

"Okay.. hit me" said Louis as he pulled Gemma onto his lap

"Haz & Mary are having twins" I said 

"Are you shitting me?" said Louis "WOOHOO!!"

"Oh my God" said Gem and ran to Haz "Oh bug!! Oh, I'm so happy for you" and kissed his cheek "When are they due?"

"April 15th" said Mary

"Oh no" I said "Haz… Tell me you remembered to get the marriage license today"

"Aw shit... nope" said Haz "I completely forgot"

"You HAVE to do it tomorrow BEFORE you go to work Haz" I said 

"Okay peanut" said Haz

"I'll go with you Haz" said Jimmy "I've gotten to know the ins & outs of the courthouse pretty well, that way you don't get lost and Jessie wont kill you for not getting it"

"Thanks Jimmy, that would be great" said Haz

"Yep.. no problem Haz" said Jimmy

"Mary, while they're gone, we'll get started on your dress" said Mack

"Okay, Thanks Mack" said Mary

"You're welcome Mary" said Mack "Have you picked out names for the babies yet?"

"Yeah, but we still need one more name for a boy" said Mary "I want to have 2 of each, just in case"

"What do you have so far?" asked Mack

"Samantha Anne & Darcy Rose for the girls and Steven Andrew, but on the off chance they're both boys, we need another name" said Mary

"Ah... Well, what's your Dad's name?" asked Mack

"Jackson Scott" said Mary

"I likwe it princess" said Haz 

"Jackson Scott Styles" said Mary "yeah, me too... Thanks Mack, I never would've thought about my Dad's name"

"You're welcome" said Mack "In my family, my parents named me, my brothers & sisters after our Grandparents, Aunts & Uncles and bc I was the first born, I was named after my Great-Grandpa, Walter Mackenzie, but my Mother hated the name Walter so my Nana suggested flipping them around so, Mackenzie Walter Fitzsimmons is what I was named"

"Wow... How many brothers & sisters do you have?" asked Davis

"4 brothers & 3 sisters" said Mack "My baby sister Nicole is going to school in France.. She's changed her major twice"

"What is Niki doing now?" I asked

"Fashion" said Mack "She was taking drama, but said that the French style was so awful, she dropped her courses and started Fashion courses... She's really good too"

"Good for her" I said "Have you told her about moving here?"

"I sent her an email before we left, but she's really busy, so I wont hear from her for a few days" said Mack "Mom & Dad weren't thrilled about me moving, but when are they ever thrilled with anything I do... Yeah, I told them, again, not thrilled"

"We'll talk about that later Pooh bear" I said "Come here" and Mack got up and came over to me "Sit down" and stood up and put Jordan in his arms "Imagine having babies of your own Pooh bear... look at Liam & Zayn... its possible, if you want it bad enough"

"Oh, he's adorable" said Mack as Hannah came over and laid Stephanie in his other arm "Oh my gosh, she's gorgeous"

I whispered in Mack's ear "Imagine it Mack.. holding you & Jimmy's babies"

"You think so?" said Mack

"Yeah, I do" I said "Just picture it Mack.. a house full of happy, healthy, beautiful babies" as Jimmy came over

"Pooh bear, you know me, I'm not good with speeches and I'm not a very romantic person.. I've never been the man you truly deserve, but you're my whole world. I promise to be better bc you make me want to be better... Mackenzie Walter Fitzsimmons, Will you Marry Me?"

"Now?.. You ask me now, when my arms are full of babies?" cried Mack "Yes, I'll marry you, you forgetful, loveable, workaholic" Jimmy slid the ring on Mack's finger and wiped away Mack's tears

"I've waited so long to hear those words" whispered Jimmy "I Love You Mack"

"I Love You too Jimmy" said Mack and cleared his throat "Um.. I have a confession to make"

"What's that Pooh bear?" asked Jimmy

"Um... Jeff found the ring when we were packing up and showed it to me" said Mack "Not a smart idea hiding it under our mattress... you know how I clean"

"In my defense, I wasn't planning on being gone that long, and didn't want to loose it" said Jimmy "I was trying to plan the all-time best proposal in history... with Simon's help"

"Oh" said Mack "well Jimmy, as much as I appreciate what you & Simon tried to do, this is, hands down, THE BEST proposal of all-time in history... surrounded by friends & family, it doesn't get any better than this"

"I told you Jimmy" said Simon "You need to read better... You could've done this months ago.. a quiet little get-togetherwith family & friends, but nooo you wanted the 'wow factor' "

"Months?" said Mack "How long have you been planning this?"

"2 months" said Jimmy "and I've been a nervous wreck praying you wouldn't find out or find the ring till it was all set"

"Oh baby.. next time you try to plan something, just remember.. no fuss, no frills, just small and personal" said Mack "I don't need the 'wow factor', its the thought that counts"

"Now you tell me" said Jimmy "Okay Mr. No-fuss-no-frills, when do you want this shindig?"

"Oh gosh.. I need a calendar" said Mack


	99. Chapter 99

Chapter 99

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

I pulled out my phone and opened my calendar "Okay Mack, I have one... What date do you want to look up?" I said 

"The weekend before Christmas... What's the date for that Saturday?" said Mack

"December 17th" I said 

"Perfect.. Dec. 17th" said Mack

"Dec. 17th it is then" said Jimmy "I can't wait.. Mr. Burke"

"I can't either.. Mr. Burke" said Mack

"YES!!… Wedding #4, here we come" I said and marked Dec, 17th in my reminders "Ooo we gone have some fun now y'all"

Mack & Jimmy laughed "Slow down care bear, we have 4 months" said Mack "Let Haz & Mary have their week before you make us all jump thru hoops"

"I know that Pooh bear... I've had Haz & Mary's plans locked down for 4 days now.. its smooth sailing for the next 3 days, unless Haz forgets the license, in which case I'll have to kill him" I said "but I don't see that happening, so we're golden"

"okay care bear" said Mack

"Hey Simon, come with me.. I need your help setting up some photos" I said "We'll be back in 15 minutes y'all"

"Okay NeeNee" said Simon as we went in the house "What are we doing?"

"I need to make the photo catalogues for Anne and Haz & Izzie from their photo shoot yesterday" I said as we went up to my room to get the catalogues

"Wow.. Is this your room?" said Simon

"Yeah.. Louis & Gemma painted it and set it up for me" I said "Its great huh?"

"Yeah I love it" said Simon "Wow.. Who took this picture?"

"Which one?" I asked

"The one of you, Ni & Pamela" said Simon

"Oh... Haz took that with his phone" I said "That was the morning after I came here"

"Its a great shot" said Simon "He's got a great eye for getting the perfect moment"

"You should tell him that" I said "I told him the same thing, but Haz doesn't think so... I think it would give him more confidence if you said something"

"I will" said Simon "Can I show this to Mack?"

"Sure, go ahead and grab it and lets get this done" I said

"Okay" said Simon as we went downstairs

"I haven't seen them yet, so I don't know if thewy turned out" I said "There's color prints and black & white ones too"

"Which one am I doing?" asked Simon

"You're gonna put Anne's together and I'll do Haz & Izzie's" I said "Anne's has a few test photos in it, so just set those aside"

"Okay" said Simon and grabbed an envelope and opened it "This one has the dogs in it... Is this one Anne's?"

"Yeah" I said as I opened the next one "This one is too" and handed it to Simon and grabbed the next one "Okay, this ones Haz & Izzie's" and set it down next to me

"Here's Haz & Izzie's" said Simon and handed it to me and grabbed another envelope "This one is... wow... Haz & Izzie's... nice shot.. Where was this taken?" as I looked at it

"In the woods next to the field" I said and took the envelop and set it down and grabbed the next one "This one is Anne's... that's all of the rolls I took... lets start going thru them"

"Okay" said Simon as we got to work "Wow.. you did great NeeNee… I love the matching outfits, its very casual & laid back and I love the natural background too"

"Yeah... they never had a family portrait done and now that Anne & Robin are living together, I thought it would a nice way of including him into their family" I said 

"Good idea" said Simon "They make a nice couple... Man, Anne's pretty and she looks so young... does she have a sister?"

"Nope... only child" I said as I finished putting the last photo in the book "This one's all set" and put it in its box

"Yep, this one is too" said Simon and did the same "What's all this?"

"Oh.. photos from an SD card... I'll go thru them later" I said "lets go.. everyone's waiting"

"okay" said Simon as we went back outside

"Are y'all ready to see the best photos of my life?" I said 

"Oh yes" said Anne & Izzie together

"Here you go Anne.. Izzie" I said as I handed them their boxes

"Oh.. Jessie, they're beautiful" said Anne as she slowly turned each page

"Nice work munchkin" said Louis "Oh, I like the photo of Haz & Gem in gthe tent... Who's idea was that?"

"It was set up like that, so Gem & I got in it" said Haz "It was just like the tents Mum used to make us when we were little"

"Yeah... trying to get Mum to get in was fun tho… look" said Gem

"Wow... Anne having fun and looking good" said Davis

"Thank you Davis" said Anne "Oh, I love this one on the porch"

"I like the one of the 4 of us with the white background" said Robin

"Now Anne, this catalogue is your & Robin's to keep" I said "Gem, Haz, any pictures you want from the catalogue, tell me and I'll order copies of them and Anne, if there's any that you would like bigger or smaller, let me know and I'll do the same.. okay?"

"Okay.. Thank you Jessie" said Anne

"You're welcome" I said as Izzie opened her book

"Oh Wow" said Mary

"Whoa Mom" said Louis and covered his eyes

"Way to go Mom" said Zayn "Where's that wild child been hiding" as Mary turned the page

"Don't you worry about where she's been hiding" said Mary "Oh Jessie... the one of Haz & I on the front porch railing.. oh that's... wow"

"I know right?" I said "Wait till you see the one in front of the rose bushes... in color and in black & white"

"Really?.. that good?" said Mary

"Oh yeah" I said "and wait till you see the 'secret' photos I took... they turned out great... you'll see them"

"Oh.. O-okay" said Mary as she peeked at the the next picture before turning the page and slapped it down "Oh my God... Jessica Renee Horan... you didn't-"

"Yep... I did" I said Oh, that's not the only one.. there's 2 more Izzie... like I said, I can take a photo without being intrusive.. Its not like I was right there, I was at least 15 feet away... that's why they invented tele-photo lenses"

"Oh dear God" said Mary and covered her face as Haz turned the page to see it

"Oh gosh" said Haz "Yeah okay, its not so bad princess, there's really nothing to see.. we're just kissing"

"Yeah Mom... Its not like you're gonna get it made bigger and hang it over the couch" said Liam

"He's right Mom' said Momma "just relax and turn the page"

Mary turned the page to the rose bushes "Oh Jessie.. this is my favorite photo and I love the black & white photo.. a lot"

"I knew you would" I said "You two photograph really well together"

"Hey Haz.. I saw the picture you took in Jessie's room" said Simon "Its a great photo... If you ever decide that you want to learn how to use lighting & filters, let me know.. you have a great eye for capturing the perfect moment"

"Wow, Thanks Simon" said Haz and smiled as Simon showed the picture to Mack

"You're welcome Haz" said Simon

"Oh wow, that is a great picture" said Mack "When was this taken?"

"The morning after Mary & I brought Jessie home" said Haz "Jessie had a rough night and couldn't sleep, so Pamela laid down on the couch with her and sang her to sleep... When we woke up, Ni, Pamela & Jessie were all cuddled up, so I used my phone and snapped the picture"

"Ni & I had gotten engaged the night before" said Momma "When we woke up the next day, we talked, after I got Jessie out of the tree next door, and decided to adopt her"

"And what a couple of weeks its been" I said 

"It sounds like it" said Mack

"Okay men" said Andrew "lets clean up here so the ladies can relax and visit for a bit"

Steven started to get up "Mind if I help?" asked Steven

"Sure Steven" said Andrew

"I'll be back in a bit" said Steven "Do you need anything darlin?"

"Could you bring me their diaper bag please?" said Hannah "Its almost feeding time"

"Sure darlin" said Steven and went inside and came back out with the diaper bag and handed it to Hannah and started clearing away the dishes

"Hannah, if you're nursing, you can use the nursery for privacy" said Zayn

"Thank you Zayn, but I'm not nursing" said Hannah "I'm on medication that isn't good for the babies, so they're being bottle fed"

"Oh okay, well the nursery is free for you to use if you need it" said Zayn

"Thank you" said Hannah

"You're welcome" said Zayn and went inside

"The pictures are beautiful Jessie" said Mary "Thank you"

"You're welcome Izzie" I said "as I told Anne.. this catalogue is yours & Haz's to keep, so if you or anyone need any copies made, let me know"

"Hannah are you alright dear?" asked Gran

"I'm fine Beth" said Hannah "Its just nice to be around people again... I've been on bed rest for the past 2 weeks is all"

"Ah.. okay dear" said Gran "Why don't we all go sit at the patio.. the chairs are more comfortable"

"Good idea Beth" said Mary "Pamela, can you help Hannah with the babies"

"Sure Mom" said Momma "Would you like me to carry Jordan, Hannah?"

"Oh, that would be great, thanks" said Hannah as Momma took Jordan into her arms

"Well hello there little man" said Momma as Jordan started fussing "I know,, You're hunry aren't you?.. Oh, I know... Mommy's got your bottle sweetie, just hang on" as Hannah handed Momma a bottle "Here you go.. that's it.. shh.. hey, slow down sweetie, you'll get a sore tummy.. there you go, that's better"

"Gemma, would you like to feed Stephanie?" asked Hannah

"Oh, yes please" said Gemma as Hannah laid her in Gem's arms and gave her the bottle "Oh Hannah, she's absolutely beautiful... oh wow, her eyes are the same color as Pamela's"

"She gets that from my side of the family" said Hannah "It skipped a couple of generations"

"Mine too" said Mary "My Mother had purple eyes too... Shee told me the story of how the women are the only ones to have purple eyes"

"I know.. I heard that one too, its crazy, isn't it?" said Hannah

"Yeah, but it must be somewhat true for Pamela & Stephanie to both have purple eyes" said Mary

"Just don't get upset when she gets older" said Momma "I scared my Uncle Louis... I got angry with him and my eyes turned from purple to red"

"Really... mine turn black" said Hannah "It scared Steven when it happened... we were dating at the time, I never noticed it before then"

"Mine too" I said "and when I move things, they turn purple... it shocked Papa & Marcus and freaked out Damian"

"Wow" said Hannah "I'll bet"

The guys came back out and sat down.

"Hey there little man" said Papa and chuckled "I just got the 'leave me alone, I'm eating' look... Which one was born first?"

"Stephanie... Jordan was born 10 minutes later" said Hannah "She was ready, but he took his time"

"It was the longest 10 minutes of my life" said Steven "Then he was born and I was able to relax again and focus on Hannah"

"How long were you in labor?" asked Mary

"7 hours 45 minutes" said Hannah "They were born at 2am & 2:10am"

"That's not bad" said Mary "I was in labor with Liam for 2 days... with Louis I was in labor for 36 hours"

"2 days?" said Zayn "What were you doing? Setting up a camp?"

"Don't ask me... I can't remember back that far" said Liam

"Niall tried to come out feet first" chuckled Maura "but then he rolled around and came out head first.. 18 hours later"

"I was in Labor with Gemma for 12 hours" said Anne "With Harry, I barely made it to the hospital... He was born 30 minutes later"

"30 Minutes?" said Papa "Damn Haz, you owe Anne some serious flowers for Mother's Day... Damn, me too, sorry Mom... Liam & Louis may as well buy the whole flower shop for putting Mary thru that for 2 days & 36 hours"

"Dani, Pamela's Mom was in labor for 12 hours" said Louis "The doctors had to do a C-section to get Pamela out bc Dani's heart stopped twice"

Catherine, Jessie's Mom, went into labor while getting her hair cut and refused to leave till it was done" said Jimmy "Catherine said if she was going to have the baby there, she had better look good. Catherine went home, grabbed her bags, and was on her way to the hospital when she got pulled over by a cop doing 95 miles an hour and gave birth in the cop's car"

"No way" said Gemma

"Yep.. and when the cop tried to give Catherine a a speeding ticket, she went off on him... broke his nose & cracked his jaw and told him he shove that ticket up his ass.. Three days later she was in court, with Jessie, explaining to the Judge why she beat the crap out of the Officer... the Judge told the Officer, 'next time, I suggest you forget the damn ticket and call your Mother... case dismissed' "

"That's my Mom" I said "This apple didn't roll far from that tree, that's for sure"

"Gee ya think?" said Simon

"Oh, like you have room to talk Old Man" I said "Your Aunt Angie & your Momma told Mom & Gammie all about how you were exactly like your Daddy as a kid.. Like how you used to dress Jimmy in baby doll dresses bc you thought he was a girl cuz his hair was long and curly.. and when you got in trouble for it, you cut his hair"

"What else did Momma tell you?" asked Simon

"Oh lets see... She caught you playing dress-up in her Wedding dress.... putting make-up on your cat.. putting grape jelly in Jimmy's hair... skinny dipping with Gina Scott, Julie Hicks & Tabitha Cooper... Oh.. and getting shit-faced with Bobby Parker in Old Man Roger's barn on Halloween when you were 14... should I go on?" I said "I may have a temper, but I don't do stupid shit and act like an innocent angel when caught... sorry Papa"

"She has a point Simon" said Jimmy "You've done some pretty stupid things over the years"

"No, you made your point" said Simon "God, I hate it when Momma & Aunt Angie gossip about me"

"Oh grow up Simon" I said "Its part of being a parent... Page 3, paragraph 2 of the unwritten book on parenting 'Embarrass your children as much as you can.. it builds character'.... Mom, You, Gammie & Pappie, Mack, Jimmy, ALL y'all used to gossip about me.. Do you see me bitchin about it?.. No, you do not, thank you very much"

"How do you know we gossiped about you?" said Simon

"Dude... Seriously?... Did you forget your brain at the baggage claim?" I said "I can read you Simon" and smacked his head "Doofus"

Momma put Jordan on her shoulder and rubbed circles on his back "Come on Jordan, give me a big burp sweetie" said Momma as Jordan burped loudly and held him in front of her "Oh good job.. Do you feel better?" Jordan shuddered, Momma chuckled "Yep, he feels better and now he needs a diaper change bc he just peed"

Steven chuckled "I'll do that Pamela" sand got up and took Jordan in the house

"Wow Pamela, you're a natural" said Mack

Momma chuckled "Thanks Mack" said Momma "I read it in one of Pop's baby books... it said to rub the baby's back to relax the diaphragm which causes them to burp, then bc their stomach's aren't full of air, they'll relax even more and will urinate"

"Ah, I see" said Mack as Gemma did the same thing to Stephanie, who burped then shuddered

Hannah chuckled as Steven came out with Jordan "Stephanie's next my love" said Hannah

"Okay darlin" chuckled Sgteven "Come on little one, let Daddy get you cleaned up" and took Stephanie in the house

"That was amazing" said Gem "I could do that for hours... You remember when you let me feed Haz Mum?"

"Yes.. you were the same age as Jessie when Harry was born" said Anne "You had to use a pillow under your arm bc Harry was such a big baby"

"How much did Haz weigh?" asked Mary

"9lbs. 6 ounces" said Haz "24 inches long"

"Damnit Haz, knock it off" said Louis "Its creepy when you do that"

"Huh?... Oh.. sorry Louis" said Haz "I was thinking"

"You've been pretty quiet Haz" said Papa "You alright mate?"

"Yep.. all good" said Haz

"Who's ready for desert?" asked Mary

"Oh yes" said Mack "Would you like some help Mary?"

"That would be great, thank you Mack" said Mary

"Simon, Jimmy, Ni, come on, lets help" said Mack

They all stood up and followed Mary into the house and came back out with a basket of dishes, 2baking dishes of cobbler and 2 tubs of ice cream.

"Oh my God, this looks good" said Simon

"Oh God.. Is that apple cobbler?" said Louis

"Yep... Grandma's recipe" said Mary

"Oh.. with raisins" said Louis "You haven't made this in years"

"Nope, not since Pamela was 2" said Mary

"So what made you decide to make it now?" asked Louis

"I don't know... Jessie was telling Zayn what she needed for the potato salad and apple cobbler just popped in my head" said Mary

"Huh.. that's weird bc I was looking up recipes and came across one for apple cobbler and thought 'I wish I had your recipe' " said Louis

"When was this?" asked Mary

"This morning.. just before Haz called me" said Louis "after I left, I went to the store and was reading the recipe and I couldn't remember what it was that you added... now, I remember, its the raisins"

"Ah.. okay" said Mary "Hannah.. How did you manage 2 weeks bed rest?"

"My sister Amelia came to stay with us and took care of me when Steven was at work" said Hannah "She's a nurse at the hospital"

Jessie's nurse was named Amelia" said Marcus "about your height, curly blond hair, green eyes"

"That's Amelia" said Hannah "She came to see me after Jessie was sent home... She told me what you said about Dr. Hayes,, Dr. Talks-too-much" and giggled "She thought that was pretty funny"

"Yeah// Dr. Hayes was Liam's doctor a few days ago" I said "He kept asking a bunch of questions that had nothing to do with treating Grandpa.. he made me so mad, so I threatened to sue him and told him to shut up and do his job or I'd have him charged with Medical Malpheasance & Attempted Murder... He said I should be a lawyer"

Steven chuckled "I told you she was smart" said Steven

"Yes, she is" said Hannah and chuckled "You have no clue how smart Jessie is... tell him Jessie"

"I can read, write & speak 9 languages - French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Gaelic, Arabic and I just learned Latin... I can play any song on the piano without sheet music... I can cook, dance, sew, do photography, I know gemology, gymnastics and how to shoot... I've run the Boston Marathon, I've planned 2 Weddings and will be planning 2 more soon along with 2 bridal showers, 2 baby showers, 3 bachelor parties & 3 honeymoons"

"Wow" said Steven "Niall told me you could speak 9 languages, but never said which ones"

"I know... I'm an over-achiever" I said "I figure if you're going to take the time to learn something, you may as well do it right, or else its just a wate of time and energy"

"I agree" said Steven

"Mary, this cobbler is incredible" said Mack "Your Mother was a great cook"

"Thank you Mack" said Mary "I added the raisins when Pamela was little bc it was the only way she would eat them"

"That's bc Louis told me they were dead bugs with the heads & legs chopped off" said Momma

"Louis William Tomlinson- Williams" said Mary and smacked Louis upside of his head "Seriously?"

"Mom... it was a joke" chuckled Louis "Pamela came into my room for the umpteenth time and said 'what you eatin Unca Lou' so I said 'dead bugs with the heads & legs chopped off'.. she ran out of my room and never came back"

"And did it ever occur to you that she took you seriously?" said Mary

"Nope... not ready" said Louis

"Well you better pray your children don't take after you or you'll be gray by the time you're 36" said Mary

"Yeah" said Momma "Like Jessie said earlier... 'Karma is a bitch Hell bent on revenge... what goes around, comes around"

"Well you better hope & pray yours don't inherit your temper Pamela" said Louis

"Fair point Louis" said Momma

"Anne.. may I see your photos Jessie took?" asked Steven

"Sure" said Anne and handed Steven the book

Steven opened it and looked at them "Wow.. Jessie, these are beautiful photos" said Hannah

"Thanks... Simon taught me how to take them" I said "He bought me my first camera when I was 7"

"I take photos too, but they never turn out like this" said Hannah "What do you do to get rid of red eyes?"

"Ah.. don't use flashbulbs and find a camera that works in all types of lighting" I said "an natural light makes the photos better, so If you can take your photos outside, you should do it"

"Huh... okay... Where did you have them developed?" asked Hannah

"At the 1-hour photo lab inside the pharmacy" I said "5x7 single prints in a matte finish... glossy prints are good if you're putting them in a photo album bc dust wont stick to them, but if you're going to frame them use a matte finish bc the colors last longer and they don't show finger prints.. matte finish also makes them look more professional"

Simon wiped a fake tear "My baby is giving photo advice" said Simon and fake sniffed "they grow up so fast"

"Oh bite me krispy kreme" I said chuckling "God... could you be any more of a drama queen?"

"And the Oscar for 'Best Actor' goes to..." said Jimmy

"Simon Cowell-Burke" said Mack

"Good one guys" I said laughing

"Thank you" said Mack & Jimmy in unison and smacked their hands together

Simon rolled his eyes "Oh my gawd… you two are more of a drama queen than I am" said Simon "Did you see how much luggage they brought?... You'd think I was traveling with Beyoncé"

"It wasn't that bad... well, mine wasn't that bad" said Mack "Jimmy's was ungodly... I did like you said and got the extra luggage from William & Maggie's closet... I didn't know Jimmy was gonna use ALL of it"

"Jesus, Mary & Joseph, Jimmy" I said "What did you pack?... The whole Condo?"

"No... I had to pack the stuff from William's office that Mack go, I had to pack the garment bags from Maggie, Catherine & Williams closets, I had to pack the satin purses and then a few items from home that I knew you'd want to have" said Jimmy "sue me"


	100. Chapter 100

Chapter 100

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Oh Holy flippin crap... Where's the extra stuff you brought?" I asked

"In the blue bedroom, where it will stay till tomorrow when you & Pamela can go thru it" said Jimmy "I'm not incompetent ya know, I do remember some things"

"I never said that you were Jimmy, but you could've had Jeff ship the other stuff" I said "ya dork"

"Oh" said Jimmy "I'll remember that next time... if there is a next time"

"How long will the recertification take?" I asked

"About an hour" said Steven "Why don't you show up at noon"

"Okay" said Momma as my phone made a doorbell sound "What was that?"

I pulled out my phone "Oh my God... I finally got an email reply from Dr. Gates" I said and opened the email "Holy shits & giggles... Momma.. Oh my God"

"What is it baby?" said Momma

"He finished it" I said "He says he's coming here Monday to show me what he found" I looked at Mary "Izzie, he says he found family photos, birth certificates, death notices... the works"

"Oh gosh" said Mary "Does he say when he'll be arriving Monday?"

"Um... no" I said "I'm going to send a reply email with my cell number and have him call when he lands and then we can make arrangements, either to meet somewhere or have him come here... Does that sound okay Momma?"

"It sounds great baby, go ahead" said Momma

"Who's Dr. Gates Jessie?" asked Mack

"He's a Geneology expert" I said "I was trying to finish the Foster Family tree Gammie started, but I hit a roadblock, so I found Dr. Gates and asked for his help. I sent him everything I had a few days ago and he finished it"

"Oh wow.. that's wonderful care bear" said Mack

"Okay, I sent the reply" I said "Yeah it is... Oh, I can't wait to see what he found"

"How far did you get Jessie?" asked Simon

"I got as far as the Civil War, but the archive records had gaps and it was hard to go any further without going to the Civil War Museum in Gettysburg Maryland" I said and looked at Haz "Haz… What's floating around in your head?"

"Hmm.. not sure yet" said Haz "I'm still trying to figure that out"

I closed my eyes "Whoa... Who is that? She looks like Momma" I said 

"That's what I'm trying to figure out bc I've never seen her before" said Haz

"Kind of tall... violet eyes... curly light brown hair... mile wide smile" said Haz "looks like Pamela but older"

"No way" said Mary and ran in the house and came out with a huge photo album "Oh where is it... that's not it.. Damn where is it... there it is" and took out a picture "Is that her?" and showed it to Haz

"Yeah... Who is that?" asked Haz

"That's my Mother - Mary Marcella Wallace-Williams" said Mary and showed the picture to me

"Holy shit... Oh my God" I said in shock and crossed myself "She looks identical to my Mom... they could be sisters"

"You're kidding" said Mary

"I'll show you" I said and ran in the house and up to my room and grabbed my photo album and shoebox of pictures and ran back outside and sat down and opened my photo album "Mom's eyes were green, like Haz's but the resemblance is creepy and found my Mom's Senior portrait "See?" and gave the book to Mary

"Oh my God.. they do look like sisters" said Mary "When was your Mother born?"

"September 23rd, 1964... Catherine Mary Foster" I said 

"Oh now that's creepy" said Louis "Your Mom & Ni have the same birthday.. 29 years apart"

"Your Mom & I were the same age.. 3 months and 22 days apart" said Mary "Liam, go get both of Gwen's Bibles"

"Okay Mom" said Liam and went in the house and came back out with the books

"When was Gwen & Williams birthday?" asked Mary

"Um... April 15th, 1935" said Liam "Their birthday is your due date Mom"

"Damn" said Louis "This shit gets creepier by the minute... When was Grandma born Li?"

Grandma & Isabel were born January 12, 1950... When Gwen was.. holy cow... when she was 14" said Liam 

"Okay.. Gwen & William were twins born in 1935... Gwen had Izzie's Mother in 1950 at the age of 14 and became a Grandmother in 1964, when she was 29 when Izzie was born" said Mack "William became a Father at 29 when Catherine was born in 1964 and was 65 when he became a Grandpa"

"I can't believe Gwen was only 14 when she became a Mother" said Zayn "That's crazy... How did she die Mom?"

"I don't know" said Mary "Mom & Dad wouldn't tell me and Grandpa was an emotional mess and couldn't talk to anyone without crying"

"How long were they married?" asked Simon

"36 years" said Mary

"Seriously Papa?... There's no way in Hell I'm getting married at 14 when the rule clearly states 18" I said "Lower your heart rate Papa before you stroke out"

"Ni.. calm down sunshine" said Momma "That's it... slow & easy" as Momma whispered in Papa's ear.. Papa nodded and took a deep breath "Better?"

"Yeah.. thanks poppet" said Papa

"You're welcome sunshine" said Momma

"Okay.. What's up with you two?" I said

"Nothing.. Why baby?" said Momma

"Because you're both blocking me and Papa & Marcus look like they're about to pass out" I said "So what's going on?"

"I'm not telling" said Momma

"What? Why not?" I asked

"Okay... if we tell y'all, I want a promise from everyone, that there will be no yelling, screaming, ranting, freaking out or gizzard flipping" said Momma

"We promise" said everyone as Marcus walked over and sat down next to me.. his hands were shaking.

"Earlier today I was lost... then I put this ring on your right hand and made you a promise that one day this ring would be on the correct finger... You are my eternity, my moon & stars and bc of you, we have finally been given a second chance to have our Happily ever after.... to the mmon and back and around again, for the rest of forever & beyond you are, have been and always will be my angel in Spanish lace... I Love You Jessica Renee Horan, so much it hurts.... Will you Marry Me?"

"I looked at Papa and he nodded, then I looked at Momma and she nodded...

"Oh Hell Yeah" I said as Marcus took the ring off my right hand and slid it onto my left hand ring finer "Oh God is this really happening?"

"Well.. not till you're at least 16" said Marcus "I asked them when we were on 'time out'... so yes, this is really happening in 6 years and 4 months and we will have all of the babies you want"

I hugged Marcus "I Love You Marcus Xavier Smith" I said as happy tears ran down my face and I looked at Papa & Momma "Thank you Papa... Thank you Momma"

"You're welcome baby" said Momma

"Dance with me" said Marcus "like we used to"

"I'll be right back" I said and went in the house and came back out in my dress and put the CD player on the table as we danced to 'Moon River'

PAMELA'S POV

"Look at them Ni" I said

"I know poppet" said Ni "We had to say yes"

"Whoa... boss lady's got moves" said Davis

"Yes she does" said Mack

"Ni... our song is playing... Dance with me?" I said

"Lets go poppet" said Ni and took my hand as we walked out in the yard and danced to our song "I Love You Pamela"

"I Love You too Ni" I said and whispered in his ear "Make love to me tonight" Ni nodded.. when the song ended, we sat down

"Jessie sure loves the old songs... doesn't she?" said Louis

"Yeah.. they both do" I said

"Are you getting tired darlin?" asked Steven

"Yeah, a little" said Hannah "Its the music.. its so relaxing"

"Why don't we head home so you can get some sleep" said Steven

"Oh not yet... its nice being around a big family like this" said Hannah

"Okay darlin.. when you're ready, we'll go" said Steven

Jessie & Marcus sat back down "Louis.. I forgot to ask how your dinner turn out?" asked Jessie

"It was great" said Gem

"Yeah, it turned out really good" said Louis

"What did you make?" I asked

"Chicken shish kabobs with wild rice" said Louis

"Wow.. way to go Uncle Lou" I said 

"Thanks… I found the recipe and it looked pretty simple" said Louis "and it had a video tutorial so I could see how to do them right and it was really easy"

"See how fun cooking can be?" said Jessie "and you didn't have to call me.. good job Louis... So what's your next cooking venture?"

"I'm gonna try to make cream of potato soup with broccoli & carrots in it tomorrow" said Louis "Its a little more difficult, but I think I can do it"

"Are you using fresh or frozen veggies?" asked Jessie

"Fresh" said Louis

"Okay, when you start your potatoes, add 1/2 of a chopped onion and the carrots" said Jessie "then 10-15 minutes later add your broccoli... carrots are more dense than broccoli and take longer to cook"

"Oh okay" said Louis "What's the onion for?"

"To add flavor to the potatoes & soup" said Jessie "Your recipe may call for you to salt the water - don't do it... use salt & pepper when you serve it... cooking with salt is tricky and you wont always get it just right... trust me, its not easy and call if you need to"

"Ah okay" said Louis "I will, promise"

"Hey Pooh bear.. you want to come with me to music practice on Wednesday?" asked Jessie

"I'd love to care bear, where is it at? and what time?" said Mack

"At noon at the high school down the road" said Jessie "Its not far, we can walk there"

"Sounds good" said Mack

"Louis... you, Liam & Zayn need to meet Haz & I at the high school Thursday at noon for our run thru" said Ni

"okay Ni, I'll be there" said Louis

"When is mine Ni?" asked Sarah

"Thursday at 11am" said Ni "You'll go with Haz & I and then when you're done, you'll go with your Mom to Izzie's bridal shower, okay?"

"Okay" said Sarah "What time is the shower jelly bean?"

"Its at noon on Thursday at Anne's house" said Jessie "Hannah, would you like to join us?... you can bring the babies"

"Oh.. Thank you Jessie, I'd love to" said Hannah "Where is Anne's house?"

"Right next door" said Jessie "Izzie didn't want a bachelorette party bc she's pregnant, so she's having a bridal shower"

"Ah.. so its not a traditional bridal shower" said Hannah

"No... but we're still going to have fun" said Jessie "Anne, Izzie & I have a few surprises planned and the only Men that are allowed to be there is Mack & Zayn... everyone else has to stay away... no arguments"

"Why do they get to be there?" asked Haz

"Because you're the groom Haz" said Louis

"Because... " said Jessie "I said so.. so don't even think about being a sneaky-Pete Haz, or you WILL be wearing make-up on your Wedding Day... to hide the black eye you'll have if you do"

"Yes Ma'am" said Haz and crossed his arms "No fair"

"Haz, Dude, we've got your bachelor party Thursday night" said Louis "No Ladies Allowed"

"Yeah" said Ni "I've already talked to Evan and he said he'd drive us, so we're all set for your last night of the single life mate"

"Louis... If you even think about getting Haz drunk... so help me God, I'll break my foot off in your butt crack.... Understood?" said Mom

"Yes ma'am" said Louis "I swear, if anyone's getting shit-faced, its gonna be me... maybe Liam, but it wont be Haz & Ni... I promise"

"I'm not getting drunk" said Liam "Last time I got drunk Zayn got pregnant... I'm staying sober, thank you much... besides karma says If I get drunk before the babies are born, I could end up pregnant... so lets just hold off on that possibility for a while"

"You suck Liam... God" said Louis and crossed his arms "Fine... no one's getting drunk Mom.... y'all are about as much fun as a bunch of toddlers playing with an empty box"


	101. Chapter 101

Chapter 101

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

"You boys are still going to have fun" said Jessie "Its just not going to be here"

"Wait... What?" said Haz 

"All of you are leaving at 5:30am Thursday morning, for a 'Top Secret Bachelor's Only' scavenger hunt thru London, courtesy of the General, who will be here Wednesday night with your orders and Itinerary... You're welcome" said Jessie

"Are you serious?" asked Haz 

"Yep, totally serious" said Jessie "You said that you weren't getting drunk, so Momma asked the General for some ideas for your Bachelor party, and he suggested a Bachelor's only scavenger hunt... He wanted to be here for your Wedding, so he's in charge of it"

"Oh my God, Pamela, Jessie, I could kiss you" said Haz

"We'll settle for a hug" I said as he hugged us both

"Thank you Pamela" said Haz

"You're welcome Haz, just have fun" I said 

"Papa, I've already cleared it with Linda, and you, the boys and Sarah, will be doing your run-thru tomorrow so that you're all free for Thursday"said Jessie

"Wow, okay then" said Ni

"Now, if you boys do the scavenger hunt correctly, you should be back by noon , so that you help set up the back yard for Friday" said Jessie

"I'll be staying here to work on Mary's dress and help Jessie set up for the ladies" said Mack

"How did you plan all of this?" asked Marcus

"I didn't... this was all Momma's idea" said Jessie "I just helped her smooth out the wrinkles"

"Is that who you were talking to on the phone earlier?" said Marcus and looked at me

"Yep" I said 

"IK told you" said Jimmy "When Pamela said '0530 Zulu', I knew she was talking Military talk with someone.. but Ni called it"

"Yeah, I figured that either Becca or the General was involved in whatever you were planning" said Ni

"Then what..." said Marcus and smacked his head "Dammit... You were playing pre-emptive warfare when you, Pamela & Sarah came outside with you paintball guns... you sneaky wench"

"I knew you were watching us.. I didn't just fall off the turnip truck, ya know" said Jessie "What was it you used to say?... All's fair in Love & War?"

"Oh really" said Marcus "Do you really want to go there? Now?"

"Whoa.. back that truck up mister" said Jessie "Not in this dress you don't, so don't even think about it Marcus Xavier Smith... I swear to God"

"Okay, but only bc I happen to love that dress" said Marcus "and Pamela would kill me if it got ruined"

"Smart man" said Louis

"Momma... Look at the babies" whispered Jessie

"I looked at the baby carrier where Jordan & Stephanie were sleeping, and sawe Chelsea & Trudy sleeping with their heads resting in the babies laps.

"Oh how sweet... Hannah, look at the babies" I said softly

"Oh gosh.. It looks like they have some new friends" said Hannah and yawned "Oh goodness.. We had better head home my love... Mary, thank you for dinner and for a wonderful evening"

"You're welcome Hannah" said Mom as they hugged "It was wonderful meeting you & having you here. We'll see you Thursday and you're family now, so if you need anything, Steven has my number"

"Oh gosh, thank you Mary" said Hannah and wiped her eyes "I will and I'll see you Thursday. It was nice to meet everyone and you Men have a good time Thursday"

"We will and it was nice meeting you too Hannah" said Haz "I'll walk you out... be back in a bit princess"

"Okay Haz" said Mom "Drive safe Steven and text me when you get home"

"Yes Ma'am" said Steven as he picked up the baby carrier "Jessie, Marcus, Mack & Jimmy, Congratulations"

"Thank you Steven" said everyone as they left with Haz

"Chelsea, Trudy, come on pretty babies, its time for bed" said Jessie as the dogs slowly followed her in the house and Marcus gathered up the dishes and took them into the house

Haz came back out with Jessie's box and set it on the table then sat down.

"What's in the box Haz?" asked Louis

"Photos from the SD card Jessie had you drop off this morning" said Haz

"Holy shit... How many photos were on it?" asked Gem

"475... Jessie thought she had put a new SD card in her camera.. turns out that it wasn't" said Haz "so I paid for them and she paid me back"

"Haz was mad" said Ni "but Jessie apologized, a lot"

"I'll bet.. Why didn't she delete them?" said Simon and took a look in the box "Oh my God... Jimmy, look" and handed the first photo to Jimmy

"Oh gosh... Maggie & William's 50th Anniversary" said Jimmy "No wonder she didn't delete them.. put this back Simon and don't touch any more... Let Jessie do it, they're her photos"

"Okay" said Simon and put the photo back in the box and sat down, not saying a word as Jessie came back out and sat down

"Whoa... y'all just went totally quiet" said Jessie "Everything okay?"

"Yeah poppet" said Ni "look in the box"

"Okay" said Jessie and looked inside "Oh my God" and took out a stack of photos "Gammie & Pappie's 50th Anniversary... I thought I lost these" as she looked thru the stack "Oh gosh.. no way... Mack, you remember this?" and showed the picture to Mack

"You actually took that picture?" asked Mack "Oh God" and covered his face

"Pass it over baby" I said as Jessie handed me the photo "How did you end up in the pool, Mack?"

"I got shit-faced and Simon threw me in.. it ruined my suit too.... by the way Simon, you still owe me for that"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah put it on my tab buttercup" said Simon "along with the 2 other suits & ther rug I ruined"

"I forgive you for the rug, that was Jimmy's, and it was god-awful before you ruined it" said Mack

"Hey.. I loved that rug" said Jimmy

"And I didn't. I was..." said Mack and shuddered "Disgusting... Who falls in love with a Mustard yellow Oriental Rug?"

"Apparently Jimmy did" said Jessie "and I agree, it was fugly"

"Fugly?" asked Gem

"Yeah, sorry Papa" said Jessie "Fucking Ugly... Fugly"

"Ah okay" said Gem "My vocabulary increases every time Jessie has to explain words to me"

Mack chuckled "Yeah, mine too.. Jessie has a very colorful vocabulary... Thanks to Catherine" said Mack

"My Mom was very straight-forward and wasn't afraid to speak her mind.. If she liked you, she told you.. If not, she told you" said Jessie "There was no in-between with her and she HATED that rug, trust me, if you knew her exact words, you never would've bought it"

"What? What did she say... exactly" said Jimmy

"Tell him care bear... Catherine already told me" said Mack

"Mom said, and I quote: 'Its so fugly, it looks like someone took a shit on it' " saod Jessie and raised her hand "I swear to God, that's what she told Gammie"

"Oh God... that's pretty bad Jimmy" I said, laughing

"Whatever... I liked that rug... a lot" said Jimmy and crossed his arms

"And then you met me and your sense of style improved 180 degrees" said Mack "Quit pouting lovebug, you'll get frown lines"

"Here's one you can keep, Pooh bear" said Jessie and handed Mack a photo

"Oh, care bear, thank you" said Mack "I'm going to frame this one"

"Can I see it Mack?" said Mom as Mack handed her the photo "Oh Jessie, its a beautiful picture. I take it, this was taken before Mack went in the pool?"

"Yeah" giggled Jessie "Mom & Gammie wanted a picture with Mack, Jimmy & Simon, so I took their picture"

"Pass em around munchkin" said Louis "I love the stories behind the photo"

"Okay" said Jessie and started passing out stacks of photos to everyone

"Wow.. you're gonna need a lot of photo albums & frames" said Louis "These are incredible"

"I know… I'm really sorry Haz" said Jessie "I swear, this will not happen again"

"Its okay peanut" said Haz "It was just a shock... they should've called when they got a final photo count. I told them that too and the manager assured me this woulsnt happen again. I'm sorry for yelling at you"

"No, don't apologize Haz" said Jessie "Had I been the one picking them up, I would've been pissed off too.. You were right to yell at me, don't ever apologize if the reason behind it is justified.. got it?"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz "I still feel bad tho"

"Well have your moment and leave it behind" said Jessie "We've all had an overly emotional day, so lets relax and enjoy looking at these photos, okay?"

"Okay peanut" said Haz and smiled "What's the story behind this one?" and showed a photo of Duchess & a pair of ducks in the swimming pool

"Oh" said Jessie and giggled "The ducks landed in the pool and wouldn't get out, so Duchess jumped in to play with them. After a while of her swimming after them, they left... Pappie had to jump in to get Duchess out bc she was so tired and couldn't find the stairs. Pappie got her a baby pool to play in unless we were all in the pool and she never did that again"

"Ah okay" said Haz "She would've had fun at the lake... Charlie sure did, remember Sarah?"

"Yeah... Charlie & Brian sure had fun that day. They were playing fetch and the stick went in the tall grass, so Charlie went after it and oh, he got so muddy, we had to rinse him off in the lake so he wouldn't make a mess back home" said Sarah "You should've seen him Izzie, he was covered head to tail"

"Yeah and we still had to give him a bath when we got back" said Ni "It took 3 shampoos to get him clean"

"Oh gosh" chuckled Mom "Charlie loved baths.. he'd get dirty on purpose just to get a bath. I should've warned you"

"It was fine princess" said Haz "Charlie stayed clean after that"

"Whoa Damian... check it out" said Davis and showed him the photo

"Holy schnikies" said Damian and snatched the photo from Davis

"What picture is it Davis?" asked Jessie

"Catherine... in a bikini... on the hood of her car" said Davis "You are a lucky man Damian"

"Ah yes... Mom's idea of a glamour shot" said Jessie "I told you, she loved that car and I maybe biased, but my Mom was smoking hot"

"Gee you think?" said Davis as Louis came over to see the picture

"Oh dear God" said Louis and went back and sat down & crossed himself "sorry honey.. but good Goddamn" and fanned himself

"I know... nice car huh?" chuckled Jessie

Everyone laughed "Can I see it Damian?" I asked as Damian handed me the photo, I gave a low whistle "Whoa, you go Catherine... show what your Momma gave ya"

"Momma!!" said Jessie

"What?.. She's gorgeous" I said "I pray I look that good after having kids and still be able wear a bikini" and showed Gemma

"Wow.. yeah no kidding" said Gem

"Like I said... Catherine could make a gay man go straight" said Mack

"Okay, okay, give Damian back the picture" said Jessie "You can have that Damian"

"Um.. Thanks Jess" said Damian

"You're welcome" said Jessie and took out another stack of photos " Man, I took a crap load of pictures... most of these are test shots to see if they looked good in color or black & White... and this one I know for a fact I deleted, bc it didn't look good either way"

"Did you delete it twice?" said Simon "Because just deleting it once doesn't work, that's why they all got printed up"

"No, probably not, but then again I thought this card was blank" said Jessie "except for the few photos I took of Meghan and the girls"

"You took Meghan's picture?" asked Davis

"Yeah.. yesterday while Haz & Izzie were changing" said Jessie "She asked me if I would bc she wanted one of her & the girls for her room... they're in here somewhere"

"If they were the last ones you took, they'd be at the bottom of the box" said Simon "an SD card is like a rool of film, it starts at 1 and goes to the end"

"Okay... let me look" said Jessie and pulled the whole stack out of the box "Yep.. here they are, 2 of each - 6 total" and handed them to Davis

"Thanks" said Davis and looked at them "God she's beautiful"

"Man Davis, you've got it bad for Meghan" said Louis "Have you told her you're in love with her yet?"

"No... every time I see her, my hands start sweating and it feels like I can't breathe, let alone talk" said Davis "I feel like a damned kid learning to ride a bike for the first time without training wheels"

"Oh my God" said Louis "Dude... tell me you've been in love before"

"Nope... never" said Davis "Like I said, beach bunnies don't count"

"Beach bunnies?" said Mack

"That's what we call girls who surf in California" said Davis

"yeah, Davis like doesn't like em bc they say 'like' like a lot like" said Jessie "Its like totally annoying" and flipped her hair "like you get what I'm like laying down Dude"

"God, stop it, that's creepy" said Davis

Jessie giggled "Sorry.. I think its hilarious that that's your reason for not liking them" said Jessie.. Mack chuckled

"It is pretty annoying Jessie" said Mack "you could get a headache trying to figure out what they're saying"

"Exactly... Thank you Mack" said Davis

"You're welcome" said Mack 

"So write Meghan a letter and tell her how you feel" said Louis "My Dad used to write letters to my Mom all the time. It doesn't need to be several pages or even a whole page, just write what you feel, put it in an envelope with her name on it and put it on her pillow where she'll find it and read it. Tell her to write you back or to call you... whatever you feel like"

"You think it will work?" asked Davis

"Dude.. it'll work, trust me" said Louis "I have yet to meet any girl, that doesn't love getting a hand written love letter from a guy"

"Louis's right" said Maura "There's nothing more special than getting a love letter. I still have every letter Niall's Father ever wrote me from when we were dating and after we got married"

"I miss that" said Mack "Nowadays, everyone sends emails or text messages... no one writes letters any more. When did our lives become so rushed and impersonal that we stopped taking the time to actually sit down with a pen & paper and write a letter to someone?"

"I know what you mean" said Mom "I have a scrapbook full of letters I wrote to Haz over the years. I didn't know where he lived, so I kept them.. 7 years worth of letters"

"Oh wow" said Mack & Davis

"Okay, I'll write Meghan a letter" said Davis "Thanks Louis"

"You're welcome" said Louis "And I don't need details, that's your business, but let me know how it goes and if you get stuck, just ask"

"Okay, I will" said Davis

Mom's phone buzzed "Oh good, they made it home safe & sound" said Mom and sent a reply "There now I can relax... How was it feeding Jordan, Pamela?"

"Oh.. it was beyond special" I said "I agree with Gem, I could watch him for hours. I can't get over how tiny they are"

"You were tiny like that when you were born" said Louis "Your eyes were bluish-purple and you had the longest eyelashes I had ever seen. And a head full of brown curls... I fell hook, line & sinker. Then your temper kicked in and scarred me for life"

"Aw poor baby" I chuckled "I Love You too Uncle Lou"

"Oh Jessie... look" said Anne and showed a picture of Jessie & Duchess in front of the Christmas tree

"Oh.. that was the Christmas that Jimmy gave me Duchess as a present" said Jessie "Mom took that... see how tiny she was? She was no bigger than Pappie's hand... Are you okay Izzie?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine sweetie" said Mom "I was just looking at this picture of William.. he has Gwen's smile & her eyes. You look a lot like Gwen.. I can see it in the shape of your eyes and in your cheekbones when you smile"

"Huh... Did I change that much?" asked Jessie and looked at Marcus "Be honest"

"A little, but you had high cheekbones before, so I didn't notice those" said Marcus "but the shape of your eyes is a little different, but not much.. they're more delicate looking"

"Huh.. okay" said Jessie "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, it doesn't matter.. you've always been beautiful to me" said Marcus "that's never changed" as Jessie looked at her ring

"You never did tell me where you got this ring from" said Jessie

"It was my Mother's" said Marcus "I had it hidden away for a very long time, so when I decided to give it to you, I took it to a friend and had him clean it up for me"

"Thomas always did have a soft spot for you" said Jessie

"Yeah, he was a nice old man" said Marcus

"Mack, What did you think of the house?" asked Gem

"Oh, its beautiful Gem, Jessie gave me a tour and I love what you did with the kitchen" said Mack

"Which bedroom did you pick?" asked Gem

"The yellow room" said Jimmy "It had the biggest closet for us"

"Which room did you pick Simon?" asked Haz

"The green room.. it has a desk, so I can work in there without making the Livingroom a mess" said Simon "I'm going to try and find an office to rent while I'm here, so I don't bother Mack & Jimmy when I'm up late working. For now, I have my computer & digital equipment set up in my room"

"Could you help me with recording Mary's song on a CD? We want it for our first dance" said Haz

"Sure when do you want to do it?" asked Simon

"Why don't we do it tomorrow Haz" said Ni "We have to do our run thru any way, so Simon can record it then"

"Sounds good to me" said Simon "Is there a sound booth?"

"Yeah, we have everything you need" said Ni

"Excellent, then tomorrow we'll record Mary's song" said Simon "What's it called?"

"Little Things" said Haz "Zayn, Louis, Liam, Ni & I are singing it at the festival Saturday along with Jessie's song 'Story of my Life' "

"Oh wow" said Mack "Who wrote that one?"

"Marcus wrote it" said Ni

"I can't wait to hear them" said Mack

"Bring a handkerchief bc you're gonna cry" said Jessie "I did with both songs... Haz knocked Izzie speechless when he sang her song to her"

"Why was that?" asked Mack

"Because whenever Haz writes anything, I can hear it" said Mom "this was a total surprise bc I never heard it when he wrote it"

"Oh wow" said Mack "Now I really want to hear it"

"Why don't we play it now" said Pops "and then we'll know who sings which part"

"You want to Haz?" asked Ni "I'm up for it if you are"

"Sure... get your guitar and I'll get my song journal" said Haz "be right back princess"

"Okay Haz" said Mom as Haz & Ni went in the house to get their things

"I'm telling you Pooh bear, you better have a hanky or a tissue handy bc you'll be crying before the song ends// trust me" said Jessie as Haz & Ni came back out

""Okay guys, out to the picnic table, just like last time" said Ni

"Okay" said Dad, Pops & Uncle Louis and headed out in the yard

"They sound really good together" said Jessie "They gave me goosebumps"

"Looks like they're ready" I said as they each grabbed a chair and sat down as Ni started playing.


	102. Chapter 102

Chapter 102

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

Everyone clapped ""Oh wow" said Mack as tears ran down his face "*sniff* you sound amazing.. its a beautiful song Haz"

"Thanks Mack" said Haz

"I told ya Pooh bear" said Jessie and wiped her eyes with her sleeve

"Man, you guys sound great" said Davis "Are you alright Mary?"

"I'm fine" cried Mom "I just really love that song and they sound like angels" as tears ran down her cheeks

"Oh.. don't cry princess" said Haz and went to Mom and held her as she cried "Shh its alright, just breathe princess.. that's my girl, now let me see that beautiful smile of yours" Mom looked at Haz and smiled "There it is" and wiped away her tears "I Love You princess" and kissed her ring

"I Love You too Hazzabear" said Mom as they touched their heads together "Did we have any tomatoes left?"

"Yes, there's a container full of them" chuckled Haz

"Oh good" said Mom "I'll be right back" and stood up and went in the house

"Where's Mary going?" asked Ni

"To get some tomato slices... and sweet pickles" said Jessie as Mom came back out with the container of tomatoes & a jar of pickles and sat down "pace yourself Izzie"

"I know sweetie" said Mom and took a bite of pickle & tomato and moaned "Oh my God, this is so good... this is my kind of junk food"

"Just don't eat too many Izzie" said Jessie "You'll get the worst case of acid reflux ever"

"Yep, I know, I grabbed an acid reducer" said Mom "I'm covered sweetie"

"Okay" chuckled Jessie "I guess we need to stock up on tomatoes & sweet pickles"

"Dang Mom" said Louis "That's a weird craving"

"Oh that's normal" said Dad "you can be concerned if she breaks out the ice cream"

"Oh gross.. that's just wrong" said Louis and shuddered "Shut up Li.. Why would you say that?"

"Because she's done it before.. when she was pregnant with Grace" said Dad "Way to pay attention Lou"

"Oh yeah... I forgot about that" said Louis "sue me"

"I remember all of Mom's cravings when she was pregnant with you & Grace" said Dad "only bc some of them made Dad sick watching her eat them"

"Oh.. that's not good" said Jessie "Do me a favor Grandpa, and write them down for me so that I can check with Dr. Carlisle and make sure their okay"

"Okay princess" said Dad "I'll do that tomorrow at breakfast"

"Sounds good" said Jessie "Izzie, I want you to rinse your mouth with mouthwash tonight before you go to bed or you'll have canker sores by morning from those tomatoes"

"Yes Dr." said Mom "I will, I promise" as she ate the last pickle & tomato slice

"Damn Mary, you killed those pickles & tomatoes... How's your stomach?" said Davis

"My stomach is fine Davis" chuckled Mom "This isn't my first go round, I know what I can handle sweetie" and took the acid reducer with some water and sighed "hiccup... hiccup"

"And now you have the hiccups" said Jessie "Okay, pickles & tomatoes go on the list of 'foods to avoid' "

"Oh... hiccup... damn... hiccup" said Mom "well, it was... hiccup... good while... hiccup... lasted... hiccup... ow... hiccup... that one hurt... hiccup"

"That's the pickles Izzie, you ate too many" said Jessie "I'll get you a ginger ale" and went inside, then came back out shaking the soda

"What are you doing?" asked Louis as Jessie released the pressure on the bottle, tightened the lid and continued shaking the soda

"I'm getting rid of the carbonation" said Jessie "If you drink fizzy soda with the hiccups, it makes them worse" and continued shaking the soda till the bubbles stopped "but if you shake it till the bubbles stop, then its safe to drink... the ginger will soothe her system, allowing her diaphragm to relax so that the hiccups stop" and gave Mom the soda "now, just a couple of sips at a time Izzie"

"Okay" said Mom "hiccup... thanks" and took a couple of sips and sighed "Hmm.. its flat... hiccup... but I like it... hiccup... and it seems to be helping... hiccup"

"Just relax Izzie" said Jessie "They'll go away soon... and you're welcome"

"Jessie, do you mind if I take some of these test shots?" asked Gem

"Sure, go ahead Gem" said Jessie "Take as many as you want.. I have the original photos in my album that Jimmy brought me last week"

"Thanks" said Gem "These would be perfect for my office and for at home"

"You're welcome" said Jessie "How's the hiccups Izzie?"

"They're easing up... hiccup" said Mom and covered her mouth as she burped "Oh gosh.. excuse me... hiccup"

"That's okay Izzie" said Jessie "that means the ginger is working"

"Well, we had better go home Louis" said Gem "I have some work to do before bed and you have a busy day tomorrow"

"Okay honey" said Louis and stood up as they as their good-byes and walked over to Jessie "go easy this week munchkin... okay?"

"I'll try" said Jessie as they hugged "you guys are gonna rock at the festival Saturday... drive safe and thanks for today teddy bear"

"You're welcome munchkin" said Louis "Always... Oh, Jimmy, here's the keys to the house" and gave them to Jimmy

"Thanks Louis" said Jimmy "you guys did a great job on the house.. why don't you guys stop by after you get done at the school"

"Yeah, okay.. I'm glad you like it" said Louis "Mack, it was nice to finally meet you and Congratulations"

"Thank you Louis, it was nice to meet you too" said Mack as they left

"What was that all about baby?" I asked

"I'll tell you tomorrow Momma" said Jessie "in private"

"Okay baby" I said 

Dad went in the house, then came back out "Here's your antibiotic princess" said Dad and gave Jessie a pill

"Thanks Grandpa" sand Jessie and put the pill in her mouth and swallowed it down "How many times a day do I have to take these?"

"Twice a day for the next 10 days, every 12 hours" said Dad

"Okay" said Jessie amnd took out her phone "I'll set a couple of alarms so that I don't forget to take them... okay, that's done" and put her phone away "Come on Sarah, lets get ready for bed"

"Okay jellybean" said Sarah and they went in the house

"Okay, What happened this morning?" I asked "I know it involves Louis, so tell me"

"Louis wouldn't tell me" said Mom "All he said was that Heaven was pissed off.. after he & Marcus talked, Marcus came inside and got Jessie's ring and put it on her right hand and Louis said that he needed to talk to Marcus & Jessie in private. When they were done talking, he left"

"So Louis knows" I said "I know Jessie will tell me, but I need one question answered" and looked at Marcus "Have the rules been broken?"

"No Pamela" said Marcus and went out to the picnic table and sat down holding his head in his hands

"Okay, here goes everything" I said and stood up "Dad, Jimmy, no reading... this is private"

"Yes ma'am" said Dad & Jimmy as I headed to the picnic table and sat down, not saying a word

"I swear on my life, we didn't break the rules" said Marcus

"I believe you Marcus" I said "Was it Jessie's idea?"

"Yes,, and I could've said no, but now that Jessie has her memories back and the bad ones are gone, its become more... difficult, for both of us... to not break the rules" said Marcus "Jessie said that we could help each other 'ease some tension' "

"Ah.. and all God saw was that you touched a child" I said "right?"

"Yes" said Marcus "and that's why he tried to take Jessie from me.. as punishment. I'm so sorry Pamela"

"Hey, its alright" I said "I know its hard, I see how you and Jessie look at each other, this was bound to happen eventually... look at me Marcus" as he looked at me "I'm not mad or upset at what you two did, its a normal part of being human. You need to forgive yourself and move past this"

"How are you not upset? I blatantly broke your trust" asked Marcus in disbelief

"Marcus, 'easing some tension' is normal for everyone" I said "you & Jessie aren't the first people to do that, and I'd be a hypocrite if I got upset. We've all done it.. even Ni & I and you didn't break our trust Marcus, as long as the rules haven't been broken, what you & Jessie do in private is your business.... Now, having said that, pace yourselves.. you still have 6 years & 5 months till you can get married"

"Yes ma'am" said Marcus and hugged me "Thank you Pamela, for listening and for your understanding"

"You're welcome Marcus" I said "and thank you for telling me.. I know it wasn't easy"

"No, it wasn't, but I feel better now that you know" said Marcus and relaxed a bit "I'm guessing that you're going to tell Ni.. right?"

"No, I'm not going to tell Ni" I said "as I said, this is a private matter between you & Jessie. There are somethings a Father shouldn't know about his daughter and if she decides to tell him, that is her choice to make.. not mine"

"I see" said Marcus and looked at the house and sighed as Jessie & Sarah came out and sat down "I guess Jessie & I need to have another talk and she's going to hate me for this one... she wanted to tell you in private to avoid being embarrassed"

"Then wait till tomorrow, after she's told me" I said "It will be easier for her to listen"

"Okay" said Marcus "You know? You & Louis are a lot alike. He didn't get upset about this either. He told Jessie that he wasn't her parents and that he wasn't going to give her a lecture. You both are going to be great parents"

"You think so?" I asked "Sometimes I'm not so sure"

"I know so" said Marcus "You, Louis & everyone in this family are supportive, understanding, protective & love unconditionally... those are amazing qualities to have when raising children. You each bring a different perspective to a problem and work it thru to a solution together... what's that old saying? It takes a village to raise a child - welcome to the village"

"That's true" I chuckled as Jessie came out to us "Hey baby... What's up?"

"I know you know Momma" said Jessie "Are you mad at me?"

"Sit down baby" I said as she did so "I'm not mad at either of you. What you did was personal and private.. hey, don't be embarrassed, I don't hate you sweetie, this was bound to happen eventually and no, I'm not going to tell Papa. I know how you feel about keeping secrets Jessie, but there are some things daughters don't tell their Fathers, so if you want to tell him, or not, that's your choice, okay?"

"Okay Momma" said Jessie "I think if I told Papa right now, it would shatter his bubble of bliss, so I think, I'll wait a while to tell him"

"Okay baby" I said "Just go easy on your Papa, he doesn't need details... and no fooling around while Sarah's here, alright?"

"Yes ma'am... I promise" said Jessie "lets go back to the patio.. Papa doesn't look so good Momma"

"I see that baby" I said and chuckled "His sunburn is bothering him again" and headed for the patio "Is your sunburn itching again Ni?"

"Yeah and it stings when I try to scratch it" said Ni

"Come on sunshine.. lets go put some more aloe vera gel on it" I said "You'll feel better afterwards"

"Okay poppet" said Ni as we went in the house

JESSIE'S POV

"Poor Papa" I said "Did he sleep alright last night?"

"Yeah, he slept okay" said Mack "His back got burned worse than the rest of him, so he mostly slept on his stomach, but he never complained unless it hurt to sit upright"

"Okay... any problems keeping Papa calm during the flight?" I asked

"Nope.. other than wanting to knock Simon on his ass before we left, Ni was fine" said Jimmy

"Oh good" I said "You need to apologize to everyone.. including Uncle Louis" I said "He heard our conversation and wanted to knock your teeth out for picking a fight with Momma & Mack... That wasn't the best way to make a first impression with Uncle Lou"

"I already apologized to everyone when we landed" said Simon "I'll apologize to Louis tomorrow, I promise"

"You better mean it" I said "Louis can read too and he'll know if its a load of bullshit, in which case, I'll give you more than a fat lip... got it?"

"Yes ma'am" said Simon as Momma & Papa came back out and sat down

"How are you feeling Papa?" I asked

"Better poppet" said Papa "You look tired.. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Papa, its just been a long day" I said "I'm just happy you're both home"

"Me too poppet" said Papa "How's the hiccups Mary?"

"They've stopped for now" said Mary "Did you find the air mattress Jessie?"

"Yeah, it was on my bed" I said "that's what took us so long.. its all blown up and ready for when we go to bed and it comes with a bag to store it in for next time"

"Oh good" said Mary


	103. Chapter 103

Chapter 103

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"We need to head for home" said Anne as she & Robin stood up

"Okay Mum" said Haz and gave her a hug and kissed her cheek "Drive safe and I'll see you Thursday"

"Always, I'll see you Thursday" said Anne "Have fun my sweet baby boy... I Love You Harry"

"I will... I Love You too Mum" said Haz

"Mary, if you need anything, call me" said Anne

"I will" said Mary as they hugged "I'll see you Thursday"

"See you Thursday... Mack, Simon, it was nice to finally meet you. If you need anything, Mary, Harry & Jessie have my number" said Anne "Welcome home Jimmy and again, Congratulations to both of you" and hugged all of them

"Thanks Anne" said Jimmy & Mack and they headed for home

"So Mom.. any new updates on that second date?" asked Papa

"Maybe" said Maura "I'll let you know"

"Maybe?" asked Papa "Why maybe?"

"He works a lot and we haven't talked since our date" said Maura "Its making me feel a little uneasy"

"Ah, I see" said Papa "What does he do?"

He's a doctor at the hospital... He & Robin went to Medical School together" said Maura

"Ooo you go Grandma" I said and closed my eyes "Grandma.. no way... Dr. Hayes?"

"You know Dr. Hayes?" asked Maura

"Yeah, I know him... He was Liam & I's doctor in the Emergency room" I said "Remember when I told y'all about 'Dr. talks-to-much'?... that's Dr. Hayes"

"oh my God.. no way" said Maura and started laughing "No wonder he hasn't called.. okay, I'll relac and wait for his call"

"Nope... I got this one" I said and pulled out my phone "Hey Doc, its Jessie Horan, how's it going?.... I'm fine, I'm going stir-crazy from boredom, but that's not why I'm calling.... a little birdie told me you went out on a date.... so, you gonna ask her out again?.... well you know its not the best idea to make a girl wait by the phone for your call, right?.... come on Doc, at least send the lady a text - for someone who talks a lot, you're dropping the ball here - talk to her or write her a letter, its not like you don't know where she works, for God's sake.... I know more than you think, Holmes Chapel isn't that big.... I'll explain that in due time Doc, trust me.... Okay Doc, have a goodnight and think about what I said..... I will..... bye now" and hung up "That's done.. Dr. Hayes said he'll text you on his break, he was doing paperwork"

"Oh gosh" said Maura, in shock

"Breathe Grandma... sometimes guys need a 'wake up call' " I said "especially doctors... they sometimes forget to follow thru with people and things outside of work" Maura's phone dinged "See? Told ya"

Maura looked at her phone "Oh gosh... he apologized for not calling and wants to meet tomorrow for dinner" said Maura and looked at me

"So text him back Grandma" I said "don't leave the man hanging, he likes you... go for it and have fun"

Maura took a deep breath "Okay" said Maura and sent her reply "now I'm nervous"

"Just relax Mom and have a good time" said Papa

"Okay sweetie" said Maura "Thank you Jessie"

"You're welcome Grandma" I said "Don't tell him about me being able to read, not just yet. Get to know each other first.. that can wait a while"

"Okay sweetie, I wont say a word" said Maura

"We should go home Maura" said Gran "Its been a long day"

"Okay Mom" said Maura as they said their good-byes and headed home

"We should go too" said Andrew

"Wait a sec guys" I said "I need to give y'all something before you go"

"Okay" said Andrew as I went inside and grabbed my blue bag and came back out

"Everyone already has their clue figured out, so here's yours" I said and handed out their clues "Your clues are different from the others... When you've figured it out, come find Mary and she'll give you the next clue... No cheating and don't tell anyone your answer except Mary... got it?"

"Yes ma'am" said the guys

"Good luck" I said as they disappeared and I sat back down "Now we wait and see who figures it out first"

"My money is on Davis" said Haz "because he figured out that hint fast"

"How long did it take everyone to figure out their clues?" asked Momma

"A couple of minutes" I said "It took Louis almost 8 hours to figure out the hint, so he let Gem figure out their clue"

"Damn... your Momma had it figured out in 30 seconds" said Papa "So did Mack"

"Well then, here's your envelope Mack, Momma" I said and handed them out

"Welcome to my scavenger hunt" said Mack "Congratulations of solving your clue so quickly... This is not the usual scavenger hunt you may have been a part of in the past... You will be given a list, along with a budget, in case you need it, if not, you may keep it... You've each been given a color so the items on your list, can be any shade of that color that you find.. I leave that for you to decide... I wish you luck and have fun... Love, Jessica"

"Now, I'll tell you what I told everyone yesterday" I said as I handed out their Manilla envelopes "You have a budget of $100,000 dollars, so price your items... If something costs more than your budget, let me know the color, what it is and where you found it, and I'll take care of it.... Keep all receipts & invoices in your envelope with your list.. When your list is done, put the envelope - with your list, in your bag or box of items... Your deadline is Aug. 20th... any questions?"

"Aug. 20th... Why does that date sound familiar" said Momma "Oh Holy shit... no way... really?"

"Go ahead Momma... tell them" I said 

"Its a senior prom" said Momma "I saw the flyer for it when we met Father Donnelly last Friday"

"Correct Momma... We're going to help Sister Grace plan a senior prom for the residents of the senior living center down the road at the High School" I said "Sister Grace will be here at 4 o'clock Thursday with your prom assignments... Simon & I will be doing the pictures"

"Oh this is going to be fun" said Mack "What's the theme for the prom?"

"Over the Rainbow" I said "That's why everyone has been given a different color... You're the first one to ask that question Mack"

"All proms have a theme" said Mack "My senior prom's theme was Titanic... I know, its cheesy, but it was still a blast.. We even had a background of a ship that we stood in front of for picture"

"I never had a senior prom" said Momma "I went from 9th grade to college when I was 16"

"No way... did you miss out" said Mack

"I was married" said Mary "I never went to mine"

"I didn't go to mine either" said Liam "because the school said that I couldn't bring Zayn as my date"

"What year did y'all graduate?" asked Mack "I graduated in '98"

"I didn't" said Mary

" '94" said Liam & Zayn

"2011" said Momma

"Ni & I graduate next June" said Haz

"Oh wow" said Mack "What about you Marcus?"

"I graduated in 1855... we didn't have proms back then" said Marcus

"Well Hell... looks like I'm helping Sister Grace & Jessie throw this shindig together" said Mack "Its a good thing we all have a list to work from, bc putting a prom together in 3 weeks is going to take a lot of work"

"Well, I've already got a DJ in place so the music is taken care of" I said "and I have a caterer taking care of the food, so the only thing we really have to work on, is the transportation bc some of the residents are in wheelchairs or need a walker to get around"

"Doesn't the center have a bus or something?" asked Momma

"Yes, they have a shuttle bus" said Mary "But it needs to be fixed... I personally think it needs to be replaced, but that would take more money than I have to make that happen"

"We can have Louis & Davis take a look at it and see if it can be fixed" I said "If it can't, then we'll see about replacing it, but I'm not going to just up and do that if it can be fixed... at least not yet"

Damian showed up "I have a question Jess" said Damian

"What is it Damian?" I said 

"The guys and I were talking and we were wondering if... um... Can we ask other people to help each of us figure out our clue?" said Damian "please?"

"Ah, I see" I said "Who would you be asking for help?"

"Um... Catherine" said Damian

"Ah" I said "I guess I can make an exception, but only bc you asked... Go ahead Damian and tell the others, that's fine, but Sarah can't help Andrew bc she already knows... if he can find someone else to help him, that's fine"

"Thanks Jess" said Damian

"You're welcome Damian" I said "You each still need to come see Mary to get your next clue, but wait till morning, okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said Damian and disappeared

"I haven't seen Damian that nervous since he found out that Catherine is Jessie's Mom" said Zayn and looked at me "He thought you were going to blow up on him bs he likes her and didn't want your temper directed at him again"

"Is that why Damian was so jumpy the other night?" I asked

"Yeah" said Zayn "Li & I told him you wouldn't be mad, but he wasn't so sure till you said so that night at dinner"

"I'll talk to Damian" I said 

"You blew up on Damian?" asked Maxk

"Yeah... a long time ago" I said "I'll tell you about it tomorrow pooh bear"

"Okay care bear" said Mack "I feel like I'm playing catch up here"

"Jimmy can fill you in pooh bear, if you want" I said and yawned "Oh gosh, sorry about that"

"That's okay" said Mack "It almost midnight.. why don't you go to bed.. we can talk tomorrow care bear"

"Yeah okay" I said "Momma can you braid my hair real quick"

"Sure baby" said Momma "A French braid?"

"Yes please" I said and sat on Momma's lap

"Okay" said Momma and started brushing and braiding my hair "There you go baby, you're all set"

"Thanks Momma" I said and gave her & Papa a kiss goodnight

"You're welcome baby" said Momma

"You want to go running in the morning pooh bear?" I asked

"Sure, how about 7am?" said Mack

"Sounds good... I'll see you at 7am" I said "You want to join us Momma?"

"How far so you run Mack?" asked Momma

"30 miles" said Mack "Jessie said that she runs at the track, so I can do 30 miles there, its not a problem"

"Sure baby.. I don't know if I can do 30 miles yet, but I'll join you" said Momma

"Awesome sauce" I said as I gave everyone a kiss and hug goodnight, saving Mack for last "Goodnight Pooh bear... I Love You"

"I Love You too care bear" said Mack "Goodnight... Goodnight Sarah"

"Goodnight" said Sarah "um... Mack?"

"Yeah?" said Mack

"Um... Can I call you Pooh bear?" asked Sarah

"Of course you can darlin" said Mack

"Thanks... you can call me petal" said Sarah "That's what Jessie & Izzie call me"

"Then petal it is" said Mack "Goodnight petal"

"Goodnight pooh bear" said Sarah "Goodnight everyone"

"Goodnight petal" said everyone

"Goodnight everyone" said Marcus "see you in the morning"

"Goodnight Marcus" said everyone as we went up to bed

Marcus set my box of photos on the desk and grabbed his pajamas and went into the bathroom to change while I braided Sarah's hair.

"All set petal" I said 

"Thanks jellybean" said Sarah and crawled under the blankets as Marcus came back in the room "Goodnight Marcus"

"Goodnight Sarah" said Marcus and got in bed "Come to bed angel"

"Be right there" I said "I just need to cut this hospital bracelet off first" and got out a pair of scissors "I forgot to when I put my pajamas on" and cut off the bracelet and tossed it in the trashcan, then got in bed and sighed "what a day... it feels good to finally lay down"

"I know... I'm sorry that I told Pamela, angel" whispered Marcus "I know you wanted to tell her"

"That's okay" I whispered "Talking to Momma is a lot easier than talking to Papa... I don't know how I'm gonna tell him.. I hate keeping secrets, it feels like I'm lying"

"Pamela said that there are somethings a Father shouldn't know about his Daughter" whispered Marcus "maybe this is one of those things... I mean, Pamela knows and Louis knows, shouldn't that be enough?"

"Would you want to know?... If it was our Daughter?" I whispered and looked at Marcus "Hypothetically speaking"

"No.. I don't think I would want to know" whispered Marcus "If our did what we did, I think, as long as she came to you to talk about it, that would be the better solution... Hypothetically speaking"

"Okay" I whispered and yawned "lets get some sleep... I Love You"

"Okay... I Love You too angel" whispered Marcus and kissed my hair as we fell asleep

IN THE MORNING....

I woke up to the sound of my alarm, so I turned it off and quietly grabbed my workout clothes and went to the bathroom to change. I went back to my room, put my pajamas in the hamper, grabbed my shoes, hoodie, & Ipod and went downstairs to the kitchen. I took my vitamin and started the coffee while I fried up an egg and made a piece of toast and drank my juice as Momma came downstairs.

"Morning Momma" I said "You want an egg & toast?"

"Yes please" said Momma

"Okay" I said as I fried up an egg & a piece of toast "The coffee is almost ready if you want to pour a cup and set it in the microwave till we get back"

"Oh good idea baby" said Momma and poured a cup of coffee and set it in the microwave

"Here you go Momma" I said and handed her a saucer with her egg & toast and a vitamin

"Thanks baby" said Momma as we sat down at the table "How did you sleep?"

Good... Marcus & I talked last night" I said "I'm not going to tell Papa... you & Louis know and that's enough people who need to know"

"Okay baby" said Momma "What made you decide not to tell Papa?"

"I asked Marcus... um... If we had a daughter, would he want to know" I said "He said no and that as long as she came to me to talk about it, that was fine with him"

"I see... well, that's a good decision" said Momma "You know, you can always come to me if you need to talk about things like this, but if you can't, try and talk to Papa... Okay?"

"Okay Momma" I said "How are you handling the whole inheritance thing?"

"I don't know how to feel about it" said Momma "How do you deal with it?"

"I don't really think about it too much" I said "It helps to think of it more like an emergency fund... If the kids need braces, the car breaks down or the washing machine floods the house, you have the money to cover it without going broke"

"Oh okay" said Momma "I can handle that a lot better than I can as a trust fund"

My Ipod alarm went off "Its 7... we better head out" I said 

"Okay baby" said Momma as we took care of our plates.. I grabbed 3 bottles of water and handed one to Momma as we walked out of the house and met Mack in the driveway

"Morning Pooh bear" I said and handed him a bottle of water

"Morning care bear... Morning Pamela" said Mack

"Morning Mack" said Momma "How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby" said Mack "The bed was so soft, it felt like I was sleeping on a cloud... it was amazing"

"Mhm" I said "and the fact that Jimmy was in bed with you and that you're now engaged, had absolutely nothing to do with you sleeping like a baby... right?"

"Yeah okay, that may have been a reason too" said Mack and chuckled "Am I that predictable?"

"Yep" I said "Okay... from here to the track and 7 laps is 10 miles, so I'm thinking 21 laps is 30 miles... Momma's up to 10 miles, so Momma, if you want to try and do 30 go ahead, just don't push it.. I don't want you to hurt your self.. okay?"

"Okay baby" said Momma

"Okay, once we start running, no talking" I said as I put in my earbuds "lets get plugged in and go"

"Okay care bear" said Mack as he put in his earbuds "I'll follow you two till we get to the track"

"Sounds good" said Momma and put in her earbuds and hit play "lets go" as we headed to the school in silence

We got to the school and headed for the track and started our laps. I listened to the music for the music festival as I ran and then put my Ipod on shuffle as we continued running our laps... Momma stayed with us as we finished our laps and headed back home... I turned off my Ipod and took out my earbuds as we hit the driveway.

"Oh wow" I said panting "That was the best run ever... How are you feeling Momma?"

"I feel good... I can't believe I just did 30 miles" panted Momma and drank some water "I feel like I'm buzzing with electricity"

"That's your adrenaline Momma" I said "Just breathe slow & easy for a bit... I don't want you crashing like you did at the hospital last week"

"Okay baby" said Momma as she sat on the truck's tailgate and drank her water

"What happened last week?" asked Mack

"Liam was at the park and ended up whacking his head and was knocked out" I said "Momma did CPR and we took him to the hospital.. well, Momma's adrenaline was in overdrive and when it finally ran out, she passed out for about 4-5 hours"

"Oh wow" said Mack "sounds like you need to switch off your adrenaline and let the endorphins run the show Pamela"

"How do I do that?" asked Momma

"After your run, do 30 minutes of yoga" said Mack "It allows the brain to take over as your adrenaline slowly comes down without crashing"

"Ah.. okay" said Momma "then lets go do some yoga" and hopped off of the truck's tailgate "get your mat and meet us In the backyard" as we headed for the house

"Okay" said Mack and went inside

Momma grabbed her mat and came out to the backyard as Mack came out and joined her.

"Y'all do your yoga" I said "I'm gonna do my headstand and re-center my brain"

"Okay care bear" said Mack as he took off his shoes "Okay Pamela, lets get your endorphins working"

"Okay" said Momma as I plugged in my earbuds, turned on my Ipod, did my headstand and closed my eyes

I listened to my festival music again as I slowed my breathing and relaxed. My Ipod's alarm went off at 9am, so I came out of my headstand, turned it off and went inside.

"Morning poppet" said Papa

Morning Papa... Where's Momma?" I said 

"She's in the shower.. she should be done soon" said Papa "How was your run?"

"Oh my God... it was amazing" I said "I haven't run like that in a long time"

"Wow... How did Momma do?" asked Papa

"Momma ran the whole 30 miles with us" I said "then she & Mack did some yoga so that Momma's adrenaline could come down slowly without crashing... like last time"

"Oh wow" said Papa "well that explains why she was so relaxed when she came in"

"30 miles?" said Liam "Holy shit... I'd have passed out at 8 miles"

"That's bc you're a lightweight Grandpa" I said "You gotta work up to that kinds of distance... I told Momma to try it, but not to push herself bc I didn't want her to get hurt, but she kept up a good pace and did it... I was impressed" and went into the storage pantry to get Izzie's sewing machine & thread box and set them ny the front door

"What's that poppet?" asked Papa

"Izzie's sewing machine & Thread box... Mack's gonna need them to work on Izzie's dress" I said 

"Ah.. okay" said Papa as Momma came downstairs

"How do you feel Momma?" I asked

"I feel great... the yoga did the trick" said Momma "I don't feel jittery or tired... its amazing"


	104. Chapter 104

Chapter 104

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Wow... that's great" I said and walked into the Livingroom "Chelsea, Trudy, time to wake up pretty babies... come on sleepyheads, its time to go potty" and picked them up out of the play yard and headed to the back door "go outside and Mommy will get your breakfast"

"Arf, arf, aroooo" barked Chelsea & Trudy as they ran outside.. I grabbed a can of dog food and put it in their bowls and took it out to the patio

"Time for breakfast girls" I said as they came running "ah, ah, ah, no jumping... good girls... here you go.. eat it all up and then you can go play" and went inside.. Momma was making breakfast "I'm gonna go take a shower Momma"

"Okay baby" said Momma "Do you want me to save you some bacon & eggs?"

"Yes please... I'll be back down in 20 minutes" I said and went upstairs "Hey sleepyheads, time to wake up, Momma's making breakfast" and grabbed my clothes & shower caddy "I'm gonna jump in the shower realquick"

"Okay.. I'm up" said Marcus

"Ugh.. what time is it?" said Sarah, rubbing her eyes

"its 9:15" I said 

"Holy cow... I feel like I just went to sleep" said Sarah "Heaven wouldn't shut up last night bc everyone so excited about you & Mack getting engaged, Mary's twins and helping the guys figure out their clues... I miss my earplugs"

"Oh gosh... I'm sorry Sarah" I said "why don't you go eat some breakfast and then you can lay down till its time for you to go to the school... okay?"

"Okay.. see you in a bit jellybean" said Sarah and went downstairs

"Poor thing" said Marcus "its going to be a rough week for her"

"Tell Papa and have him call Linda to see what we can do to help her" I said 

"Okay angel... see you in a bit" said Marcus and went downstairs as I headed to the bathroom

I showered quickly and got dressed. I took my workout clothes down to the laundry room and hung them up to dry and went into the kitchen to have breakfast.

"Where's Sarah?" I said as I looked in the Livingroom

"She went next door to see Jimmy" said Momma "the poor thing was so tired, she could barely stay awake long enough to eat"

"Dang... she said Heaven was so excited and kept her up all night" I said "After the day I had yesterday, I was exhausted and fell asleep.. hard.... God couldn't have woke me up if he wanted to"

The door opened and Mack came in carrying Sarah "Jimmy put some cotton balls in her ears and she fell asleep" whispered Mack "Do you want me to take her upstairs?"

"Yeah.. she can sleep in my bed" I said softly as I led Mack up to my room and laid Sarah down as I covered her up "We'll let her sleep for a couple of hours till she has to get dressed... Thanks for bringing her home Pooh bear"

"You're welcome care bear" whispered Mack "I love your room" as we went back downstairs

"Thanks... Gem & Louis painted it and set it up for me" I said "Oh, I got out the sewing machine & thread box for you so you can fix Izzie's dress"

"Oh excellent.. Thanks" said Mack "I'll take this over to the house and get it set up so I can be ready when Haz & Jimmy leave"

"Oh shit... I forgot Jimmy & I are supposed to go get the marriage license this morning" said Haz and ran upstairs

"I haven't seen anyone move that fast since the time Duchess chased David into the swimming pool" chuckled Mack

"I didn't think Daddy could run that fast" I said 

"Haz just doesn't want you to kill him for forgetting again" chuckled Papa "You scare him when you get mad"

"Damn care bear" said Mack "How many times have you blown up since you got her?"

"Hmm" I said thinking "about 6, maybe 7 times... 3 times on Marcus, once on Louis and I think twice on Haz's Daddy?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right" said Mary "but the only reason you went off on Louis was bc ge was trying to keep you from hurting Marcus after the boobytrap hit you last Saturday"

"No, I blew up on Louis last Monday night, remember?" I said "so 6 times... oh, and once on Simon the other night, so I'm at 7"

"Sounds like you need Zanax more than Simon does" said Macxk

"Oh yeah.. when you were telling us the whole story about how you were staying" said Liam

"No way... I'll get drunk before I take a Zanax" I said "I know the side effects from too much alcohol... Zanax isn't good for people like me, Sarah & Jimmy to take... sorry Papa... but it'll fuck up our brains so bad we could go catatonic for a month"

"Oh and you forgot about blowing up on God.. twice" said Marcus "so that's 10 times angel"

"Gee thanks babykins" I said sarcastically "are you trying to get me to blow up again?"

"Um.. no.. I'll shut up now" said Marcus and drank some coffee

"Jessica!... You blew up on God?" asked Mack and crossed himself

"Damn straight I blew up on God" I said calmly "He intentionally blocked me from Marcus... Had Marcus been able to find me, then maybe Daddy wouldn't have hurt me so bad"

"Oh" said Mack aa Haz came running downstairs with damp hair and put his boots on, grabbed his keys * wallet and ran out the door "Holy shit" and started laughing "wait till the babies are born... he's gonna be a mess till then"

"Nah.. He'll be fine" I said giggling "His Daddy did a number on him emotionally, but he getting better... Haz just needs positive reassurance that he wont end up being like his Daddy"

"Haz's Dad was that bad?" asked Mack

"Oh yeah... His Daddy made Hitler look like a choirboy" I said 

"Oh Sweet Jesus" said Mack and crossed himself "No wonder he's so scared.. I would be too"

"Come on Mack, lets go see how much work you'll have to do to my dress" said Mary

"Yes ma'am" said Mack

"Papa, Marcus & I will find you a table Pooh bear" I said "sp leave the front door unlocked"

"We'll clean up the kitchen Mom" said Loam "Why don't you go with them and help baby girl"

"Okay Dad" said Momma "Come on Mom, lets go unpack your dress" as we all headed out of the house

I opened the garage door "We need a table for Mack" I said "not too big, but big enough to hold the sewing machine and still give him room to work"

"Where are we going to put it?" asked Papa

"In the formal dining room" I said "Mack asked if he could use it to work in so that he wouldn't mess up the Livingroom"

"Ah okay" said Papa and looked around "How about this square one?.. It looks big enough and it doesn't wobble"

"Its perfect" I said and started clearing stuff off of it "Okay, its cleared off and I can wipe it down when we get it in the house"

"Okay Ni, on 3 we lift and carry" said Marcus "Just don't hit the cars, okay?"

"Yeah okay" said Papa

"1... 2... 3-lift" said Marcus as they carried the table out of the garage and I quickly closed the door and ran over to Mack's and opened the front door as Mary came down the stairs in her dress

"Oh, Izzie" I said in awe "You look absolutely gorgeous" as Papa & Marcus came in with the table

"Mary..." said Marcus "You look amazing"

Papa gave a low whistle "Haz is gonna cry when he sees you" said Papa "Now I see why he calls you princess... you look like one"

"Simon.. Can you bring down the standing mirror from the blue room please" said Momma

"Sure Pamela" said Simon "Where do you want it?"

"At the bottom of the stairs please" said Momma as Simon carried it down and then looked at Mary

"Mary... wow, you look stunning" said Simon "Is that Maggie's dress?"

"Yep.. okay Izzie, look in the mirror" I said as Mack & I stood on either side "Papa, close the door and lock it please"

"Okay poppet" said Papa and did as requested

"Mack, help me fold the skirt so Izzie can see what it will look like shorter" I said 

"Okay" said Mack as we folded the skirt up to Izzie's knees "WShat do you think Mary?"

"You're going to hate me" said Mary

"Why? bc you like it better long?" asked Mack

"Yeah" said Mary "I thought I wanted a shorter dress, but now that I see it full length, I love it as it is"

"Hey.. I'm not mad darlin, I do this for a living" said Mack softly "You're not the first bride to change her mind, just relax Mary" and we dropped the skirt

"I wish my Dad was here" whispered Mary as a tear ran down her cheek

"Hey, he will be" I said softly "Mary & Jackson will both be there on your Wedding day and they'll be with you when your girls are born... nothing could keep them away"

"Girls?" said Mary and touched her stomach "Are you sure?"

I closed my eyes and listened "Ah.. there she is... Yep, I'm sure" and opened my eyes "You'll find out in December"

"Merry Christmas.. its a girl, x2" said Momma and giggled

Mary laughed and wiped her eyes as there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I yelled thru the door

"Its Jimmy... let me in" yelled Jimmy thru the door

"Is Haz with you?" I yelled

"No... let me in" yelled Jimmy

I unlocked the door and opened it as Jimmy came in "What the Hell-o gorgeous" said Jimmy "Wow, Mary, you look amazing"

"Thanks Jimmy" said Mary "Did Haz get the license?"

"Yep, you're all set for Friday" said Jimmy "Haz said for me to send Ni over and to tell Jessie & Pamela that its almost noon"

"Oh shit... Damn, I forgot to take my meds this morning" I said 

"Calm down baby" said Momma "Jimmy, Jessie needs her new passport and amended birth certificate please"

"Okay, I'll go get them and Marcus's too" said Jimmy and went upstairs

"Come on Mary, lets go take your dress off and don't worry about a thing.. I'll clean and press the dress here, its not leaving this house" said Mack

"Okay Mack, thanks" said Mary as they went upstairs

"You're welcome darlin" said Mack as Jimmy came back down

"Okay, here you go... Here are Jessie's and here are Marcus's" said Jimmy "Your passport has already been stamped, so you're all set... Your birth year says 1988 so that when you tell people you're 23, no one will question it and you also have social security number, bank account & credit card"

"Dang Jimmy.. How did you pull all of this off so fast?" I asked

"You have friends in very high places" said Jimmy "All it took was a few phone calls and it was all set... and yes Marcus, its all legal, even the money. I'll explain it all later, I promise"

"O-okay" said Marcus and took the documents

"Okay baby, lets go" said Momma "We don't want to be late"

"Okay Momma" I said "Breathe Marcus... Jimmy said he would explain and we'll be back in a few hours"

"Okay angel" said Marcus

"I have to go get my things Momma, I'll be right down" I said 

"Okay baby, hurry and wake up Sarah please" said Momma

"Okay" I said and ran home and up to my room "Sarah, time to wake up" I said as I unlocked my desk drawer and got out my gun & papers. I ejected the clip, emptied the chamber & set the safety as Sarah woke up

"Oh gosh... What time is it?" asked Sarah

"Almost noon" I said "Jimmy put cotton balls in your ears and you fell asleep, so Mack carried you back here... How do you feel?"

"Better" said Sarah and got dressed, took the cotton out of her ears and put them in her pocket

I grabbed my purse and put all of my papers in it, along with my old & new passports, money & gun "Momma & I have to go, but we'll be back soon.. Is there anything I can get for you while we're out?" I said 

"Can you get me a sketch pad & pencils?" asked Sarah "that way if I'm up again tonight, I have something to do"

"Sure I can" I said "regular pencils or colored?"

"Both please" said Sarah

"Okay petal" I said "When we all get home, do you want to help me & Momma go thru the stuff Jimmy brought from back home?"

"Sure... unless I fall asleep again" said Sarah and started crying

"Hey... shh.. What's wrong?" I said softly

"I miss Brian and Mom & Dad" cried Sarah

"Oh sweetie... shh... Did you tell Izzie?" I asked

"No... I didn't want to sound like a baby" said Sarah

"Izzie wouldn't think that" I said "Its normal to miss your family.. I missed Momma & Papa, and they were only gone a couple of days, but I had you, Izzie and everyone here to keep me company and take care of me so I didn't feel so lonely. Your family misses you too, you & Brian just needed a break from each other so you didn't kill each other"

"How can they miss me? they haven't even called" said Sarah softly

"Hey now, just bc they haven't called, doesn't mean they don't miss you" I said "They know you're safe and being taken care of and if there's a problem, Izzie will call them... even if all you want to do is talk to them - Izzie will call them.. okay?"

"Okay" said Sarah and wiped her eyes

"Now come on.. we're gonna be late" I said as we went downstairs

"What's wrong petal?" asked Haz

"I'm tired and I miss my family" said Sarah

"Oh sweetie... Why didn't you say something?" asked Mary

"I didn't want to sound like a baby" said Sarah "I'm almost 7 years old.. I should be able to handle being away from home better"

"Hey now, if you want to go home, that's okay" said Mary "I'm not mad, you'll see your Mom in a few minutes and when you're done with rehearsals, if you want to go home, we'll call your Dad... okay?"

"You will?" asked Sarah

"Of course we will" said Mary "and if you decide you want to stay, that's okay too"

"Thanks Izzie" said Sarah and gave her a hug

"You're welcome petal" said Mary "Now, lets fix your hair before you go bc it looks like a rat's nest"

"Oh gosh... It looks that bad?" giggled Sarah

"Pretty close" giggled Mary and grabbed a brush and started brushing her hair "Do you want me to re-braid it or put it in a ponytail?"

"Re-braid please" said Sarah

"Okay" said Mary

"Momma & I have to go petal, so have fun.. okay?" I said 

"Okay jellybean" said Sarah "Give em Hell Admiral"

"Yes ma'am Sergeant" I said and headed for the car and got in "Oh crap, I forgot to tell Izzie something... I'll text her"

TO: Izzie  
FROM: Jessie

Hey.. if the guys show up, their next clue is in my blue bag in the storage pantry with their names on them.  
Be back soon.

Jessie xx

TO: Jessie  
FROM: Izzie

Okay sweetie  
Thanks xx

"All set?" asked Momma

"Yep, all set" I said "Lets show em what we got Captain"

"Yes ma'am Admiral" said Momma as we headed to the police station

"Are you nervous Momma?" I asked

"A little, but I'm okay" said Momma

"Just remember.. inhale on 1, aim on 2, exhale and fire on 3" I said "just like we did hyesterday with the paintball guns"

"I will baby" said Momma as she parked the car and we headed towards the station. Rothsdale & Baxter were waiting for us.

"Hey kiddo... Did you bring all of your paperwork?" asked Steven

"Yep" I said "let the fun begin Chief"

"Pamela, this is Jordan Baxter, your partner" said Steven "Jordan, Pamela Williams, soon to be Horan"

"Nice to meet you Pamela" said Jordan and shook Momma's hand

"Same here Jordan" said Momma "This is my daughter Jessie"

"Hello Jessie, its nice to see you're okay" said Jordan "I saw you Friday night"

"Hello Mr. Baxter.. yeah, I'm doing better" I said "Did you see the babies yet?"

"Yes, I saw them this morning" said Jordan "They're the most beautiful babies I've ever seen"

"I take it, Jordan was named after you?" I asked

"Yeah.. that floored me" said Jordan "I heard Stephanie has your middle name"

"Yeah and she has the same color eyes as my Momma too" I said as Jordan looked at Momma

"Oh wow.. I never noticed that your eyes are purple" said Jordan

"Yeah, its a family trait" said Pamela "My Great-Grandmother had purple eyes... its a Scottish thing"

"Did Harry get his marriage license this morning?" asked Steven

"Yep, he almost forgot till Mack reminded him, but Jimmy went with him and now they're all set for Friday" I said 

"Oh good" said Steven "Give me your papers and we'll do your recertification first"

"Okay" I said and opened my purse, took out my permits, both passports & birth certificates, my gun & 2 clips

"Holy cow... you fit all of that in your purse?" asked Jordan

"You'd be amazed what a girl can pack in a purse" I said "or a small backpack"

"Yeah, no kidding... she's sneaky like that" chuckled Momma

"I am not sneaky Momma" I said "There's a method to my madness and when I have a plan in mind, I'm always prepared for every possible outcome"

"Damn... I need to learn that" said Jordan "I couldn't organize my way out of a wet paper bag"

"Then make a list... for everything" I said "I have 235 lists on my phone of ideas, lists for events I've planned, projects I need to do... 5 Weddings, 2 bridal showers, 2 baby showers... you name it, there's a list for it.. that's how I stay organized"

"Holy cow" said Jordan & Steven "Now I see why you asked her to be the babies God-mother... she's amazing"

"For now, I'm thinking of myself as more of a big sister" I said "seeing as I'm only 10"

"That's a good way to think" said Steven "Okay, load your gun and lets get started... whenever you're ready"

"Okay" I said putting a clip in the gun and loaded the chamber, put in my earplugs, loaded my target, disabled the safety, took a deep breath, aimed and fired 3 shots then fired 6 more shots, brought the target back and handed it to Steven

"Holy shit... she's a better shot than I am" said Jordan and looked at me "You're good Jessie"

"Thanks" I said "You want another one?"

"Yeah.. just head & chest shots this time Jessie" said Steven and handed me a different gun

"Okay" I said and loaded a new target, checked the gun over, ejected the clip, emptied the chamber, reloaded the gun and disabled the safety. I took a deep breath, aimed and fired 2 shots, then fired 14 more times. I set the gun down and brought the target back "Here you go.. 16 shots - 8 to the head and 8 to the chest"

"You need to ask boss" said Jordan

"No" said Steven

"Ask what?" said Momma "Steven?"

"Jordan thinks I should ask you if Jessie can train a tactical team" said Steven "I told him no"

"Why do you need a tactical team?" asked Momma

"Because our tactical team went to the Middle East" said Steven "and we don't have a back-up team to cover for them, should we need one here... I don't want Jessie to do it"

"I see" said Momma "I have a friend who can help with that... How many do you need for a team?"

"6... I have a candidates list on my desk" said Steven

"Well unless they can hit a target from 250 yards, they're not qualified" I said "Sorry Momma, but a team like that needs to be able to not only hit their target up close, but also at a distance in case the scene isn't safe"

"I know baby" said Momma and pulled out her phone and put it on speaker

"Hello Captain... at ease" said a man

PAMELA: Hello General sir... Permission to speak freely sir

GENERAL: Go ahead Pamela

PAMELA: Thank you sir, I'm here with my boss Chief Rothsdale…. How would you like to train a 6 man tactical team for the police department?

GENERAL: Are you serious?

PAMELA: As serious as a heart attack on Valentine's Day sir... Whatcha say General?

GENERAL: Hell yeah, I'll do it... Do you have a candidate's list Chief?

ROTHSDALE: Yes sir

GENERAL: Excellent... I'm about 50 clicks from you, how about I come see you in say... an hour?

ROTHSDALE: That would be great sir, Thank you

GENERAL: You're very welcome Chief... Whatcha doing today Captain?

PAMELA: Firearm recertification for Jessie & I sir

GENERAL: Holy Christ Pamela, can't you wait non that till the kid is 16?

PAMELA: Well yeah, but her permit expires on Thursday, so the Chief wanted to get Jessie recertified in order to keep her gun legal

GENERAL: Good God Pamela... Where'd she get a gun?

PAMELA: It was her Dad's sir, I had no say in this, it was left to her... I didn't find out about it till yesterday.. shocked the shit out of me sir

GENERAL: How did she do so far?

PAMELA: No misses yet sir, she's hit her targets 25 times

GENERAL: From what distance?

JESSIE: 90 feet General sir

GENERAL: Nice shot Admiral

JESSIE: Thank you sir... Where are you coming from sir?

GENERAL: The airport... I'm just checking into the Manchester Hotel

JESSIE: Is Mr. Thompson there?

GENERAL: Yes he is.. I'll put you on speaker... go ahead Admiral

JESSIE: Hey Mr. Thompson, its Jessie Horan

MR. THOMPSON: Ms. Jessie... What can I do for you Ma'am?

JESSIE: The General needs an extended stay suite and VIP parking for his car please

MR. THOMPSON: Yes Ma'am.. anything else?

JESSIE: Not that I can think of, but I'll call you if plans change

MR. THOMPSON: Yes Ma'am.. Have a good day Ma'am

JESSIE: You too Mr. Thompson... Will you be joining us for dinner tonight sir?

GENERAL: Absolutely... What's on the menu?

JESSIE: Taco Salad & Chicken Fajitas sir.. The Captain's specialty sir

GENERAL: That's my favorite you know

JESSIE: Yes sir, I know sir

PAMELA: We need to go sir, my recertification is next.. We'll see you in 45 sir

GENERAL: See you in 45 Captain... Knock their socks off Captain

PAMELA: *chuckles* Yes sir General... peace out

and hung up "General?" said Jordan

"He's a General in the United States Marine Corps" said Momma "Along with his 8 brothers, 4 sons, 10 nephews and his granddaughter, who is one of my bridesmaids & best friend"

"Holy shit" said Jordan

"Jesus Momma, why didn't you tell me" I said "That's 24 people, not to mention Papa's family, us, Sarah's family... 50 rooms isn't gonna be enough" and pulled out my phone "This is also why I make lists.. bc NO ONE gives me details.. Mr. Thompson, Wedding update... We need more rooms from the 21st to the 25th of September... another 50 please... I know it puts us over the budget, by how much over?... Sweet Jesus, Mary & Joseph... its alright, I'll be in tomorrow to settle up... Okay, thanks Mr. Thompson... bye" and hung up "Y'all are gonna give that man a stroke - he damn near fell out of his chair and at this rate, I'm gonna have gray hair by the time I'm 16... Thanks Momma" and sat down and rubbed my temples "God, I need a drink... When we get home, I'm getting drunk off my ass and don't you dare try and stop me Momma... Do your recertification. I'm gonna go sit in the hallway for a bit" and left the room


	105. Chapter 105

Chapter 105

PAMELA'S POV

"Is she okay?" asked Jordan "Her eyes turned black"

"She'll be fine" I said "Jessie doesn't handle stress very well... Her eyes turn black when she gets mad... Mine turn red"

"Oh okay" said Jordan "remind me to never piss you off" and looked out the window "Boss... look at this" and pointed at Jessie

"Oh wow" said Steven "Does Jessie do headstands a lot?"

"Yeah... it depends on how much her brain feels like Swiss cheese" I said "It helps to re-center her thoughts"

"Ah okay" said Steven "We'll finish her up in a bit. Lets get yours done while we wait"

"Okay" I said as we started my recertification. I fired several guns, left & right handed, head shots, chest shots, and moving targets and was issued my gun, badge, cuffs and police ID as the General came doiwn the hall and knocked on the door and came in "General sir" and snapped a salute

"Captain.. at ease" said the General and returned the salute "Is that Jessie in the hallway?"

"Yes sir... she had a minor fit and put herself on a bit of a 'time out' " I said 

"How long has she been like that?" asked the General

"Almost 45 minutes" I said "that's normal for her... the longest she's stayed like that is 2 hours"

"And she doesn't move?" asked Jordan

"Nope, not till she's done" I said and looked at Jessie "which looks like right about now" as Jessie came out of her headstand and came back in the room "How's the brain baby?"

"Better... I'm sorry Momma, I didn't mean to be such a brat" said Jessie "forgive me?"

"Always baby" I said "Jessie, this is the General... General, this is Jessie"

"Nice to meet you sir" said Jessie and shook his hand

"Nice to meet you too young lady" said the General

"This is Chief Rothsdale and Detective Baxter" I said 

"Gentlemen" said the General and shook their hands

"Are you ready to finish your recertification Jessie?" asked Steven

"Yep, I'm ready" said Jessie "How much more do we need to do?"

"Two more targets right handed and the moving targets" said Steven

"Okay... my gun or yours?" asked Jessie

"Yours" said Steven

"Okay.. you got a couple extra clips?" asked Jessie "cuz I only have 7 left in this one"

"Sure... What is that again?" asked Steven

"A 9 mil Barretta" said Jessie "Hollow points"

"Jesus.. who raised this kid... Rambo?" asked the General softly

"Nope, a cop" I said softly "and a mean drunk son of a bitch too"

"Here you go kiddo" said Steven

"Thanks" said Jessie and loaded her target

"Head shot and finish the clip" said Steven

Jessie put her earplugs back in, popped her knuckles & neck, took a deep breath, aimed and fired 7 rounds into the targets head right handed.. ejected the clip, cleared the chamber, popped in a new clip and fired 16 rounds into the targets chest and ejected that clip... took down her target and got ready for the moving targets.

"There are 20 targets, some are bad guys and some are civilians" said Steven "you have 2 minutes"

"Okay" said Jessie as the targets started moving, she started firing and hit every 'bad guy' and a couple of civilians in 2 minutes

"Why did you hit the 2 civilians?" asked Steven

"Because its summer and that one is in a full trench coat" said Jessie "No one wears a trench coat unless you're trying to hide a sawed-off shotgun and that other guys facial expression was creepy"

"Okay" chuckled Steven and signed Jessie's new permit "Nicely done kiddo... this is good for 2 years, so if you loose it, call me and we'll get you a replacement permit... okay?"

"You got it Chief" said Jessie "How good of a shot are these candidates on your list?"

"I don't know yet.. all I have are their personnel files" said Steven

"Well, like I said before, unless they can hit a target from 250 yards, they ain't qualified" said Jessie "and other than me, unless they're military trained, you're screwed"

"Told ya boss" said Jordan

"You hit a target at 250 yards?" asked the General "At what range?"

"About 8-10 feet up a tree" said Jessie "I hit a 16-point buck on a hunting trip 2 years ago with my Grandpa before my Dad & I moved here"

"Impressive" said the General "Kyle's gonna get a kick out of her"

"Who's Kyle?" asked Jessie

"Becca's Dad" I said 

"Ah... okay" said Jessie "Momma just told me how big your family is... y'all are Catholic, huh?"

"Yes we are... How did you guess that?" asked the General

My Uncle Mack is Catholic.. He has 4 brothers & 3 sisters" said Jessie "Catholics tend to have big families... I'm Catholic too, but I'm an only child... for now any way"

"Ah.. I see" said the General "So how are Harry & Mary doing with only 2 days till the Wedding?"

"They're doing great" said Jessie "Haz got the marriage license this morning and they found out they're having twins yesterday.. due in Mid-April"

"Oh wow" said the General "I'll be at the house around 5 o'clock... The Chief & I need to discuss his candidates list"

"Okay" said Jessie "The address is 4132 Apple Grove Lane... see you at 5 General" and snapped a salute

"See you at 5 Admiral" said the General and returned the salute

We gathered up our papers, guns & purses and left the police station. We went to the art supply place for a sketch pad & pencils for Sarah, the department store for Mom's bridal shower gift and the grocery store for the dinner stuff and headed home. We unloaded the car and went inside.

"I'll be right down Momma to help with dinner" said Jessie

"That's okay, I've got it tonight baby" I said as I went to my room to get my CD case "Where's my CD player baby?"

"Its in the storage pantry Momma" said Jessie

"Thanks baby" I said and went downstairs to the kitchen, got my CD player, plugged it in and popped in Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons as Jessie came downstairs

"Are you sure you don't want help Momma?" asked Jessie

"I'm sure baby" I said "Why don't you go sit out at the patio and visit"

"Okay Momma" said Jessie and grabbed a juice on her way outside and I hit play, jacked up the volume and went to work

JESSIE'S POV

"Well, we're back" I said and sat down

"Pamela's cooking" said Zayn "don't go in the house she's playing Frankie Valli... if you want to live, DO NOT go in the house"

"Did the guys come by to get their clues yet?" I asked

"So far just Davis & Stuart" said Mary

"Are you serious about not going in the house?" asked Mack

"We're dead serious" said Liam

"What was it Louis said last Friday" said Marcus "Oh yeah... If you hear the Eagles playing, Pamela's in a good mood... If Frankie Valli is playing, she's cooking so stay out of the kitchen... and if you hear '80's heavy metal playing, Pamela's in a really bad mood, so don't bother her or she'll blow up on you"

"What's she making?" asked Liam

"Taco Salad & Chicken Fajitas" I said "The General is coming for dinner tonight and no, he doesn't know any of us can read... at least I don't think he does"

"Last time she made that, she got hit in the eye with some hot grease after Zayn went in the house" said Liam "So lets not have a repeat and stay out here... okay?"

"Okay Grandpa" I said "Was that when Papa moved in?"

"Yeah, it was and he proposed 7 days later" said Liam "your girls night was their first night apart... they've been together ever since"

"Do you know how big the General's family is?" I asked

"Not the exact number, but I know its pretty big" said Liam

"The General has 8 brothers, 4 sons, 10 nephews and 1 granddaughter... ALL IN THE MARINES!!" I said in a tizzy "That's 49 people... I had to book 50 more hotel rooms... at this point I may as well buy the damned hotel bc we've gone over the budget and I'm gonna have gray hair when this is all over"

"Holy shit" said Jimmy "{How much was the extra rooms?"

"$500,000" I said "I wouldn't be in such a tizzy if Papa would just give me a rough guess as to how many as coming from his side, but he wont bc he's not sure"

"Calm down care bear before you have a stroke" said Mack

"I'm trying... I already flipped out on Momma in the middle of my recertification and had to take a 45 minute time out bc my brain turned to tapioca" I said "and then finished my recertification in front of the General ta boot... and then, bc I was nervous as shit, I blurted out that I killed a deer at 250 yards from 8-10 feet up a damned tree"

"oh shit" said Jimmy

"Understatement of the Century Jimbo" I said "I'm so totally fucked, God couldn't get me out of this hole if he wanted to... y'all can shoot me now"

"Pamela" said Mary

"Yeah?" said Momma

"Don't add the tomatoes to the salad sweetie" said Mary "Marcus is allergic to them"

"I know, I remembered" said Momma "Thanks for the reminder Mom"

"You're welcome sweetie" said Mary "You need to calm down sweetie"

"I need to get drunk off my ass and pass the fuck out till Christmas" I said and rubbed my temples "Grrr… Okay, how did rehearsals go?"

"They were great" said Zayn "Sarah was amazing and her song is so beautiful, I cried"

"Where's Sarah?" I asked as I stopped rubbing my temples

"She's with Haz getting his tattoos done" said Mary "She called and said that she'd be here when they were done... she's going to stay till Monday"

"How was she after we left?" I asked

"She was in a better mood" said Mary "I think she was afraid we'd be mad if she went home after a couple of days, but I told her she could call Brian any time she wants and that if she wants to go home, we'll call Tom to come get her and she relaxed and was fine after that"

""Oh good" I said "She was crying before we left... Heaven was all excited over Mack & I getting engaged, you & Haz having twins and helping the guys figure out their clues that they kept Sarah up all night, so she asked me to get her a sketch pad and pencils so if it happened again, she had something to do"

"Poor kid" said Mack "No wonder she fell asleep when Jimmy put the cotton balls in her ears, she was exhausted"

"Okay Jimmy, explain to Marcus the bank account" I said and held Marcus's hand

"Okay, well, when your parents died, you never touched the money from their estate" said Jimmy "So when I found your original birth certificate & social security number, I found the trust, located at the oldest bank in Maine, which is still in business... and as your lawyer, I had the account moved here and you are set for life my friend"

"Are you serious?" asked Marcus

"Yep... its been building interest since 1857 and survived the great depression" said Jimmy "154 years of interest... what started out as $20,000 dollars has grown to $897 Million"

"Holy fucking shit" said Marcus in total shock

"Marcus.. breathe my love... that's it, just breathe" I said as Marcus started crying "Shh, its alright my love, just let it out" and held himas he cried "Shh... Holy shit.. did y'all feel that?"

"Yeah" said Jimmy as my phone rang

"Its Haz" I said and put it on speaker

SARAH: Jessie!!.. Did you feel that?

JESSIE: Yeah.. What was it?

SARAH: The bridal shop across the street just exploded

JESSIE: Oh my God... Are you & Haz okay?

SARAH: Yeah, we're okay, but we wont be able to leave for a while the street is covered in glass and pieces if metal and the police and fire trucks are starting to show up... Are you home yet?

JESSIE: Yeah, we got back about a half an hour ago

SARAH: Oh Thank God... We were just getting ready to leave when it happened

JESSIE: Let me talk to Haz

HARRY: I'm right here peanut.. we're going to go out thru the back of the tattoo place and over to the school... we'll come get the truck later, its like World War III out there

JESSIE: You want Liam to meet you at the school?

HARRY: Yes please, I have bandages on my arm and can't carry Sarah very well, and we have to climb a fence to get to the school track

LIAM: I'm on my way Haz, wait by the fence for me

HARRY: Okay Liam

"Pamela... I need Mom's car keys" said Liam thru the back door "I have to go get Haz & Sarah from the school"

"Here Dad... catch" said Momma and tossed the keys to Liam

"Thanks baby girl" said Liam and hopped the fence and headed for the school

JESSIE: Liam will be there in about 5 minutes or less Haz

HARRY: Okay, we're at the fence... its a good thing I'm not afraid of heights or this would totally suck... its gotta be at least 10 feet high

SARAH: Here comes Liam

LIAM: Hey little one.. Are you ready to climb over?

SARAH: I don't have much of a choice, do I?

HARRY: Come on petal, I'll climb with you... its just like climbing a long ladder, so go slow so you don't slip

SARAH: I'm not scared of slipping, its trying to get over the damn fence that scares me... I'm only 4 feet tall for Christ's sake... Yeah no, I can't do it Liam

LIAM: Okay Sarah, stay right there, here I come... Okay sweetie, this is gonna be scary, but I need you to climb over my shoulder, wrap your legs around my waist and your arms around my necj, Okay? Like a piggy-back ride

SARAH: Dude you're mental... I can't lift my legs that far up, let alone over your shoulder

JESSIE: Haz, call Damian, he'll get her

HARRY: Hey Damian

DAMIAN: Hey... aw Hell Sarah, I'm coming sweetie, hang on... I'll grab her Liam

LIAM: Put her on my back Damian

DAMIAN: Okay... like a piggy-back

LIAM: Exactly

DAMIAN: Okay Sarah, let go of the fence, I've got ya.. now hang onto Liam, thata girl.. look at me, not the ground, that's it... good job Sarah, you're almost down... there you go, back on solid ground... I gotta go now, but I'll come see you in a bit, okay?

SARAH: Okay Damian... Thanks

DAMIAN: You're welcome sweetie

LIAM: We're on our way princess, go ahead and hang up

JESSIE: Okay Grandpa

I hung up and looked at Mack "Well, I guess business is going to be great seeing as the only bridal shop In town just bit the big one" I said and crossed myself "I know... don't say it Jimmy... sorry y'all" as Sarah, Haz & Liam came thru the door... Sarah ran into my arms and held on tight, not saying a word to each other for a couple of minutes "Welcome home petal" I whispered

"How did your recertification go?" asked Sarah

"It was good" I said "Guess what?"

"What?" said Sarah

"The General is coming over for dinner tonight" I said 

"No way... really?" said Sarah

"Yep... He's gonna be in town for a while" I said "He's going to train a new tactical team for the police department"

"That's so cool" said Sarah "What did you have to do for your test?"

"I had to shoot at 4 paper targets, 2 left handed and 2 right handed and then I had to shoot at 20 moving targets that looked like bad guys & regular people... I had to hit all of the bad guys" I said "It was pretty cool"

"Oh wow" said Sarah

"How did rehearsals go?" I asked

"Oh my gosh.. it went so good" said Sarah "Haz and the guys... oh my God... they gave Mom goosebumps they were so good"

"Really... wow" I said "A little birdie told me that you were amazing and that you made Grandpa Zayn cry"

"She was" said Haz "Linda cried too"

"Mom cried?... oh gosh" said Sarah

"Have you decided what you're going to wear at the festival yet?" I asked

"I'm wearing the dress you gave me" said Sarah "Mom is gonna bring it over Friday bc the festival starts at 2pm, so we have to be there at noon so that we know who goes on and when"

"I see... well I have my rehearsal at noon tomorrow, so guess what you get to do" I said 

"What?" asked Sarah

"You get to go shopping with Momma & Izzie" I said "and help Izzie pick out maternity clothes and help her make her wish list for her nursery"

"Oh wow" said Sarah "Oh Izzie, we're gonna have so much fun tomorrow"

"You think so?" asked Mary "What do you think we should get for the nursery?"

"Um... a crib obviously, white furniture with peach accents, princess curtains, a canopy for over the crib, a musical faerie lamp, rockers, light blue walls & ceiling painted with billowy white clouds, a rainbow, birds & angels" said Sarah

"Wow" said Mary "I love it"

"You have a very vivid imagination Sarah" said Mack

"Oh, this is real Pooh bear" said Sarah "My Aunt Monica is an Interior Decorator and she did that to my room when I was born... My room is still painted that way.. its very relaxing... Can I use your phone jellybean?" said Sarah "I'll show you"

"Sure petal" I said and gave her my phone

"Thanks" said Sarah and started typing "See?" and showed it to Mack


	106. Chapter 106

Chapter 106

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Oh wow.. its gorgeous" said Mack "show Mary" as Sarah handed my phone to Mary

"Oh, its beautiful" said Mary "Look Haz.. its perfect"

"Oh wow.. I love it" said Haz as Mary handed my phone back to me

"Oh, that is beautiful" I said "Look Marcus" and showed him

"Ah.. I see what you mean by relaxing" said Marcus "Its perfect for a nursery and it works for both boys & girls"

"Oh, Izzie us having girls" said Sarah "definitely girls"

"Looks like you're going to be living in that estrogen ocean again Haz" said Jimmy

"That's okay.. I survived it once, I'll survive it again" said Haz

"Just remember to keep tissues, ice cream & chick flicks in the house at all times Haz" said Mack "and an occasional box of chocolate bon-bons… I have 3 little sisters and when their cycles synced up, it was a tsunami Of crying & screaming.. mostly at my Dad & brothers... Mom & I had our hands full"

"Damn" said Liam "We got off easy babe"

"Yeah, but we're gonna pay for it now babe" said Zayn "times 3"

"We wont survive babe" said Liam

"Oh quit yer bellyaching you two" I said "God... you'd think y'all were preparing for Armageddon the way you're talking... they're babies, not the 4 horsemen of the Apocolypse… Man up Dudes"

"Oh God... this is too funny" chuckled Jimmy as Mack's phone chimed

"Muffins are done" said Mack "Be right back" and ran to the house

"Mack made muffins?" I said 

"Yeah... banana muffins with blueberries & cranberries" said Jimmy "He found the recipe in a Holiday Baking magazine and fell in love with them... they're really good"

"Oh wow" I said 

"The kitchen looks like a bakery" said Jimmy "Mack made like 12 dozen muffins, I think?.. All I know, is that I had to go to the store 3 times for banana's, blueberries and cranberries"

"Holy shit" said Zayn "Mack bakes l;ike you cook princess"

"I guess so" I said "Just don't tell Davis, or those muffins will disappear... like a cat in a Chinese restaurant"

"Oh my God... that's just wrong princess" said Liam and shuddered

"Couldn't you have used a better analogy princess?" asked Zayn

"Oh, probably" I said "Like a cupcake at an Over-eater's Anonymous Meeting... How's that one?"

"Better... Thank you" said Zayn as Mack came back

"Okay, the last pan of muffins is in the oven" said Mack and sat down

"How many did you make?" I asked

"15 dozen" said Mack

"Why so many?" I asked

"Because Zayn & Mary need healthy snacks" said Mack "You can freeze them, so they last forever, and when you want one, you just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds, put a little butter on it and melt into the sofa with a cup of tea or a glass of milk and just relax... its better than sex"

"Excuse me?" said Haz in total shock

Everyone started laughing "Haz.. Dude... its a metaphor" chuckled Jimmy "Mack didn't mean it literally"

"Oh" said Haz "sorry Mack"

"Its alright Haz" said Mack "There will be times in your life, when that metaphor will be used... then you'll understand it better... ask Niall"

"Ah... Okay" said Haz

"Like the chicken & waffles you made" I said 

"Exactly care bear" said Mack

"Oh damn" said Zayn "Now that sounds amazing"

"Then I'll just have to break in one morning and make it for y'all" said Mack

"You do that, and Zayn may not let you leave" said Mary and giggled "and Louis will want you to show him how to make them"

"That's always a possibility when comfort food is involved" said Mack "but I'mm weilling to take that chance tho"

Papa came thru the back door to the patio "Hey poppet... How was your recertification?" asked Papa

"It was good... I got my new permit and don't have to renew it for 2 years" I said "How's the road downtown?"

"Its still a mess" said Papa "I saw the truck at the tattoo place and George said that Haz & Sarah went thru the alley to the school, so KI walked home"

"We felt the explosion from here" said Jimmy "Do they know what caused it?"

"The Fire Chief said that it looks like arson" said Papa "but they wont know till the toxic smoke clears out... something about asbestos I think he said"

"Was anyone hurt?" asked Mary

"Just the owner" said Papa "That's why they think its arson"

"Damn" said Haz

"Steven said that shop was constantly ruining dresses and that they had ruined Hannah's dress" I said "I guess it took her 3 months and ended up going to New York to find her dress"

"How did they ruin the dresses?" asked Mack

"They used a bluing agent to clean the dresses and I guess the bottles got mislabeled and dyed the dresses blue" I said "That's what happened to Momma's dress"

"Goddammit... When are people going to learn" said Mack "The bottles weren't mislabeled... Silk Organza, satin & satin taffeta, Spanish Lace, they absorb bluing agent like a sponge.. all you have to do is soak the dress in water and the bluing will rinse out after a few hours.. fucking amateurs... That's why I don't use a bluing agent.. I use plain old baking soda, vinegar and water.. it cleans away any stains and brightens the dress without ruining it"

"That's all you use to clean a dress?" asked Mary

"A Wedding dress, yes" said Mack "You can't do that with a colored dress bc the backing soda & vinegar will cause the color to fade... I recommend a high-quality dry cleaner to clean colored dresses"

"Ah.. Okay" said Mary

"That's why I said I would clean your dress" said Mack "bc I don't trust amateurs with ANY Wedding dress... I've been designing and making Wedding dresses for 11 years and I have NEVER ruined a dress.. You have to know your fabrics and how to clean them properly.. that's also why I have a reputation for being opinionated & blunt.. I'll tell you when you've fucked up a dress and what you did wrong"

"Gee Pooh bear, tell us how you really feel" I said as Mack's phone chimed again

"Hold that thought... be right back" said Mack and ran back to the house

"Where's he going?" asked Papa

"Mack's been on a baking binge today" I said "He made 15 dozen banana muffins with blueberries & cranberries"

"Holy crap" said Papa "He bakes like you cook"

"So I've heard" I chuckled "Mack said that Zayn & Izzie need healthy snacks... Who am I to argue with that?"

"Yeah, but 15 dozen?" said Papa

"There's a method to his madness Papa, don't question it, just nod and say 'thank you' " I said "Like the chicken & waffles... you're welcome"

"Ah... good point poppet" said Papa as Mack came back out and took his seat

"Yeah, I know" I said "And we need to have a talk about the Wedding later"

"We?" said Papa

"Yeah, we... you & me... later" I said 

"O-okay poppet" said Papa "Is everything okay?"

"Not really, but I've already flipped out twice today" I said "so we'll talk later"

"Okay poppet" said Papa

"I heard the party is out here" said the General as he came thru the back door

"Yes sir" I said "Momma has us out here while she makes dinner... something about 'not messing with the master's mojo or we die' so we've been relegated out here"

"Ahh, I understand that, Becca is the same way" said the General

"How does the candidates list look?" IO asked

Not too bad, the Chief has some really good candidates and a few have military training, so it should go fairly easy" said the General "IK figure by September 1st, his team should be up and running.. if nothing goes wrong"

"Wow, that's great" I said "General, this is my Uncle, Jimmy Burke... my Uncle Mack Fitzsimmons... my boyfriend Marcus Smith... and Ms. Sarah Jeffries"

"Looks like someone fell asleep" said the General

"She had a rough night.. She has a double ear infection so she didn't sleep well" I said "and she had a busy day"

"Poor thing.. She reminds me of Becca at... 7?" said the General

"Almost 7" I said "Her parents own the music shop where Papa & Haz work"

"She's a beauty" said the General "She reminds me of a young Audrey Hepburn.. a classic beauty"

"We agree" said everyone as Momma came out

"Okay everyone, dinner is ready" said Momma

"Sarah... wake up petal" I said 

"What?.. Oh gosh, I'm sorry jellybean" said Sarah and rubbed her eyes "I must've dozed off"

"That's okay, its time for dinner" I said 

"Oh... whoa baby... Who's that?" said Sarah

Everyone laughed "That's the General" I said 

Sarah covered her mouth "Oh my gosh... sorry sir, I didn't mean to be rude" said Sarah

"That's quite alright young lady" said the General "I'll take a 'whoa baby' from you anytime" and gave her a wink

"Careful Sarah" teased Momma "He has an eye for the ladies" Sarah giggled

"Yes ma'am" said Sarah as we went inside

"Everyone join hands" said Mary "Jessie"

"Heavenly Father, bless this food with all of the love that went into making it... Bless the General with your guidance & wisdom and thank you for allowing him to be with us today... Watch over Haz & Mary as their Wedding day approaches and bless us with your strength and patience... In Jesus name, Amen" I said 

"Amen" said everyone

"Nicely done care bear" said Mack

"Thanks Pooh bear" I said 

"Help youselves" said Momma "There's tomatoes on the table for your salad, we have sweet tea & lemonade in the fridge to choose from, and there's wasabi sauce for you Fajitas if you want... just use a couple of drops, it packs a kick"

"I take it someone is allergic to tomatoes?" asked the General

"Yes sir.. Marcus is" I said 

"Ahh... Becca does the same thing for her Dad... he's allergic to onions" said the General ""Jessie said you're having twins Mary... Congratulations"

"Thank you" said Mary "We're hopeing their firls"

"MY wife and I were blessed with 2 sets of twins.. all boys" said the General "Other than our wives, Becca is the only girl born in our family"

"Oh wow" said Mack ""Your Mother must've had her hands full with a house full of boys running around"

"Yes she did" said the General "Mother's are very special ladies"

"Yes they are" said Zayn

"Harry.. How are you doing?" asked the General

"I'm okay... I have my moments when I'm scared shitless and moments when I'm happy as can be" said Haz "My Dad wasn't the best role model when it comes to being a parent"

"Ah.. I see" said the General "Well let me say, that how you're feeling, is completely normal... My wife says that 9 months isn't long enough to prepare for being a parent and she's right... but when you hold your children for the first time, in that moment, you know there's nothing that you wouldn't do for them.. and when they take their first steps, you're gonna be terrified that they're gonna fall, and they will, but they'll get right back up and do it again & again... its a special feeling being a parent"

"Um... How do you handle being afraid of hurting them?" asked Haz

"Physically or Emotionally?" asked the General

"Both" said Haz "That's what scares me the most"

"I'm assuming that your Mother was the more stable parent, right?" said the General

"Yes.. Her & my older sister" said Haz

"Then look at how they raised you and lead by their example" said the General "Being a Father is THE most important job you will ever have and its 24/7 for the rest of your life. There are going to be times when you're tired, have a bad day, come home in a bad mood, don't ever take those feelings out on your family... I'm guessing that's where your Dad made his first mistake"

"Yeah... among other things" said Haz

"If you ever feel like you're going to hurt them, find a church and talk to someone or call me or anyone at this table" said the General "but the #1 most important thing to ALWAYS remember, don't ever stop talking to Mary and remember your vows... this is more than a marriage, its a partnership with your best friend & soulmate.. she feels what you feel.. Love & hate, joy & sorrow, good times & the bad ones too, and lean on each other for strength & guidance"

""IK will, I promise... Thank you sir" said Haz

"You're welcome Harry" said the General "P:amela, you have outdone yourself this time, dinner was the best one yet"

"Thank you sir" said Momma

"Jessie, Can I do some target practice with some of your paintballs?" asked Sarah

"Sure... they're up in the bottom drawer of my desk" I said "use the rainbow ones and the empty coffee cans are in the storage pantry"

"Thanks... Izzie, May I be excused?" said Sarah

"Sure sweetie" said Mary as Sarah took care of her dishes

"Um... Jessie?" said Sarah

"Yeah?" I said 

"Did you feed Trudy & Chelsea?" asked Sarah "bc they're at the back door"

"Oh flipping fish sticks" I said and rushed to get their food and took it out to the patio "Mommy's sorry babies... here you go girls... eat it all up and then you can go play" and went back inside

"That was my fault baby" said Momma "I'm sorry"

"That's okay Momma... we both forgot" I said and sat back down

"They're beautiful dogs Jessie" said the General

"Thanks... the Corgi is Trudy, she's mine and Chelsea is the Husky, she's Mary's" I said 

"How old are they?" asked the General

"Chelsea is 3 months old and Trudy is 6 months old" I said and started feeling nervous again "Can I talk to you privately sir?"

"Sure Jessie" said the General and followed me into the nursery as we sat down "What do you want to tell me Jessie? I can tell something's been off since this afternoon"

"If I tell you sir, I'm afraid of how you'll react" I said "The only ones that know are this family, Sarah's family and Papa's Mom & Grandma... I don't tell many people"

"That you're an empath?" said the General "So is Sarah, Jimmy, Liam, Louis & Marcus"

"How?" I said

"So am I" said the General "and you've been blocking me all afternoon Jessica Renee Foster-Aimsworth-Horan"

"You never let on that you knerw" I said "Why?"

"Because I knew you would tell me when you were ready" said the General "I also don't tell many people, but I've learned that keeping certain secrets is part of life, and isn't a bad thing if it protects you"

"Does Momma know?" I asked

"Yes... Becca told her, with my permission, just after they met" said the General "We had better go outside... Sarah's getting agitated"

"Oh no" I said and ran outside to Sarah "shh... its okay petal"

"He knows" cried Sarah "He knows everything... How could you not tell us?"

"Calm down Sarah, its alright, he wont tell anyone... I promise" I said 

"YOU SAT AT THAT TABLE AND READ US LIKE A NEWSPAPER AND NEVER SAID ONE GODDAMN WORD" yelled Sarah

"Sarah Elizabeth Jeffries.. that's enough" I said calmly "You may be older than me, but you're currently 6 years old and need to mind your manners... now calm down and breathe... slow & easy, that's it... We need to let Garrett explain"

""I don't want to hear what he has to say" said Sarah calmly "That was cruel and I don't like people who treat my family that way... I'm going upstairs... AND STAY OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" and ran in the house

"I'll talk to her later" I said as we walked back to the patio "sit down Garrett... you have some explaining to do" and took our chairs

"First, let me apologize... it wasn't my intention to read everyone, I was trying to read Jessie bc she's been blocking me since this afternoon" said Garrett "Harry, I don't read people I talk to.. everything I said was the God's honest truth"

"Apology accepted Garrett" said Mary "please, continue"

"Thank you Mary" said Garrett "Like Sarah, I can read over long distances,, I don't read people I talk to unless there's something not right about them.. In my job, I meet a lot of people with hidden agendas, so in that case, I read them and things tend to go a lot smoother, otherwise, I don't read people and get to know them first... Pamela know I can read and has kept my secret, at my insistence, for almost 4 years... Like Jessie, I don't tell many people I can read, so my circle of friends is small, my family knows and now you know... Louis's here and he's not happy" as Louis came thru the back door

"Seriously?... I get a 9-1-1 text and phone call from Sarah, you by the way, is in a full-blown meltdown right now and all you got is that I'm not happy?" said Louis "You're damn right I'm not happy, Gemma's upstairs trying to keep Sarah from mentally destroying Jessie's room bc you broke her trust and thinks you're going to tell everyone what she can do"

"How did Sarah call you?" asked Mary

"She snarked Jessie's phone... her words, not mine" said Louis "I was in a panic thinking something had happened to you, Zayn or the babies, come to find out, the General can read and Sarah was crying so bad, I could barely understand her, and you knew and said nothing Pamela... What the Hell... you could've given us a head's up 'Hey, the General's coming to town and has something big to tell us'... that way the shock would've been minimized... considerably"

"Sorry Lou" said Momma "but it wasn't my place to say anything, the General needed to explain and tell everyone... not me"

"Apology accepted, but you need to apologize to Sarah, if Gemma can get her to calm down and come outside" said Louis "and Jessie, quit blocking people it rude... I understand why you do it, but sometimes you need to let it go munchkin"

"I'll try, but I make not promises Lou" I said as Gemma came outside carrying Sarah

"I got her to calm down and agreed to come outside as long as Garrett stays out of her head" said Gemma

"IK will, I promise" said Garrett "I'm sorry Sarah, truly I am, please forgive me"

"I'll have to think about that" said Sarah "Here's your phone jellybean... sorry I snarked it without asking first"

"That's okay petal" I said and took my phone and put it back in my pocket "Are you okay?.. How's your head?"

"Yeah.. Gem gave me a pain killer, so I'll be okay once it kicks in" said Sarah

"Lets go sit down and let Garrett finish explaining" said Gem and sat down with Sarah on her lap "just relax and listen... you don't have to say anything, okay?"

"Okay Gemmie" said Sarah

"I'm sorry Sarah" said Momma

"That's okay Pamie, it wasn't your story to tell" said Sarah "start talking mister"

"Yes ma'am" said Garrett "as I said, now you know, but I'd still prefer that no one outside of this family know please... yes Pamela, you can tell Anne, Maura, Robin & Beth, but no one else"

"Yes sir" said Momma "you have my word, no one else"

"Thank you" said Garrett "So Jessie... What did you think of Marcus's passport?... I did a pretty good job.. didn't I?"

"You did Marcus's passport?" I said in shock

"I told you Doodlebug, you have friends in high places" said Jimmy "Garrett works with Max over at the State Department... they're in charge of diplomatic passports and travel documents"

"Along with other things too boring to mention" said Garrett "This was the most fun I've had in a long time"

"Thank you Garrett" said Marcus

"You're welcome Marcus" said Garrett "I also fixed your birth certificate & social security number and other than your headstone in Maine, there is no record of your previous death"

"That's black ops spy stuff" I said "Who'd you get over at the CIA to do that?"

"Kyle did it" said Garrett "He's the only one that I trust over there... the CIA are cagey buggers who can't be trusted"

"How is Becca's flight training going?" asked Momma

"Its going great" said Garrett "She's in California at the Top Gun flight school and graduates in 3 days... She's at the top of her class, then she's transferring here to fly with the RAF... they had a posting here and got accepted... Kyle & Kara are over the moon"


	107. Chapter 107

Chapter 107

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Holy shit.. you go Becks" said Momma "Where's she gonna be living?"

"Here, in Holmes Chapel, at the base near the airport" said Garrett "don't tell her I told you, it was supposed to be a surprise.. guess I blew that one, didn't I?" and chuckled

""Gee, ya think?" I said 

"3 days? She's gonna be here in 3 days?" said Momma "Oh, I'm gonna kick her butt.. she knows I hate those kind of surprises"

"Yeah, and she'll have 6 weeks off till she has to report to the base" said Garrett "so you'll have time to catch up"

Not really" said Momma "I start my new job on Monday, thed following week Mom, Haz, Ni, Jessie, Marcus & I are going to Ireland and then I'm back to work when we get back and Jessie will be getting ready to have surgery"

"Surgery?" said Garrett "Why are you having surgery?"

"I can't have children without surgery, so I'm having some scar tissue removed" I said "I found out yesterday"

"Oh my God" said Garrett and crossed himself "Who's your doctor?"

"Dr. Michael Caldwell" I said "He's the best and will be doing the surgery... Does anyone else in your family read?"

"Yes.. my parents, my brothers, 10 nephews, my sons and Becca" said Garrett "but I'm the only one that can read long distance"

"Damn.. and here I thought having 6 people in the family that can read was unusual" said Louis "Christmas must be a trip for y'all trying to keep things a secret"

"It has its challenges, but sometimes we manage to pull things off" said Garrett 

"Simon's home" said Jimmy "you may want to go rescue the muffins Pooh bear"

"Oh shit.. be right back" said Mack and ran to the house "SIMON BURKE IF YOU WANT TO BREATHE ANOTHER DAY, YOU BETTER PUT THOSE MUFFINS DOWN!!" yelled Mack "NOW!!"

"Damn and I thought Jessie's threats were bad" said Louis

"Mack's been on a baking binge today" said Jimmy "He said that Mary & Zayn needed healthy snacks and made a lot of muffins"

"Yeah... 15 dozen banana muffins with blueberries & cranberries" I said 

"Good gawd.. no one needs 15 dozen, let Simon have a few" said Gem

"I don't say a word to Mack when he's in baking mode" said Jimmy "I just do as I'm told... I tried to talk to him once and got a bowl of chocolate cake batter dumped over my head for breaking his concentration... he ruined my best suit" as Mack came back out with a huge basket of muffins

"Oh come on Mackie, just a couple, please?" begged Simon

"Its alright Mack, let Simon have a few" chuckled Mary as Mack handed a few muffins to Simon

"Aw thanks Mary... Thanks Mackie" said Simon and took a bite "Oh dear gawd… this is the first thing I've eaten all day... Oh.. here's your CD Haz and I added the songs you and Mary wanted.. all 130 of them and your song is the first track" and handed the CD to Haz

"Wow... Thanks Simon" said Haz "Well that's done"

"You're welcome Haz" said Simon "Jessie, we can get started on the video for Ni & Pamela when you get everything together

"Simon, there's taco salad & fajitas in the microwave when you finish those" said Mary

"Wow.. Thanks Mary" said Simon "Did you cook Jess?"

"Nope.. Momma cooked dinner tonight" I said "I was relegated out here with the rest of the family"

"So Zayn told you what happens when you break the master's mojo?" said Louis

"He didn't go into specifics, but I got the point" I said 

"Yeah, I learned the hard way" said Louis "Pamela was cooking and I went in the kitchen and she threw a knife at me, without looking, picked up another knife and finished chopping vegetables and said 'go out now or the next knife I throw will hit your head'... I didn't say a word and left the kitchen, never to return when the master is cooking"

"Sweet Jesus" said Simon "Jimbo… She sounds like Momma"

"Yeah, no kidding... remind me to NEVER piss you off Pamela" said Jimmy

"Oh shut up Simon... Ms. Jenny isn't that bad" said Mack

"Yeah, that's what you think" said Simon "You ever been around her when Johnny Mathis is playing?"

"Um... No" said Mack

"You interrupt Momma when Johnny Mathis is playing and you'll need crutches cuz she'll take out your kneecaps with a rolling pin" said Jimmy "and if you ever hear 'Chances Are' playing on repeat, you better find a church and pray you ain't the reason she's been drinking"

"Holy crap" said Louis

"Yeah, Simon would drive any woman to drinking" I said chuckling "including Ms. Jenny"

"That's true... I'm a heartbreaker" said Simon

"Yeah, a heartbreaker with commitment issues & a workaholic lifestyle" I said "You're wound up tighter than a ball of rubber bands Simon... get a girlfriend"

"Jessie!!" said Papa "That was inappropriate"

"Sorry Papa... sorry Simon" I said "even if its true"

"Its alright Ni" said Simon and chuckled "Jessie's a lot like Catherine... I'm used to it"

"Or a boyfriend... I don't care which" I said as Papa looked at me "Okay, okay I'll be quiet Papa... geez-o-Pete's" as my phone rang "Its Evan" and put it on speaker

JESSIE: Hey Evan... What's up?

EVAN: Hey Jessie... Meghan wanted me to call you

JESSIE: Oh okay, put her on

EVAN: Okay *here you go turtledove*

MEGHAN: Jessie?

JESSIE: What's wrong Meghan?

MEGHAN: Um... Davis wrote me a letter... Can I come over and talk?.. Now?

JESSIE: Sure you can... Come on over

MEGHAN: Thanks Jessie... I'll be over in, say, 10 minutes?

JESSIE: Sounds good... see you soon

and hung up "Oh, is she nervous" I said "Charlie found the letter before she did"

"Aw crap" said Louis "I forgot about either of them finding the letter before she did... Evan didn't know about it till she mentioned it"

"Who are they care bear?" asked Mack

"Evan is my driver and Charlie & Meghan are his twin siblings" I said "Evan is 23 and the twins are 12... Meghan was having constant nightmares and so Evan & Charlie asked me to help her get rid of them"

"Ah.. okay" said Mack

"You can get rid of nightmares?" asked Garrett

"Yeah.. Its not that hard, it just requires a little 'spring cleaning' is all... I helped Momma get rid of her bad memories too" I said "I'll help Haz, but he still has some things to process and come to terms with before I can help him"

"I see" said Garrett "Will you do 'spring cleaning' with Harry too?"

"Probably... I wont know that till I can see in what state his closets are in... think of that part of your brain where our memories are kept, like a long hallway with lots of doors" I said "each door is a closet where the memories live... well bad memories, we tend to lock away and not think about them, but in Haz's case, his bad memories were locked in his subconscious until recently and they keep picking the lock and getting out and they're messing with his self-esteem"

"Now I see what you mean by 'spring cleaning' " said Garrett

"Andrew took my bad memories.. the ones that were isolated incidents.. but bc some of them are entwined with good memories, I still remember them, but they aren't as painful as the others were" I said "So now, I'm learning to compartmentalize them so that I can continue to heal my brain"

"IKs that why you still remember certain things?" asked Marcus

"Yeah... I figured that out after Andrew took the echoes" I said 

"I was wondering why you still remembered yesterday at the hospital" said Marcus "Now that I think about it, you were totally calm when you were talking to Dr. Hayes and when you called Doc Matthews"

"You called Doc Matthews?" said Mack

"Yeah... I needed my medical history and as usual, he was up late" I said 

"When isn't he up late?" said Mack "I swear that man never sleeps"

"Well I for one, am thankful he was up or Doc Hayes would've given me amoxicillin and we'd be having a funeral instead of a Wedding" I said "cuz I'm allergic to it... Did you know that? bc I sure as Hell didn't"

"Yeah, I knew" said Jimmy "Doc Walters ripped me a new ass when you were 2... I drove you to the hospital when you turned blue instead of calling 9-1-1"

"Way to pass on the information Jimbo… ya idgit" I said "Anything else I need to know about?"

"Um... you're allergic to rhubarb & skunks, but you'll only break out in hives, you wont die from them" said Jimmy "Other than that, there's no other allergies"

"Skunks?... Seriously Dude?" I said 

"Yep, afraid so" said Jimmy "you remember when Duchess was 8 months old and got sprayed by that skunk?"

"Yeah I remember, we had to give her a tomato bath in her baby pool cuz Gammie didn't want her stinking up the house" I said "It made me itchy"

It was the oils in the skunk spray that made you itchy, you were covered in hives for 3 weeks from head to toe" said Jimmy "Catherine thought you had chicken pox till my Momma saw them and gave you an oatmeal bath"

"Now I remember the oatmeal baths... they were disgusting... there are some places oatmeal should not go and a bath is one of them" I said "and just so you know? Oatmeal DOES NOT get rid of the itching, at all... thank God for calamine lotion or I would've scratched my skin off... Marcus, can you let Meghan in and grab my quilt please, Sarah fell asleep again"

"Sure angel" said Marcus and went inside

Meghan & Marcus came back out to the patio and Marcus gave the quilt to Gemma and she covered Sarah up.

"Lets go out to the picnic table and talk" I said 

"Okay" said Meghan as we headed out in the yard

PAMELA'S POV

"That's Meghan?" said Jimmy

"Yeah" said Louis "Davis fell for her, hard"

"Whoa,,, you go Davis" I said "She's a knock out"

"Agreed" said Mack

"Does Davis know that Meghan can read?" asked Garrett

"Probably" said Louis "Davis knew Meghan back in the 60's when she was a baby... Her name was Daisy back then.. she drowned in a baby pool when she was 8 months old... Jessie helped her remember"

"Where's her Mom?" I asked

"She died 2 years ago from Cancer" said Pops "you remember when Andrew mentioned Cassie last Friday night?"

"Yeah, I remember" I said 

"Cassie is Meghan's Mom" said Pops "She works upstairs with Catherine"

"Aw damn" I said 

"Charlie saw Catherine after Jessie helped Meghan Saturday night" said Louis "You should've seen the look on his face when Jessie said that was her Mom... his jaw hit the floor and was like 'whoa, that's your Mom?'... it was priceless" and chuckled "Charle see angels and Jessie talks to them and occasionally rips God a new ass... never a dull moment around here, that's for sure"

"She did what?" shrieked Simon

"OH GOD.. THANKS LOU" yelled Jessie "I'LL EXPLAIN LATER Y'ALL, I'M KIND OF BUSY RIGHT NOW... SHIUT UP LOUIS WILLIAM TOMLINSON-WILLIAMS OR I'LL SUPER GLUE YOUR MOUTH SHUT!!!"

"Don't do it Louis" said Gem "You know how she gets when you think too much.. leave her be"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis

"That's a beautiful quilt" said Mack "Where did Jessie get it?"

"She made it back in '93" said Marcus "I stored it after she left"

"She made it?" said Mack in awe "It looks professionally made"

"I know... it took her 6 days and she made the lace too" said Marcus "Jessie went thru a bit of depression and needed a project so I bought her a sewing machine and she made this... it took me 2 months to find the right colors and I got flags from different countries that she put in it too, then she ripped up a few feather pillows and she put the feathers inside of it to block out the cold during the winter"

"I see why its so special" said Garrett "a lot of Love went into that quilt... from both of you"

"Uh-oh... Meghan's crying" said Marcus "That can't be a good sign"

DAVIS ALLEN SPENCER, DONT YOU DARE EAVESDROP... GET OVER HERE" yelled Jessie

"Oh shit... He's toast" said Louis as Davis appeared

"Sorry boss lady, I didn't mean to, I swear" said Davis "I was talking to Stuart & Stacey and heard Meghan crying... Are you okay?" Meghan nodded

"Sit down Davis" said Jessie and stood up "Now, you've written the letter, so listen to Meghan's reply and talk to each other... Make a new chapter in your Love Story"

"Yes ma'am" said Davis as Jessie came back to the patio, sat down and pulled out her phone

"Hey Evan... Can I talk to Charlie please... thanks" said Jessie "Ah, ah, ah, be quiet and listen... I understand that, but you can't treat her like a child... I don't care if you're older than her... How would you feel if Evan cock-blocked you?... exactly... just bc Meghan is in love with Davis, doesn't give you the right to take things that don't belong to you... that letter was personal, private and between them... Meghan's fine... no, you can't talk to her, she's having a private conversation with Davis... don't yell at me Charles Arthur St. James or I'll super glue your dick to your balls... that's better... well they aren't alone, they're sitting 30 feet away from me.... yes, I'll call Evan so he can come and get her... no, you can apologize when she gets home... apology accepted, now go calm down and try and relax until she gets there and I'll talk to you soon... bye" and hung up "Thank God I'm an only child... Charlie's pissed that Meghan is here with Davis... sorry Papa"

Niall was rubbing the back of his neck "Oh get a grip Ni, at least she didn't totally blow up on Charlie" said Haz "and, technically, 'cock-clocked' isn't a swear word.. she really only said 1 swear word, so that's an improvement"

"Did you have to threaten him with super glue?" asked Ni

I can call him back and threaten to turn him into a Eunich if you want me to" said Jessie

:She has a point NI" said Louis "super glue is less messy than becoming an Eunich"

"Oh shut up Lou" said Ni & Pops

"I don't understand why Charlie is so mad" said Jessie "I read the letter and there was nothing graphic or vulgar in it, it was a straight-up love letter with a poem... it was sweet"

"Because in Charlie's mind, no one is good enough for his little sister" said Mack "trust me, I went thru it twice... Why do you think Rosie lives in France?.. She doesn't want her older brother interrogating her would-be boyfriends"

"Ah, okay" said Jessie "Well, like I said, thank God I'm an only child... How did your soup turn out Louis?"

"Oh my God, it was so good" said Louis "good call on the onion munchkin bc the recipe said to salt the water"

"See?.. told ya" said Jessie "well, you've made 2 meals on your own so I think its safe to say that you are now the total package Louis... Congratulations"

The total package?" said Mack

"Yeah, Zayn's definition of a guy who can clean, do laundry properly and can cook" said Louis

"Yeah, apparently Louis cleans like you do Pooh bear... minus taking the bed apart to clean underneath it" said Jessie

"I do that to get rid of the dust bunnies bc someone insisted on hardwood floors and wouldn't let me put an area rug under the bed" said Mack and looked at Jimmy

"I hate rugs in the bedroom... sue me" said Jimmy

"Oh whatever" said Mack "newsflash.. our next place is going to have carpet or you can live in the garage bc if I see hardwood anywhere in that haouse, I'll rip it out board by board with a crowbar and make you eat it"

"Ladies, calm down" said Jessie "Good Lord, you argue like you're already married and you ain't even said 'I do' yet"

"Jimmy, Listen... Hardwood is okay in warmer weather, but trust me, 3 days into winter here and you'll be begging for carpet" said Mom "Why do you think Anne & I's house has carpet?... bc it gets bloody cold in the winter"

"Yes it does" said Ni "Mom has carpet too... It traps in the heat"

"How cold does it get Mom?" I asked

"Sometimes it got up to 40 degrees below zero" said Mom "with the wind chill, it felt like -20C"

"Holy shit that's cold" I said 

"Where's the truck?" asked Gem "It just dawned on me that I didn't see it in the driveway"

"Its at the tattoo place" said Haz "the bridal shop across the street exploded as Sarah & I were getting ready to leave and then the police cars & fire trucks arrived, so we went thru the alley to the school and came home"

"Is that what that shaking was?" asked Louis "I thought it was a tiny earthquake, Gemma thought I was crazy"

"That's bc we don't have earthquakes here babe" said Gem "Or forest fires, hurricane's or tornadoes... just fog, rain & snow... oh my God, not the one we took Pamela's dress to... tell me it wasn't... Oh my God"

"Are you... Oh fucking shit" I said and started hyperventilating

"Momma, calm down and listen" said Jessie "We found Izzie's dress... just breathe Momma... that's it, just breathe, slow & easy... you'll wear Izzie's dress, Mack will clean it and you'll look gorgeous"

"Okay... okay" I said "Oh God, I feel dizzy" and held my head in my hands "First Great-Grandma's dress was too short, so I chose Anne's dress and it was perfect - it was the perfect length and it fit great and now its gone... How many dress disasters do I have to go thru before Fate takes a fucking vacation and leaves me alone"

"Your first dress was too short?" asked Mack "How tall was your Mother, Mary?"

"5ft. 5,5 inches" said Mom "but she wore 5-inch heels bc my Dad was 6ft. 2in.... Pamela is 5ft. 6, so it should've fit right"

"Okay... go get both dresses and bring them to the house" said Mack "all of the ladies come with me, I'll carry sleeping beauty... Men, stay here and no peeking Ni"

"Where are the dresses Mom?" asked Pops

"Mine is in the bottom of the linen closet and my Mother's is on the top shelf in my bedroom closet" said Mom

"Okay... Come on Li" said Pops and they went inside

"Momma go get your shoes" said Jessie

"Okay baby" I said and went up to my room, grabbed my shoes and headed over to Mack's. I walked thru the door as Mom was pulling Grandma's dress out of the box

"Your Grandmother was a smart lady Pamela" said Mack "When you look at this dress what do you see? or should I say, What DONT you see?" as I looked at it

"There's no hem at the bottom" I said 

"Correct" said Mack and turned the dress inside-out "There's the hem... back when this dress was made, if a family had a lot of daughters, they would buy the dress for the first daughter to get married and then each of the daughters would wear the dress for each of their weddings"

"Okay" I said as Mack pulled the hem away from the dress carefully

"These dresses were bought off the rack, so you got them as is.. without alterations, so Mary's Grandmother needed to make the dress shorter, but didn't want to ruin the dress by cutting it, so she used basting tape to hold the skirt up so that it wouldn't fall during the Wedding & reception" said Mack and let the skirt fall to the floor and then carefully peeled off the tape and turned the dress right-side out "Its time to put your dress back on Pamela"

"Oh gosh" I said as I got undressed and put the dress on with my shoes "oh my God, it fits... its a little too long, but it fits" as Mack zipped up the back

"Don't worry about the crease, it will come out after its been cleaned & pressed" said Mack "Go look in the mirror by the stairs" and picked up the skirt and walked into the Livingroom and looked in the mirror "How does it feel around the arms and across the back?"

"Its a little snug at the arms, but its fine across the back" I said 

"Lets put on Mary's dress and then you can decide which one you want to wear... okay?" said Mack

"Okay" I said as Mack unzipped the dress, then I took it off and put Mom's dress on... it fit perfectly, just like Anne's did

"Oh Momma... you look like an angel" said Jessie

"You think so?" I said and went to the mirror "Oh gosh.. you're right baby, I do, don't I?... it fits perfectly and it feels like I'm not even wearing it... What do you think Mom?"

"I think you look amazing sweetie" said Mom

"You look gorgeous" said Gem "Niall is going to cry when he sees you.. You have to wear this dress Pamela"

Mom came over and bustled up the back of the dress "There.. now turn sideways sweetie" said Mom

"Oh Mom" I said as Mack came over

"Is that panish Lace?" asked Mack

"Yes it is... just like Jessie & Sarah's dresses" said Mom 

"Now you have to wear it Momma" said Jessie "It ties our dresses to yours"

"I agree baby" I said as tears ran down my cheeks "It looks like the 80's are definitely making a comeback... I'm wearing this dress Mack"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack "Mary, I'll clean & press your Mother's dress before we re-box it"

"Thank you Mack" said Mom

"You're welcome Mary... okay, lets get you dressed before Ni busts thru the door" said Mack "I swear, if that man doesn't calm down, he's going to end up with an anxiety disorder"

"Mackenzie Walter Fitzsimmons... since when can you read?" said Jessie

"Since before I met Jimmy, but don't tell him" said Mack "I want it to be a surprise, but knowing Jimmy, he probably already knows and is just waiting for me to tell him"

"No, he doesn't know" said Jessie "but you better tell him soon Pooh bear, before you slip up"

"I will care bear, promise" said Mack

I got dress while Mack hung the dresses up in the peach bedroom closet and then we all headed back out to the patio.

"How did it go poppet?" asked Ni

"It went great... I have my dress and Mack figured out why Grandma Mary's dress was too short" I said "Mack thinks Grandma Gwen shortened the skirt with basting tape so that she wouldn't ruin the dress... once he removed the tape, the dress was full length, but I'm going to wear Mom's dress... that's the one I wanted to wear from the very beginning"

"Well, I'm glad the dress drama is over so you can relax" said Ni "IO can't wait to see you in your dress... the anticipation is killing me"

"I know sunshine... its going to be a torturous 6 weeks" I said 

"We could elope" said Ni "its not too late ya know"

"Don't even think about it Papa" said Jessie "I'm serious... I'll cuff you & Momma to the trampoline if you even try it"

Ni sighed "Okay lemur monkey, we wont elope, but only bc sleeping on the ground will wreck my back" said Ni as Meghan & Davis came to the patio holding hands

"Thank you Jessie" said Meghan

"You're welcome Meghan" said Jessie "Do you want me to call EDvan?"

"No... Davis is going to walk me home" said Meghan

"Yeah... I gotta talk to them about dating Meghan" said Davis "I guess I should've done that before I wrote the letter"

"I'm sorry Davis, I should've said that" said Louis "I never thought about either of them finding the letter before she did"

"That's okay Louis" said Davis "This happens sometimes, but we've talked and now its time to move forward, so y'all have a good night and the guys & I will see you tomorrow night Garrett"

"Sounds good Davis... good luck" said Garrett

"Thank you sir" said Davis

"I'll walk you out" said Marcus "be right back angel"

"Okay" said Jessie as they went inside "Oh, poor Davis... He has no clue what he's in for"

"As long as Davis stays calm, he'll do just fine" said Garrett "Charlie has calmed down and if things blow up again, Meghan will be back... She's not as delicate as Charlie thinks she is, she's a lot like her Mother"

"Well, if she does come back, she can stay with us till she's ready to go home" said Mack "Lets hope that doesn't happen, but if it does, we're prepared"

"Okay" said Mom "Have you heard from Maura yet Ni?"

"Nope, not yet" said Ni "No news is good news, as they say... I texted her earlier and told her to text me when she got home and she said that she would, so I'm not worried... yet"

"We had better go Louis, I have some work to do before bed" said Gem "Haz, do you want a lift to get the truck?"

"Okay honey" said Louis

"Yeah, thanks Gem" said Haz "I'll be back in a bit princess"

"Okay... Drive safe, both of you" said Mom

"Always" said Haz & Gem

"Bye Mom" said Louis and kissed her cheek

"Bye sweetie" said Mom "see you soon"

"Yepper-do" said Louis as they left

"Pamela, the Taco Salad & Fajitas were incredible" said Simon

""I'm glad you liked them" I said and noticed the dogs at Simon's feet "I see you have 2 girlfriends" and pointed at his feet

"Well I'll be damned" said Simon "I guess I do"

"Oh how cute" said Mack

"I'll put them to bed" said Jessie and walked over to Simon "Hey pretty babies... Chelsea, Trudy... come on babies, its time for bed... lets go get your blankies & babies" as they yawned and slowly walked towards the door then went inside

"They are too adorable" said Mack "and smart too"

"Yeah, and they're very well behaved too" said Garrett "that's not easy to do with 2 different breeds and being females is also rare bc there's usually an alpha female... they act like they don't care"

"I think its bc they're still babies" said Mom "Once Chelsea gets bigger, their relationship will change... Trudy is already full grown and Chelsea is gonna be a big girl, like Charlie was" as Jessie came back out

"They're all settled in bed" said Jessie and sat down "they were snoring before I left them" as Haz came thru the door

"Well the street is all cleaned up and the front of the store is boarded up" said Haz and sat down

"Okay Jessie" said Ni "What about the Wedding do we need to talk about?"

"IK need to know how many from your family are coming bc I had to book an extra 50 rooms today" said Jessie "I jusdt need a rough guess Papa"

"Oh... okay... about 15 people poppet" said Ni

"Oh thank God" said jessie and relaxed "Izzie, I'll give you the money to give to Mr. Thompson while you & Momma are out... and get an invoice please"

"Okay sweetie" said Mom

"We went over the budget?" I asked "How much over?"

"Don't worry Momma, I got this" said Jessie "You'll find out before your honeymoon so be quiet and don't ask"

"Yes ma'am" I said 

"You're in charge of the Wedding budget?" said Garrett

"I'm in charge of everything" said Jessie "Hotel rooms, car service, church, reception, rehearsal dinner, Wedding brunch, bridal shower, honeymoon... the works"

"Hurricane Jessie is on the move again" said Pops

"I had Momma & Papa's Wedding locked down in 2 hours and Haz & Izzie's locked down in 10 minutes" said Jessie "and Haz is researching honeymoon destinations for Momma & Papa for next June"


	108. Chapter 108

Chapter 108

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

"Speaking of honeymoons" said Haz and reached into his backpack and pulled out a yellow folder "I have 15 destinations with everything you asked for in here to look thru" and handed it to Jessie

"Holy shit... 15?" said Jessie "Dang Haz, you're good" and opened the folder and gave a low whistle "Whoa... Haz, you weren't kidding.. these places are gorgeous... Bora Bora, Key Largo, the French Riviera, Greece, Italy, the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Brazil... this is amazing.. Thanks Haz"

"You're welcome peanut" said Haz

"Holy cow" said Simon "How are you going to decide Jess?"

"I'm not.. Momma & Papa are.. they'll let me know where they want to go and I'll book it for a week or two" said Jessie "and this time, Papa WONT forget his sunscreen"

"What's in the blue folder Haz?" asked Ni

Date night ideas for Mary & I while we're in Ireland" said Haz "I called Bobby and he had Greg send me a list of places to go see and any events around town we may want to go to" and handed the folder to Mom "you pick princess"

"Oh Haz" said Mom and opened the folder "some of these events are before we get there"

"I know, so I called Bobby and Jake & Tim, and we are leaving Tuesday morning and we'll fly back with Ni & Pamela 15 days later" said Haz "I already asked Linda for the time off and she approved it, and Bobby said the house will be ready on Monday"

"2 weeks in Ireland?.. oh gosh" said Mom as tears ran down her cheeks "Oh Haz.. Thank you" and kissed him

"Ahem" said Dad "Aw come on Mom... geez" and covered his eyes

"Okay you two, get a room" said Jessie

"LOh hush, you two" said Mom and wiped her eyes "Haz just made this the best honeymoon ever"

"Where in Ireland are you going?" asked Mack

"Mullingar.. Niall's home town" said Mom "Beth is letting us stay at her house for our honeymoon while she's here"

"Oh, how romantic" said Mack "A cozy little house for just the two of you for 2 weeks... you're not going to want to come home"

"We'll come home, we have to bc the senior prom is the following weekend" said Mom

"Oh yeah.. I forgot" said Mack "sorry, I tend to forget things when I'm focused on work or a project"

"That's okay" said Mom "It happens sometimes"

"Wow... when Sarah sleeps, she sleeps hard" said Mack "She hasn't woken up once" 

"Hmm" said Jessie and looked at Sarah's ears "that's bc she has her earplugs in... She must've gotten them out of Linda's purse during rehearsals... She can't sleep without them, they block out the voices & echoes.. She'll be out till morning"

"Poor kid" said Simon "its gotta be tough not being able to sleep without earplugs"

"Yeah.. I tried them, but I couldn't get comfortable.. it was too quiet" said Jessie "I took them with me when Momma & I went to our recertification... they work great for blocking out gun shots"

Damian & Collin showed up "Hey Mary... we finally figured out our clues" said Damian

"So what's your answer Damian?" asked Mom

"A school dance" said Damian

"Very good... Here you go" said Mom and handed him his envelope "What's your answer Collin?"

"A King & Queen" said Collin

"Excellent... Here's yours" said Mom and gave Collin his envelope "Did Davis & Stuart open their envelopes yet?"

"No... we decided to wait till we all figured our clues" said Damian "Boss is having a mental shit fit trying to figure his out... He asked Cassie for help, but when she read the clue, she started laughing and hasn't stopped long enough to either tell him or help him"

"Oh no... Poor Andrew" said Mom "tell Andrew to go find Mrs. Mary Wallace-SWilliams, she'll help him"

"Yes ma'am... Thanks Mary" said Damian

"You're welcome Damian" said Mom asthey disappeared "Okay Jessie... What did Andrew's clue say?"

"White rosses, red roses, Alice in Wonderland... What do these items have in common? The answer lies with the Queen of Hearts... Tick-tock, don't be late for a very important date" said Jessie

"What in the Hell are you smoking care bear?" said Mack

"I ain't smokin shit" said Jessie "Its a theme dorkweed… geez"

"Oh sweet Jesus" said Mack "Girl.. your brain is warped"

"Thank you" said Jessie "You try writing 15 different clues to describe a senior prom and we'll see how creative you get"

"Good point" said Mack as Andrew showed up

"Thank you Mary, your Mother was a big help" said Andrew

"You're welcome Andrew" said Mom "What's your answer?"

"Its a theme" said Andrew

"Excellent... Here's your envelope" said Mom and handed it to Andrew

"Thank you Mary" said Andrew "Is Sarah okay?... She looks upset"

"She's fine... Sarah didn't sleep well last night and had an overly emotional day today" said Mom "She'll tell you all about it tomorrow"

"Okay... Have a goodnight Mary" said Andrew

"You too Andrew" said Mom and he disappeared "Well, that's done... I have to say, that was fun"

"I know, right?" said Jessie "Watching you guys figure out your clues was a trip... now I know NextG time I do something like this, I need to make the clues a little more difficultbc you, Zayn, Gem, Anne & Marcus figured them out in less than a minute after y'all read them"

"I still can't figure out how you got our clues in my bag" said Jimmy

"You'd be amazed what I can do when no one's paying attention" said Jessie as several toys floated into her arms "See?... I was outside with the dogs when your clues were put in your bag" sand shuddered "among other things"

"You sneaky bugger" said Haz

"Harold... that's not nice" said Jessie "and I wasn't being sneaky... I just wanted everyone on the plane to have a bit of fun... Had I given Momma, Papa & Jimmy their clues before they left, they would've ruined it for everyone and you have to admit it was fun watching how fast Mary's mind works"

"Yeah, it was fun" said Haz "sorry peanut"

"That's okay Haz" said Jessie "Uh-oh... Meghan's back and she's furious... be right back y'all" and ran in the house

"This isn't good" said Jimmy as Davis came thru the door with a black eye "Jesus Davis, What happened?"

"I don't know... I was talking to Evan & Charlie and everything was going fine" said Davis "then Meghan went into the kitchen, and Charlie punched me... next thing I know, Meghan comes running out of the kitchen, punches Charlie in the face, ran upstairs, packed her suitcase, told Evan where she was going, told Charlie to go fuck himself and dragged me back here... I think she broke his nose bc there was a lot of blood"

"Oh dear God" said Mack "Well Garrett, you were right, Meghan definitely isn't delicate"

"Grandpa, can you come look at Meghan's hand" said Jessie from the door "it looks really bad"

"Sure princess" said Dad and went inside "Sweet Jesus... Are you sure all you hit was Charlie's face?"

"That didn't sound good" I said and went inside "What's wrong Dad?"

"Meghan's hand is so swollen, I can't tell if its bruised or broken' said Dad

"Let me look" I said "Does it hurt?"

"No" said Meghan

"Wiggle your fingers sweetie" I said as she wiggled all of her fingers "Okay, its just bruised... lets get you an icepack and a couple of Ibuprofen to reduce the swelling"

"Okay" said Meghan as Jessie got an icepack from the freezer and wrapped it in a towel and put it on Meghan's hand "Thanks Jessie"

"You're welcome Meghan" said Jessie

I gave Meghan the pills and a bottle of water "Charlie just sat there and acted like I was invisible and the minute.. I mean the minute, I was in the litchen to get Davis a glass of water, Charlie punched him" said Meghan "I am so tired of Charlie treating me like a damned China doll and Evan does nothing to stop him... I'm done with both of them... Do you think I could stay with Mack and the guys for a while?"

"Of course you can Meghan" I said "on 2 conditions"

"Okay... what conditions?" said Meghan

"1) You have to try and work this out with Evan & Charlie" I said "and 2) Davis is not allowed to stay the night with you"

"Okay" said Meghan "Can I take a couple of days before I go near the first one?"

"Sure you can" I said "in fact, why don't you shoot for Monday and if you feel like talking to them before then, just let us know and if not, then you'll talk to them then... okay?"

"Okay, I can work with that... Thank you Pamela" said Meghan 

"You're welcome" I said "lets go sit out on the patio for a bit, okay?"

"Okay" said Meghan "I'm sorry for swearing, I don't normally do that"

"Its alright Meghan, you were upset" I said and opened the back door and held it for Dad, Jessie and Meghan

"Is your hand okay?" asked Davis

"Yeah, its just bruised" said Meghan "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay... It doesn't hurt that much" said Davis "I've had worse... Do you want me to sit with you for a bit?"

"I'd like that" said Meghan and smiled as they sat down and laid her head on Davis's shoulder "I'm so sorry for what happened and for how I reacted"

"That's alright... you had no control over Charlie... I feel bad for Evan" said Davis "He has to explain to the doctor why his little sister unleashed a total ass kicking to her older brother"

"Is that what Charlie said?" said Meghan "That he was older than me?"

"Yeah... oh no way" said Jessie "You're older than Charlie?"

"Yeah... 20 minutes older" said Meghan "Lying little bugger"

"Regardless of who was born first, young lady" said Garrett "Charlie has taken it upon himself to be your protector bc your Mother isn't here to do it"

"I understand that, I really do, but Charlie had no right to hit Davis the minute I was out of sight" said Meghan as Jessie's phone buzzed

"Its a text from Evan... Tell Meghan Charlie is fine, his nose isn't broken and to call him if you need anything" said Jessie "Be safe and clear you head and tell Davis he has my permission to date you.. Love, Evan... P.S. also tell him I'm sorry"

"Tell him I will, thank you and that I Love him too" said Meghan

"Okay" said Jessie and started typing "I'll tell him to give you till Monday to talk to Charlie"

"Okay" said Meghan as Jessie's phone buzzed again

"He said Okay" said Jessie "so now you can relax and think"

"Thanks Jessie" said Meghan "Why don't you go one home and I'll see you tomorrow... I'm feeling a little tired"

"Okay sweetie" said Davis and kissed her head "I'll see you tomorrow... Thanks Jessie, for everything"

"You're welcome Davis" said Jessie "Have a good night and try and get some rest"

"You too Jess" said Davis and disappeared

"Come on Meghan, I'll carry your bag" said Jimmy

"Thanks" said Meghan

"Let her stay in the peach room babe" said Mack "and put Pamela & Mary's dresses in the blue room.. there's 3 of them in the peach room closet"

"Okay Pooh bear" said Jimmy

"Goodnight everyone" said Meghan

"Goodnight Meghan" said everyone as she followed Jimmy to the house and went inside

"Good job Evan" said Ni as his phone buzzed "Mom's home from her date and says that she had a great time and that she'll see us Thursday bc she has another date tomorrow night... woohoo, you go Mom"

"Its nice to see that you're so accepting of your Mother dating Niall" said Garrett "Not many sons your age would be"

"Well with Pamela & I getting married, me graduating and going to University, she should meet someone and date" said Ni "Mom deserves to be happy... Haz's Mom is dating too" Jimmy came back out and sat down

"Is Meghan settled for now?" asked Mack

"Yeah... she was unpacking a few things when I was moving the dresses to the blue room" said Jimmy "she didn't say much"

"She probably wont" said Mom "Evan's text gave her something to think about other than Charlie... right now, what she needs is time alone and to think things thru"

Jessie's alarm went off "I'll be right back, I need to take my antibiotic" said Jessie

"Okay baby" I said as Jessie went inside

"Is she okay?" asked Garrett

"Yeah, she has an infection" said Mom "We had to take her to the hospital yesterday bc she had a fever of 104 and passed out 3 times... they got her fever down and let her come home bc hospitals creep her out"

"No... Goddam it Charlie, go to bed... No, you need to listen to Evan... CHARLES ARTHUR ST. JAMES, IF YOU COME OVER HERE, I'LL BREAK YOUR NOSE, NOW SHUT UP... that's better... Do I need to call the police? bc I've got the police Chief on speed dial... aw Charlie... I know... hey, hey she doesn't hate you... no she doesn't, quit crying and go to sleep... I know your head feels fuzzy, that's the pain meds the doctor gave you... go to sleep, you'll feel better in the morning... yes, she's in bed and Davis went home, I promise, I wouldn't lie to you Charlie... Okay, go brush your teeth.. I Love You too Charlie, goodnight... hang up Charlie... Charlie, I have to go to bed too, I can't stay on the phone all night, my Papa will take my phone away... *chuckling* yeah right Charlie, now you're just being silly... okay one joke... you ready?... How do you make a snow angel?... kill a snowman... Okay, Charlie, its time for bed... nighty- night" said Jessie and hung up, sat down and turned her phone off "There.. now he can blow up your phone Papa cuz I'm done" and rubbed her temples

"Go on out to the picnic table and regroup for a bit" I said 

"Okay Momma" said Jessie and went to the picnic table, did her headstand and closed her eyes

Dr. Hayes said that Jessie's doing too much and not getting enough rest" said Mom "We need to make her slow down more... yesterday was the first time she did hardly anything since we brought her home"

"The only way that's gonna happen is if you tie her to a chair and take away her phone" said Simon "Jessie's been this way since she learned to walk.. Doc Walters put Jessie on Ritalin for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder) and she didn't move from her bed for 4 days.. that's when Jimmy told Catherine about Jessie and that Jessie's brain isn't wired like everyone else's... When everyone else is at Level 1, Jessie's done and moved onto 30 different things all without breaking a sweat"

"So what? We just let Jessie keep going till she drops dead?" said Marcus "Not an option... next?"

"Jessie knows her limits" said Jimmy "trust me, when she knows she needs a break, she'll turn off her phone and she'll either sleep or you'll find her in a quiet room reading a book"

How long has it been Haz?" asked Ni

"30 minutes" said Haz "dealing with Charlie made her brain go wonkie.. she's gonna be out there a while"

"And you know this how?" said Pops

"She hasn't turned off her phone since she got it and when she made the toys float, her eyes turned purple, but instead of going back to blue, they turned green" said Haz "so its only logical to surmise that her brain went wonkie"

"You're very observant Harry" said Garrett

"Yeah, with Jessie you have to be" said Haz "I learned that the hard way a couple of times before I finally got it... Jessie's brain is like a rubic's cube... it takes a while to figure out the right sequences to get it back together correctly bc if you mess up, she blows up... everyone knows Jessie pretty well, except for me.. Its taken me a little longer bc Jessie & I don't talk much.. mostly bc I'm still trying to figure things out and she doesn't like to interfere with that... She will say something if she sees I'm having a problem, but otherwise she leaves me alone to figure it out"

"I forgot to ask.. How was your run this morning baby girl?" said Dad

"It was great... We ran 30 miles and Mack & I did yoga afterwards" I said

"You ran 30 miles?" asked Garrett

"Yeah.. Mack, Jessie & I" I said "I didn't think I could do 30, so I did my 10 and just kept going and before I knew it, we were heading home"

"Good for you Pamela" said Garrett "I love running, it clears my head.. sometimes its better than drinking a whole pot of coffee"

"I wouldn't go that far" I said "I gotta have at least 2 cups of coffee after a run just to get my brain firing right... I had 3 this morning"

"Are you still drinking it with 4 sugars & milk?" asked Garrett

"Always.. its nasty otherwise" I said "I don't know how you can drink it straight"

"Its a military thing" said Garrett "there isn't always milk & sugar, so you learn to adapt"

"Looks like she's done" said Haz "and the dismount.. a perfect 10 as always... 1 hour 15 minutes" as Jessie came back, sat down and turned her phone back on... it started dinging like crazy

"What the Hell?" said Jessie "Papa, did Evan text you?"

"No... why?" said Ni

"Because I've got 8 texts from him" said Jessie "Oh, wait a sec.. sorry, my phone reset all of my texts and flagged them as new texts... nevermind"

"Oh okay" said Ni "How do you feel poppet?"

"Better... Charlie's on some hefty pain meds that made him have whopper mood swings" said Jessie "He swiped Evan's phone and locked himself in the bathroom when he called... bc Meghan left, he's feeling lost and misses her... he's got some major abandonment issues from loosing his Mom"

"Poor kid... It sounds like Charlie needs a parent to take care of him" said Garrett "Evan can only do so much, he's not equipped to do it on his own"

"I agree" said Mom "but we can't tell them that, they need to come to that conclusion on their own as a family.. If we step in and try to make them, it will only cause more emotional trauma"

Garrett pulled out his phone "Hey sweet pea... What's your schedule like for the next 2 months?... Is there someone who can take over your patients?... There's a young family here that could use your help... They're Mother died 2 years ago and the older sibling is trying to raise to raise his younger siblings... Thank you sweet pea... Okay, we'll see you on Monday... I Love You too... bye" said Garrett and hung up "Charlotte will be here on Monday to help Meghan & Charlie talk and to discuss options with all of them"

"I take it she's a psychiatrist?" asked Mom

"Yes.. she specializes in family therapy" said Garrett "for children who have lost a parent from illness, from an accident or in the line of duty"

"Who is Charlotte?" asked Jessie 

"My wife" said Garrett ""She lost both of her parents just after we got married.. Her Mother died from Cancer and her Father died 6 months later from a broken heart. Her sister, Michelle came to live with us and I broke up many argument between those two, but they found a counselor to talk to and Charlotte gave up being a nurse to be a psychiatrist"

"If anyone can help them, its Charlotte.. she's the best" I said 

"I'm assuming that they don't have any other family or Cassie would've had them raise Charlie & Meghan" said Jessie "and there's no record of their Father in Meghan's memories, so either he died or left the family before Meghna & Charlie were born and doesn't know that Cassie died"

"I can't tell" said Garrett "Evan has those memories blocked out... The only memories he has are of his Mother, Meghan & Charlie"

"Um... that's not right" said Jessie as she listened "Oh Holy shits & giggles" her eyes flew open and looked at me "Momma... Evan isn't their brother"

"No fucking way... seriously?" I said 

"I'm pretty sure... 99.9% sure" said Jessie "Garrett, are you up for trying something?.. I'm gonna need your help... and Sarah's"

"Sure... whatever you need young lady" said Garrett

Jessie went over to Sarah and removed one of her earplugs "Petal... Sarah... I need your help sweetie, wake up" said Jessie softly

"Aw come on jellybean, I was having the best dream ever" mumbled Sarah and rubbed her eyes "This better be good or I'm gonna pop you in the mouth for waking me up"

"I'll take my chances" chuckled Jessie "Have you ever done a memory retrieval with blocked out memories?"

"Yeah... Andrew & I did them a few times.. why?" said Sarah

"Because we need to retrieve some of Evan's memories without him noticing" said Jessie

"That's gonna take more than just you & Me jellybean" said Sarah "We'll need Liam, Jimmy, Marcus, you, me, Garrett, Andrew and the guys bc someone needs to be in the shadows to make sure Evan is sleeping and stays asleep"

"You make it sound like a long distance prayer circle" said Jimmy

"It is... sort of" said Sarah "Think of it more like video conferencing and Evan's memories are the screen we'll be watching"

"Oh okay" said Jimmy "Doodlebug, you know this is an invasion of privacy"

"I'm aware of that Jimmy, but if what I'm thinking is true, Meghan and Charlie are going to be the ones that suffer most" said Jessie

"Why don't you just talk to Cassie?" asked Pops

"Because when a soulmate dies, their memory is wiped clean until they are reunited" said Jessie "Cassie doesn't remember Evan"

"Oh" said Pops "Then why does Ni's Gramps remember Beth?"

"Because Beth doesn't block out her memories of Gramps" said Jessie "If Evan were to remember Cassie, then she would remember him... soulmates have a connection that goes beyond death, but they only get one human life together... and given Evan, Meghan & Charlie's ages, I'm praying to God that I'm wrong"

"Oh shit" said Ni

"Yeah... exactly Papa" said Jessie

"Andrew, could you come here please and bring the boys with you" said Sarah as Andrew and the guys appeared

"Hey beautiful... What do you need?" said Andrew

"We need to do a blocked memory retrieval on Evan without him knowing" said Sarah

"Alright... Stuart, you work the shadowd and keep him sleeping" said Andrew

"Yes sir" said Stuart and disappeared

"Okay y'all, lets do this... the sooner we find out the better" said Jessie "you know how I feel about secrets, well lies are unforgiveable when children are involved"

"Yes ma'am" said Damian

"Garrett, you're more in tune with Evan right now, so I want you to focus on him" said Sarah "and we'll read you, okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said Garrett

"Everyone join hands palm to palm and no talking or thinking or Evan will wake up" said Sarah

"Yes ma'am" said Dad

"Okay, we start on 1... 3... 2... 1" said Sarah and went quiet as everyone closed their eyes and listened

A few minutes later, everyone opened their eyes and released their hands.

"Okay Stuart, come on back" said Andrew and Stuart appeared

"That was intense" said Jimmy and sat down wiping his eyes

Dad went to Pops and collapsed into his arms sobbing "Shh... its okay babe" said Pops as he held him tight

Jessie was crying in Marcus's arms, as was Sarah in Andrew's and Garrett came over and sat down quietly and prayed.

"Was Jessie wrong?" said Ni softly

"No" said Jimmy

"Oh God" said Mom "This is going to shatter them"

"That's why Cassie doesn't remember" said Andrew "bc God wiped her memory.. permanently... that was her sentence for her crime against Evan"

"Why wasn't she stopped?" cried Jessie

"Because when I got my orders, Cassie was already pregnant" said Marcus "so God put a hold on those orders and then it never happened again bc Evan ran away from home... so God changed the orders so that Cassie could find Evan so that he could take care of Meghan & Charlie and I kept an eye on them to make sure Evan didn't do the same to either of them and he never has"

Jessie stopped crying and looked at Marcys as she stepped away from him ""You blocked out his memory... didn't you?" said Jessie "Don't you dare lie to me Marcus Xavier Smith" as her eyes turned black

"Yes I did... on God's orders" said Marcus "all Evan remembers is that he came home and found out he had a brother & sister"

"You son of a bitch" hissed Jessie "Did it ever occur to either of you what this will do to Evan when he finally remembers?... YOU CANT MESS WITH SOMEONE'S MEMORIES LIKE THAT WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION MARCUS, YOU KNOW THAT AND GOD FUCKING KNOWS IT TOO!!" and took off her ring and put it in his hand "YOU FIND A WAY TO MAKE THIS RIGHT MARCUS AND YOU BETTER HOPE AND PRAY THAT EVAN DOESNT COMMIT SUICIDE WHEN HE REMEMBERS!!" and went inside

"JESSIE WAIT... DONT DO THIS" yelled Marcus and ran after her

Ni got up "Ni.. let them go" said Mom softly "They need to work this out alone... I want to help them too, but this is an issue they need to work past together" and Ni sat back down

"Yes ma'am" said Ni and held his head in his hands "This is a mess.. everyone's upset, Jessie's debating on whether to get drunk or not and I'm feeling really fucking useless right now" as Jessie came out with 2 bottles of rum and headed for the trampoline and hopped up

"Oh Christ" said Mack "I got this one" and went to the trampoline and joined Jessie


	109. Chapter 109

Chapter 109

MACK'S POV

"Whatcha got care bear?" I asked

"Rum and rum" said Jessie and cracked the cap and took a drink "He knew... He knew and never said one fucking word" and took another drink

"Yeah, he knew" I said "Did it ever occur to you why he didn't say anything?"

"Yeah cuz he's a chicken-shit coward who can't say no" said Jessie

"Is that right" I said "Well you're a fucking drunk who can't deal with the fact that sometimes people do things for a reason"

"I'm not a drunk" said Jessie

"Then why are you drinking?" I asked

"BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH BLEACH ON THIS PLANET TO SCRUB MY BRAIN SO I CAN UNSEE THE FUCKING DEPRAVITY I JUST WITNESSED!!" yelled Jessie "FUCKING SUE ME MACKENZIE!!" and drank half of the bottle

"Do you feel better?" I said

"Nope" and said Jessie and finished the bottle "but I will after this bottle" and cracked the cap and drank the whole bottle in 3 pulls "Okay... I was wrong" and hopped down and went to the house and came back out with 4 bottles and hopped back up to me and cracked the cap on her 3rd bottle

"You know?... I've seen some of the most fucked-up things and people in 110 years of my existence" said Jessie and took a drink "*burp* excuse me... but... Cassandra Elaine St. James is THE MOST fucked-up person.. hands down" and took another drink "I mean... who does that to their child? They're supposed to love and protect them... Why? So that she could have another fucking baby?" and drank half of the bottle "I mean... Christ Pooh bear, there's other ways to go about it if you're that fucking desperate... right?" and finished the bottle

"Yeah, there are baby" I said as I slipped a bottle out of her lap and signaled for someone to come get it and handed it off to whoever saw me "People don't think about things like that... they just do whatever pops in their head at the time"

"No, No.. that's a cop-out" said Jessie and cracked open another bottle and took a drink "She didn't want another option" and took another long drink "So now Evan has 2 childrenwho have no fucking clue" and finished the bottle and crack open another bottle as I slid the last bottle out of her lap and handed it off behind me

"So what do we do now?" I asked "I mean, we're all holding this bombshell of a secret... so what do we do?"

"Its a catch-22 Pooh bear" said Jessie "If we tell them, it'll break them" and took a drink "If we don't tell them and they find out that we knew and said nothing, it'll break them... 2 choices with 1 outcome... it fucking sucks don't it?"

"Yeah it does" I said and took the last drink "ugh.. lets go get sick.. okay?"

"You go ahead... I'm gonna sit here a while" said Jessie

"Okay baby" I said and hopped down "Call me if you need me"

"Yup" said Jessie and I headed back to the patio

"Well I managed tpo get 2 bottles away from her, but she drank 4 bottles of rum" I said "Who took them?"

"I got them" said Haz and put them in his backpack "I'll put them away later"

"Thanks Haz" I said "She is so furious *burp* oh God, excuse me.. yuck.. rum should never be drunk warm... that was gross" and shuddered

"Is she okay?" asked Sarah

"She'll be fine sweetie" I said "She jusgt needs to sit and think for a bit... Where's Marcus?"

"He's in the front yard... ripping God a new ass" said Sarah "Uh-oh"

"What's wrong Sarah?" said Liam

"God removed the block" said Sarah "Evan's going to remember soon... Pamela, go in the house and put you & Jessie's guns in Mary's lock box in the study and keep them there till Monday... I don't want Evan to find them... in case he shows up"

"Okay sweetie" said Pamela and went in the house

"Well, its a good thing I slept for a few hours, bc I'm gonna be up keeping an eye on Evan all night" said Sarah as Pamela came back out and sat down

"They're locked up, so we can relax" said Pamela

"Damian & I will be keeping an eye on Evan & Charlie tonight Sarah" said Davis "You go back to sleep"

"Are you sure Davis?" said Sarah

"Yes ma'am, I'm sure" said Davis "We'll be in the house with them"

"Okay Davis, good luck... to both of you" said Sarah

"Thanks boss lady" said Damian as he & Davis disappeared

"Amen" said Garrett and crossed himself and put a rosary back in his pocket

"Thank you Garrett" said Sarah "and I'm sorry for what I said... I was being a brat"

"You're welcome Sarah" said Garrett "That's alright, I didn't intend on reading everyone, I was trying to read Jessie bc she had been blocking me all afternoon"

"Why was she blocking you?" asked Sarah

"I have no clue" said Garrett

"Don't take it personal" said Jimmy "Jessie blocks everyone until she knows for certain that she can trust you... right now she's blocking Marcus & God... JESSICA RENEE HORAN, YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH... I DON'T GIVE A RATS ASS IN HELL IF YOU'RE DRUNK, I'LL TAKE A SWITCH TO YOUR HINEY MISSY"

"KISS MY ASS JAMES MORRIS BURKE" yelled Jessie and flipped him off

"Jimmy, leave her alone" said Simon "Ignore her jimmy, I mean it... She's sitting alone and venting so shut up and let the girl vent... I would rather let her scream & yell at no one than be the reason she blew up... Agreed?"

"Agreed" said Jimmy

"There's hope for you yet Jimbo" said Simon

"YOU CAN KISS MY ASS TOO SIMON" yelled Jessie

"I LOVE YOU TOO NEENEE" yelled Simon which made Jessie fall over laughing "See? She's not mad any more"

"Oh shut up Simon" said Jimmy

Jessie gathered up the empty bottles and hopped off the trampoline and walked over to Jimmy and blew a raspberry on his cheek and then ran into the house giggling.

"Eww gross" said Jimmy and wiped off his cheek as Jessie came back out with a banana, a bowl of Taco Salad and an orange juice and sat down

"Here petal" said Jessie and gave Sarah the banana "eat this, it'll make your tummy feel better"

"Thanks jellybean" said Sarah

"Here Mary.. I put some Fajitas on it for you" said Jessie and handed the bowl & fork to Mary

"Oh thanks sweetie" said Mary and took a bite as Jessie drank her juice "Oh my God... it tastes even better cold"

"I know... I found the list Grandpa made on the fridge of your cravings, so I'll try and keep the fridge stocked when we get back from Ireland" said Jessie

"Oh thanks sweetie" said Mary

"Are you okay baby?" asked Pamela

"I'm fine Momma... I'm slightly buzzed, but I'm good" said Jessie "If Mack hadn't snuck those 2 bottles, I'd be passed out right now"

"I didn't take any bottles" I said 

"Pooh bear, yes you did, and its fine, I'm not mad" said Jessie "Subtlety isn't one of your best qualities Mack and when you tell a fib, your ears turn pink so give it up"

"She's got you dead to rights Pooh bear" said Jimmy "you may as well fess up"

"Yeah okay, but I only did it bc I want to hear you play tomorrow" I said "and to save Pamela & Ni from going gray with worry"

"What do you play Jessie?" asked Garrett

"Piano" said Jessie "I'll be playing with the Orchestra Saturday at the festival... we're playing Moon River, Nadia's Theme, Rhapsody in Blue, A Summer Place, Wish Upon A Star, and the Christmas Cannon"

"Wow" said Garrett "When do you find time to practice?"

"I don't" said Jessie "I can play any song on the piano once I've heard it and can recall it to play anytime... Momma wants me to play 'the Cannon in D' at the Wedding bc its her favorite"

"What's the difference between the Christmas Cannon and the Cannon in D?" asked Ni "Arent they the same song?"

"No Papa... The Cannon in D is just for the piano, but can be played with an Orchestra" said Jessie "The Christmas Cannon is only for an Orchestra, has a softer melody and requires a choir... that's the difference"

"Ahh.. okay" said Ni "Have you listened to the songs yet?"

"Yeah during my run this morning and then when I did my headstand after" said Jessie "I'll listen to them again when I lay down... Rhapsody in Blue is a monster to remember but I'll do a final run thru when I wake up in the morning"

"Why is that one so difficult?" asked Pamela

"Because it was written for a 'big band' and has 2 pianos playing in tandem" said Jessie "Linda will be playing the other piano... I just hope I don't screw this up bc if I do, we don't have a back-up song"

"You'll do great baby" said Pamela "You haven't done a bad job yet, just breathe and relax"

"Okay.. Thanks Momma" said Jessie "Linda said its the first performance bc of needing 2 pianos and then the rest will be spaced throughout the festival"

"Does everyone have to do 6 songs?" asked Pamela

"No.. the students each have their song they wrote, Haz has his, I have mine and then we have the 2 with the guys and each of the remaining act have 3 songs each... the Orchestra has 6 bc Linda is the festival organizer & conductor" said Ni

"Ah.. okay" said Pamela as Sarah whispered in Jessie's ear

"You want to tell them?" said Jessie

"Can I?" said Sarah

"Sure go ahead" said Jessie

"Jessie is going to play at your Wedding... with the Orchestra" said Sarah

"What?" said Pamela in shock

"Yep, its true" said Jessie "check it out Sarah, we knocked her socks off... high-5 petal" and smacked their hands together "God I love surprising Momma"

"Pamela.. breathe poppet" said Ni "that's it, just breathe"

"Oh.. gosh" said Pamela as tears ran down her cheeks "When... did you set this up?"

"After y'all left for the airport last Saturday" said Jessie "Linda set it up and we did a run thru last Sunday.. and Momma, it sounds amazing.. I cried, it sounds so good.... and"

"And?" said Ni

"And the Wednesday after we get back from Ireland" said Jessie "The Orchestra & I will be playing it at 5 o'clock at the church"

"Holy shit" said Ni & Pamela

"Mom told the Orchestra that the girls had to wear ligh blue formal dresses and the guys had to wear light blue vests & ties for the Wedding" said Sarah

"I love it... they're completely speechless" said Haz "they're not even thinking... its just dead air"

"I know... its eerie" said Mary

"Wait... what?!" said Jessie "No fucking way in Hell.. both of you?... seriously?... since when?"

"Today... Louis showed me how" said Haz "He showed Zayn too and I showed Mary before Sarah and & went to get my tattoos done... surprise"

"Gee.. ya think?" said Jessie as her phone buzzed "Its Louis... oops sorry, I forgot to tell you... Gemma can too... Love Louis xx P.S. see you at 5 munchkin" and sent a reply text

TO: teddy bear  
FROM: munchkin

Oops?... thanks teddy bear... Tell Gemmie to easy on the reading at work or she'll end up with a whopper headache.. see you at 5  
I Love You too  
Jessie xx

"Y'all are gonna drive me nutso... Go eashy on the reading till you get used to it or you'll end up with a monster headache" said Jessie

"Okay" said Zayn, Haz & Mary

Jessie reached over and the back of Ni & Pamela's head

"Hey!" said Ni & Pamela in unison

"Welcome back Zombies" said Jessie "Papa... Did you know Louis showed Haz & Zayn how to read?"

"What?" said Ni "No way, seriously?... No, I didn't know poppet"

"Zayn would've learned eventually" said Garrett "Now Pamela & Ni need to be shown and that's everyone"

"Mack can't read" said Jimmy "neither can Simon"

"Yes we can" said Simon & I in unison

"Surprise Jimbo" said Jessie "I showed Simon years ago... he just acts dumb as a box of rocks"

"And I've been able to since we met.. actually, before we met" I said "How do you think I knew you'd be at the Botanical Garden?... you wrote it down in your calendar at work"

"You saw that?" said Jimmy in shock and then smacked his forehead "Oh my God... that's why I kept hearing that damned song playing over & over in mhy head"

"What song?" asked Zayn

"Chapel of Love by the Ronettes" I said "That's what I listen to when I work on designs"

"Pooh bear.. that was 10 years ago" said Jimmy "Why didn't you tell me?"

"At first I was scared, then when you told Catherine about Jessie... I don't know, but it just never felt like the right time" I said "Its not like we could've gotten married back then, so I didn't say anything"

"You know now Jimbo" said Jessie "I found out when Momma was trying her dress on bc Papa was feeling anxious and came close to busting thru the door to see Momma in her dress... talk about a surprise"

"Aw Pooh bear" said Jimmy and laid my head on his shoulder "Don't ever keep something that important from me honey" and kissed my head "by the way... I really hate that song"

I chuckled "Okay.. I'll find a new song" I said and kissed his jaw "I Love You Jimmy"

"I Love You too Mack" said Jimmy

"Aww... get a room" said Jessie as Marcus came out and sat down

"Are you still angry with me?" asked Marcus

"No.. but don't ever do that again" said Jessie

"Yes ma'am.. I wont, I promise" said Marcus "Have you been drinking?"

"Yep" said Jessie

"Because of me and what you saw?" said Marcus

"Yep" said Jessie and took a drink of her juice

"How long am I in the doghouse?" asked Marcus

"Not sure yet" said Jessie "It wasn't just me that saw that Marcus, Sarah saw it too... She shouldn't have had to see that if you had said something before hand"

"I'm so sorry Sarah... everyone" said Marcus and got up "I'm so very sorry" and went in the house

Jessie got up and went to the picnic table and laid down.

"Everyone.. don't listen" said Sarah "This gonna be reeeally bad" and put in her earplugs "Andrew, guys go to Marcus and stay with him please"

"Yes ma'am" said Collin as they went in the house

Andrew came back out "Pamela" said Andrew softly "Marcus is gone and he's blocking me, so I don't know where he went"

"Go out to the driveway and look down the street" said Pamela "He may have gone to the park"

"Yes ma'am" said Andrew and disappeared.. then came back "No sign of him ma'am"

"Okay, don't worry just yet Andrew" said Pamela "He couldn't have gone very far... Garrett can you see Marcus?"

"Yeah, he's at a church" said Garrett

"How in the he-" said Haz and ran to the fence "The truck is still here... How did he get there so fast?"

"He ran there" said Garrett "Is it close by?"

"Yeah, its about 2 miles away" said Ni "just past the school on the left side of the street... You see where Davis is Andrew?"

"Yeah" said Andrew

"The church is 3 houses away from Davis" said Ni

"Okay... there it is... Thanks Ni" said Andrew and disappeared

"Its a good thing God isn't a physical being" said Garrett "or he'd be in a body cast right now... Does she always yell and swear like that?"

"Yep" said Liam "and there goes the finger pointing... looks like the ranting is over" and motioned for Sarah to take out her earplugs "its over sweetie"

"Oh good... one more minute and I would've been asleep" said Sarah as Jessie came back and sat down quietly "Are you okay jellybean?"

"No... I'll be back in a bit" said Jessie

"Where are you going baby?" asked Pamela as Jessie headed for the fence

"To the church to bring Marcus home" said Jessie and hopped the fence and started running

"How did she know he was at the church?" asked Ni

"They're connected" said Garrett "She may not be able to read long distance, but she'll always know where he is... Marcus has her heart and she has his"

JESSIE'S POV

I reached the church and found Andrew & Marcus sitting on the steps "See? I told you.. She'll always find you" said Andrew as I sat down "I'll give you two some privacy" and disappeared

"So bc I'm upset, you tried to leave me?" I said "and without saying good-bye?"

"You gave me back my ring" said Marcus "and you wouldn't look at me"

"I'm so sorry Marcus... I had no right to take off your ring" I said "look at me.. please" as Marcus looked at me with tears in his eyes "I am so, so very sorry... forgive me?... please?"

"Always angel" said Marcus and took my ring out of his pocket "Can I put this back on your finger?"

"Yes please" I said and held out my hand as he put the ring back on my finger "I swear to you, I will NEVER take this ring off ever again... I promise"

"I Love You Jessie" said Marcus "Don't ever stop loving me"

"I Love You too Marcus" I said "I will always love you, you're my whole world... for all of eternity, I am yours mind, body, heart & soul" and kissed him.. We kissed for a long time, then we heard a horn sound.. it was Haz

"HEY.. COME ON YOU TWO, LETS GO HOME" yelled Haz as we got in the truck

"Lets go home Haz" said Marcus and held me on his lap

"You got it" said Haz and pulled out of the parking lot and headed home.. We pulled into the driveway and went inside and back out to the patio, holding hands

"Did you two kiss and make up?" asked Mack

"Yeah" I said and held up my hand "and its never coming off my hand ever again"

"Marcus, we have to go" said Andrew "Cassie's missing, but we'll be back tomorrow... remember what I said"

"I will... Thanks Boss" said Marcus "I hope you find her"

"Yeah.. me too" said Andrew and they all disappeared

"You're engaged?" said Garrett

"Yeah... Marcus asked Momma & Papa for permission yesterday" I said "but we have to wait till I'm 16 and then we'll decide whether to get married then or wait till I'm 18"

"What about school?" asked Garrett

"Well, I was home schooled so rather than start high school in September, I'll take a test and then I'm done with school" I said "Mack & I are going into the Wedding business.. The fact is, that if I go to high school, I'll graduate at 15.. I can't drive or get a proper job till I'm 16 and I can't vote till I'm 18, so I'll test out, start my business with Mack and when I'm 18, I'll take a few business courses and, if it hasn't happened before then, I will start my family with the love of my life"

"What will you do Marcus?" asked Garrett

"I'm not sure yet" said Marcus "with Pamela, Liam & Louis starting their job & business, Haz & Ni going to school, and Jimmy, Mack, Simon & Jessie being busy with work, I'll stay here and help Zayn & Mary during their pregnancies till the babies are born in March & April and then I'll either go to work with Liam & Louis or I'll be painting murals for a living"

"Who will plan your Wedding Jessie?" asked Garrett

"Probably me" I said "I've planned 2 Weddings already, I'm planning Mack & Jimmy's, Gem & Louis's and when Robin proposes, I'll plan Anne & Robin's Wedding... I still have Momma's bridal shower to plan, Zayn & Izzie's baby showers to plan and my holiday projects I want to do, so I'll be pretty busy till June"

"When will you make time for yourself?" asked Garrett "I mean, with everything you've got going on, when will you take time to recharge?"

"I'll make time" I said "I have 8 weeks from Momma & Papa's Wedding and Zayn's baby shower to relax and sew some baby things and do some knitting, which believe it or not, is very relaxing... Tomorrow I have rehearsals, Thursday is Izzie's bridal shower, Friday is the Wedding, Saturday is the festival, Sunday is our family day & epic water fight and Monday, the only thing I have to do is meet my Geneologist to see what he uncovered on my family tree, so I'll sleep all day on Tuesday, after Haz & Izzie leave for the airport"

My phone rang "Oh God... its Evan" and put it on speaker

JESSIE: Evan?... What's wrong?

EVAN: *crying*

JESSIE: *talking softly* Evan.. shh.. its alright.. just breathe, slow & easy... that's it... What's wrong?

EVAN: I'm going... crazy... I swear I am

JESSIE: Evan, you're not going crazy... Why do you think that?

EVAN: bc I'm having fucked up thoughts that make no damn sense... I'm scared Jessie

JESSIE: Just calm down and listen... I want you to do some deep breathing so we can slow your heart rate so you can calm down, okay?

EVAN: Yeah okay

JESSIE: Okay, on 1 I want you to inhale.. hold it on 2.. and exhale on 3... got it?

EVAN: Got it

JESSIE: Okay, here we go... 1... 2... 3 that's it, one more time 1... 2... 3 there you go.. feel better?

EVAN: Yeah

JESSIE: Now, I'm going to read you and if you feel scared again, I want you to do the deep breathing, okay?... don't hang up Evan

EVAN: Okay, I wont hang up, I promise

JESSIE: Okay *closed my eyes* I see what you mean... Now Evan, don't freak out... those are repressed memories... Do you know what that means?

EVAN: Repressed Memories... you mean they're real?

JESSIE: Yes they're real memories of things that really happened... to you

EVAN: Oh dear God... this can't be happening... Why am I remembering this now?

JESSIE: I don't know.. honestly, I don't... Where are you?

EVAN: I'm at home in my car... I didn't want to wake up Charlie

JESSIE: Okay,, I don't want you to leave the house, if you need someone to talk to or to stay with you, I want you to softly call any of the guys you feel comfortable talking to or hanging out with.. okay?

EVAN: You mean Damian and the guys?

JESSIE: Yes, that's who I mean.. okay?

EVAN: Yes ma'am... Jessie?

JESSIE: Yeah?

EVAN: Am I a bad person?

JESSIE: No Evan, you're not a bad person... I don't know why this happened or why you're remembering this now, but this is not your fault, whatsoever... you hear me?

EVAN: Yes ma'am... I'm gonna go in the house and see what Davis is up to and maybe watch a movie

JESSIE: Okay, I'll call you soon... try and get some sleep

EVAN: Yes ma'am... Goodnight

JESSIE: Goodnight

I hung up, wiped my eyes and took a deep breath "He's a train wreck waiting to happen" I said "You see? This is why you don't mess with someone's memories without permission... Oh God... I'm gonna be sick" and ran to the fence and threw up into the field

"That's it angel... just relax and let go" said Marcus and held my hair

"Is she okay?" asked Garrett

"Jessie hates lying and doesn't handle stress well" said Sarah "plus, she's slightly drunk"

"Are you alright angel?" asked Marcus

"Yeah, I think so" I said and took several deep breaths "Yeah, its over.. for now anyway" and went to sit down

"You were great Jessie" said Garrett "You got Evan to calm down and gave him just enough information and positive reassurance to help him think clearly"

"I hated lying to him" I said and wiped my eyes "Its going to kill him when he finds out Meghan & Charlie are his children... He'll either kill himself or he'll slip so far inside his mind that not even God will be able to find him"

"Don't think about that right now jellybean" said Sarah "its getting late so why do we go get ready for bed and try and get some rest... Okay?"

"Yeah okay petal" I said "Momma, can you braid my hair?"

"Sure baby... go get ready for bed" said Momma

"Okay" I said as Sarah and I went upstairs


	110. Chapter 110

Chapter 110

HARRY'S POV

"Jessie's right... it will kill him" I said "Whether its a physical death or an emotional one, either way, Meghan & Charlie are going to suffer the most"

"We'll cross that bridge when it happens Haz " said Mary "For now, we just go on about our business... I know it sounds cold & heartless, but that's the way it has to be... Charlotte will be here on Monday, so until then, we'll let Meghan have her space and Andrew & the boys will watch over Evan & Charlie and we'll help them if they need us... Okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said everyone as Jessie & Sarah came back out

"1 braid or 2?" asked Pamela

"2 please.. French" said Jessie and sat on Pamela's lap

"Okay baby" said Pamela and started brushing out Jessie's hair and then started braiding it "Okay baby, you're all set"

"Thanks Momma" said Jessie and gave everyone a kiss on the cheek, even Garrett "Goodnight y'all" and grabbed her quilt

"Goodnight Jessie" said everyone as Sarah did the same

"Goodnight everyone" said Sarah

"Goodnight Sarah" said everyone

"Goodnight everyone" said Marcus "Garrett, it was nice meeting you and Thank you flor what you've done for me"

"You're welcome Marcus... it was nice meeting you too" said Garrett "Goodnight"

"Goodnight Marcus" said everyone as they went inside

"Well, I had better go" said Garrett "That Jessie is an amazing young lady, but you need to keep an eye on her and you may want to hide the alcohol Pamela"

"We will sir" said Pamela and gave Garrett a hug "Drive safe and the boys will see you tomorrow"

"OORAH Captain" said Garrett

"OORAH General" said Pamela

"I'll walk you lout sir" said Ni "be right back poppet"

"Okay sunshine" said Pamela as Ni & Garrett went inside

"So haz" said Mack "Jessie taught you how to dance?"

"Yeah... I can slow dance, but anything faster I just couldn't do" I said "but she made it fun and it was easy to catch on"

"Well I taught her everything she knows" said Mack "so if you want to learn more dances, let me know... no pressure"

"Thanks Mack" I said as Ni came back out and sat down

"So who's idea was it to put the dogs in a baby playpen?" asked Ni

"Jessie asked for it" I said "so Robin & I picked it up when we took Chelsea for her check-up last Saturday... they seem to like it"

"Have you seen them?" asked Ni "they snuggle together when they sleep.. its the cutest thing I've ever seen and they snore in sync"

"I know... you should see the video I took of them at the pet store" I said and pulled out my phone and cued it up and handed it to Ni "just tap the screen to play"

"Okay" said Ni "Oh wow, look at them... Is that the pool that's in the garage?"

"Yeah.. they were having so much fun I bought one" I said "but we haven't used it yet"

"Its huge... How did you get it home?" said Pamela

"I had to come home to get the truck" I said "Marcus sat in the back and held onto it so we didn't loose it... we were going to set it up here on the patio, but we never got around to doing it"

"Well we're off work for a while, why don't we set it up in the morning?" said Ni

"Yeah okay" I said as Ni handed my phone back

"Mack... Are you alright?" asked Mary

"Huh?... Oh, I'm fine Mary" said Mack "I was just thinking about what Jessie said... about how she'll probably be planning her Wedding"

"Yeah... I was thinking about that too" said Mary

"What do y'all think about all of us planning her Wedding?" said Mack "I know its a ways off, but if we each take a piece of the planning, it could be spectacular and she'd never know"

"Oh.. I like that idea" said Mary "We already know she plans on wearing Catherine's dress, so we need bridesmaids, groomsmen, venues for the Wedding & reception, a color scheme, menu, flowers, music, pictures, and a destination for their honeymoon"

"Damn Mom" said Pamela "your brain works just like Jessie's does"

"It must be bc of being able to read" said Mary "my head feels like it has a whole other floor of empty rooms to explore and fill up"

"Well just remember what she said" said Pamela "If you read too much at first, you'll get a headache till you get used to it"

"I know sweetie" said Mary "Okay everyone, take your phones and go to your documents and start a list titled 'Jessie's Wedding'... Pamela, you'll do the reception... Ni, you'll do the Wedding... Zayn, you'll do the flowers... Liam, you'll do the menu... Haz, you'll do the music... Simon, you'll do the pictures... Mack, you'll do the color & Bridesmaids... Jimmy, you'll do the groomsmen... and I'll do the destination for the honeymoon"

"There's going to be some overlap so when we all get our assigned information, we'll sit down and polish it up" said Mack

"Sounds good" said Pamela "Ni, our lists are going to be pretty simple.. we just need to find out what she wants and try and make it all work together"

"Okay poppet" said Ni "What about the others?"

"They'll be our spies" said Jimmy "You need to think like Jessie does... they'll help us gather the information we need to pull this off and when its all set, we'll have her dream Wedding"

"Ooo I like that" said Mack "See? this is why I started designing Wedding dresses... I love helping brides make their Wedding vision come true"

"I'm going to put peach roses, Asian lilies, and magnolias on my list bc I know she likes those: said Zayn

"See? this is going to be easy-peasy" said Mack "now, lets get some rest, its been a long day"

"I agree" said Liam "Come on babe.. lets go snuggle our babies"

"That's the best idea I've heard all day" said Zayn "Goodnight everyone"

"Goodnight boys" said Mary

"Goodnight Dad.. Pops" said Pamela "Come on sunshine" and held out her hand "lets go to bed"

"Okay poppet" said Ni "see y'all tomorrow"

"Goodnight Ni.. Pamela" said Mack

Mary stood up and hugged Simon & Jimmy and went to Mack "You come find me tomorrow and we'll talk okay?" said Mary and gave Mack a hug "get some rest sweetie" 

"Yes ma'am" said Mack "you too Mary... Goodnight Haz"

"Goodnight Mack" I said "Goodnight guys"

"Goodnight Haz.. Mary" said Jimmy & Simon as they got up and headed home

"Lets put these muffins in the freezer before bed" I said as we went inside

"Okay" said Mary "we'll put some in here and the rest in the overflow freezer"

"okay princess... Where is it?" I said 

"Its in the laundry room in the corner next to the back-up stove, just lift the lid" said Mary

"Okay princess" I said and put 3 containers in the freezer and went back to the kitchen and rinsed Mary's bowl "all set princess?"

"Yeah, its all put away" said Mary and took my hand as we went upstairs and got ready for bed

"Do you think Evan and the kids will be alright?" I asked

"I hope so" said Mary "I don't want to see any of them hurt, but its inevitable... a secret like that can be devastating to find out.. all we can do is be a friend to them for now"

"You know Evan's gay" I said 

"I know and when he's ready to talk about it, the boys and Mack & Jimmy will help him thru it" said Mary as we got in bed and put my hand on her belly "Jessie says they're both girls"

"Oh gosh... I can hear them" I said and chuckled "they're talking to each other... it sounds like they're laughing"

"I know.. I hear them too" said Mary "its amazing, isn't it?"

"Yeah... our babies are happy" I said "lets get some sleep princess" and kissed her shoulder "I Love You Mary"

"I Love You too Harry" said Mary and kissed my neck as we drifted off to sleep listening to our babies

IN THE MORNING...

I woke up to the most amazing smell "Oh my God... something smells amazing" I said as Mary woke up

"Oh God... it smells like waffles" said Mary and started laughing "Mack's cooking breakfast... that man"

"Ooo I'll bet he's making chicken & waffles" I said "why don't you go take a shower.. its almost 9am"

"Okay... feed the girls please, unless Jessie's up" said Mary

"Okay princess" I said and put on a pair of sweat pants and went down to the kitchen "Morning Mack"

"Morning Haz… coffee's ready and I fed the girls" said Mack 'Chicken & waffles will be ready in 30 minutes"

"Okay.. Mary's taking a shower" I said as I made a cup of coffee and took my vitamin "How did you get in?"

"I picked the lock on the back door" said Mack "I told y'all I'd have to break in... I've lost my keys so many times, I've learned how to pick a lock"

"Ahh... remind me to buy a dead bolt" I said and chuckled

"Good luck with that" chuckled Mack as Mary came in the kitchen and took her vitamin

"Pamela's in the shower... with Ni" said Mary

"Awkward" I said

"Its fine" said Mary and made a cup of tea "How did you sleep Mack?"

"I slept okay" said Mack "Meghan was up watching a movie when we walked thru the door last night bc she couldn't sleep... I finally fell asleep when she went to bed.. around 1:30am... she was sleeping when I left the house"

"Poor kid" I said "I hope she didn't hear anything"

"I don't think she did" said Mack "she was in a good mood when we came in last night"

"Oh thank God" I said "Are Jimmy, Simon & Meghan coming over?"

"Yeah... I had just texted them before you came down" said Mack as Ni, Pamela and everyone came downstairs

"Dang Pooh bear, think you made enough?" said Jessie

"Well you know how your Papa eats" said Mack & chuckled "I had to make sure there would be enough for everyone else carew bear"

"Good point" said Jessie and handed out vitamins to everyone

"We already took our vitamin peanut" I said 

"Oh okay" said Jessie and put the bottle back in the cupboard "Have the girls been fed yet?"

"Yep... I fed them when I got here" said Mack "y'all get some coffee or tea, breakfast is almost ready"

There was a knock at the door as Simon, Jimmy, Meghan, Beth and Garrett came in "Morning Y'all" said Jimmy

"Morning Jimmy" said Mary "How did you sleep Meghan?"

"I slept okay... my hand started hurting so I made a new icepack and watched a movie" said Meghan

"Let me see how it looks" said Pamela as Meghan held out her hand "it doesn't look that bad sweetie... no more icepacks for a while, okay?"

"Okay" said Meghan

"What did you do yesterday Gran?" asked NI and handed her a cup of tea

"I went shopping and got some of the items on Maura & I's list for the prom" said Gran "you have no idea how hard it is to find red plates... I found everything but those"

"I'll text Gem and find out where she got the ones for Anne's house" said Jessie and pulled out her phone

"Thank you sweetie" said Gran

"Did Mom say anything about how her date went?" asked Ni

"Maura said they went out to dinner and then went dancing" said Gran "She was still smiling when she dropped me off"

"Wow.. that's great" said Ni "Garrett, this is my Grandmother, Beth... Gran, this is Garrett, the General"

"Nice ta meet ya Garrett" said Gran

"Its nice to meet you as well Beth" said Garrett

"Ah... you're a storyteller... Like Jessie" said Gran "you can read"

"How did you know that?" said Garrett and looked at Ni

"Because, I'm a storyteller too" said Gran "That Louis is a charmer Mary"

"You too Beth?" said Mary and chuckled

"Of course... this is the most fun I've ever had" said Gran "and let me tell you.. Maura's neighbor, Mrs. Taylor?.. Oh is she a nosy little busy body"

"What happened with Mrs. Taylor?" asked NI

"Louis came over to see if I wanted to go out to lunch and that old biddity accused him of being my boyfriend" said Gran "and then had the audacity of telling your Mother that I was robbing the cradle with a younger man"

"Oh my God... Seriously?" said Ni and started laughing "What did Louis say?"

"Louis told her to mind her own business and that if she must know, any man, regardless of their age, would be a lucky man to be with a woman as beautiful as me and called her an old hag" said Gran 

Liam chuckled "That sounds like Louis" said Liam "How did Maura react?"

"Maura said what I do and with whom is my business and that if she said another word, she would call the police and have her arrested for harassment and slander" said Gran

"Dang.. you go Grandma" said Jessie "Pooh bear, you are rocking the chicken & waffles"

"Thank you care bear" said Mack "I'm glad you like it"

"I agree" said Mary & I

"I'm surprised Mom went dancing" said Ni "She said she doesn't dance"

"Oh, she dances... she just doesn't dance with you" said Gran "Mr. two-left-feet"

"Hey.. I can dance" said Ni "I just get a little nervous dancing with Mom is all"

"Well you better get over it Papa bc you gotta dance with her... its tradition" said Jessie "Momma has to do a Father/daughter dance with Liam, Zayn & Louis... speaking of dancing, you & Momma still need to find songs to dance to with them"

"Okay baby" said Pamela "we'll do that in the next few days.. promise"

"I've always liked the song 'Butterfly Kisses' " said Liam "First time I heard it, it reminded me of you"

"Okay Dad, I'll listen to it" said Pamela "Michael, the DJ, gave us a list of songs to look up and listen to, to help us find songs for our dances"

"Well maybe its oin there" said Liam

"Don't worry Li, peaches will find a song that reminds her of us" said Zayn "and it will be perfect"

"IK know... I gjuess with Mom & Haz getting married in a couple of days, I'm sort of feeling off" said Liam "Its not nerves, I just can't put a word to what it is"

"Meghan... the girls and I are going shopping and you are welcome to join us, if you want" said Mary

"We're gonna help Izzie pick out maternity clothes and then we're gonna go look at baby furniture and stuff for the nursery" said Sarah "Come with us.. it'll be fun"

"Thanks Mary, Sarah, but I have some writing to do" said Meghan

"Okay... well we wont be leaving for a while" said Mary "so if you change your mind, just let me know"

"What do you write about?" asked Gran

"Mostly I write short stories" said Meghan "except for the one I'm currently working on... I started it 6 months ago, but I haven't done any writing in almost a week, so I need to get it finished and sent off to my publisher"

"You have a publisher?" said Mack "How many stories have you written?"

"Yeah... about 30 so far" said Meghan "My writing teacher, Mrs. Snow's husband works at a publishing company and she gave him some of my stories and he made them into books... the money from them goes into an account that I'll be able to access when I'm 16... MY Mom set it up for me before she died"

"Wow... what kind of books are they?" asked Liam

"They're children's books" said Meghan "Ms. Mouse goes to the beach... Ms. Mouse goes to school... Ms. Mouse has a birthday party... Christmas at the Mouse House... they're fun books"

"Oh my God... I have all of those books.. I love them" said Sarah "What's the new one called?"

"The Many Adventures of Lindsay Mouse" said Meghan "I'm glad you like them" and smiled "If I can get this one finished in the next few days, it should be out by Christmas"

"I can't believe I know a famous author" said Sarah "I can't wait to tell Mom"

"Just don't tell anyone else, please" said Meghan "The publishing company hasn't released to the public that I'm only 12... they want to wait till I'm 16 so that I can do book signings and a book tour"

"I wont tell anyone, I promise" said Sarah

"Thanks Sarah" said Meghan "well I had better get started... Mack, this was amazing"

"Thank you Meghan" said Mack as Meghan got up and rinsed her plate

"Here's the keys Meghan" said Jimmy and took them out of his pocket and gave them to her

"Thanks Jimmy" said Meghan "Have a good time Sarah"

"Thanks" said Sarah "Would you like us to bring you back anything?"

"Oh.. no thanks, Evan is bringing me some of my writing snacks and a cappuccino over in a little while" said Meghan "but thanks for asking tho"

"You're welcome" said Sarah and Meghan went back to the house "well, if her family falls apart, at least she can take care of herself... that's a good thing"

"Yeah... its Charlie I'm worried most about" said Garrett "Evan is avoiding Charlie and its making him feel isolated, like he did something wrong and that's not good"

Mary got up and took care of her plate "I'm going to go shower and think... I'll be back in 20" said Mary and went upstairs

"Is Mary alright?" asked Ni

"She's fine.. She's just worried about Charlie" I said "She knows she needs to keep her distance, but she wants to take care of them and make them feel safe... kits hard for her"

"Mom has a big heart" said Liam "When Louis & I were little, she was the neighborhood Mom.. all of our friends would call her Mom and she never corrected them. When we got older, our friends would tell her any good news before they told their parents, and came to her if they had relationship problems or problems at school and she would listen and give them advice. I think if she hadn't lost Grace, she & Dad would've had more children.. they always talked about having a big family bc they both were the only child in their families"

"That explains a lot" said Marcus "When did she loose Grace?"

"Mom was 5 moths pregnant" said Liam "She was coming home from her Dr.'s appointment and hit a patch of black ice and the car fishtailed and an oncoming car hit her in the driver's side door... she was in the hospital for 3 weeks with a broken leg, arm, collarbone and a concussion... Dad had to tell her about Grace.. we buried her 5 days later... they were a mess.. they didn't eat, didn't sleep, and until Grandma Jo & Grandma Karen came over, they didn't talk to anyone"

"Who took care of you & Louis?" asked Mack

"We stayed with Aunt Isabel & Uncle Mike while Mom was in the hospital bc Dad refused to leave her" said Liam "after Mom came home, she had a live-in nurse and by then Grandma Jo & Grandma Karen moved in to take care of us... Once Mom was better, Grandma Jo & Grandma Karen took all of us to Florida that summer t"Grandpa, I understand why you're worried about Izzie, but we are all going to get those babies boro get away for a while" and wiped his eyes "Now you see why Louis was so excited when Mom said she was pregnant... I'll relax when Mom gets past the 5 month mark"

"Mary promised Damian she wouldn't take any risks and I promised to take her to every Dr.'s appointment" I said 

"Grandpa, I understand why you're worried about Izzie, but we're all going to get those babies born.. even if we have to put Izzie on bed rest from November to April" said Jessie "I promise... Okay?"


	111. Chapter 111

Chapter 111

HARRY'S POV (Continued)

"Okay princess" said Liam as Mary came back into the kitchen "Are you okay Mom?"

"I'm fine sweetie" said Mary and smiled "I think I've figured out how to help Charlie feel less isolated... I'm just waiting for Louis to get here"

The front door opened "Okay Mom, what's so important that it couldn't wait 30 minutes so that I could mop the floors?" said Louis and crossed his arms "its bad enough I was elbow deep in the toilet when you called, so spill it"

"Sorry sweetie, but I seriously need your opinion" said Mary "and I think you could be a big help"

"Okay Mom, whatcha need" said Louis and leaned up against the doorway

"Well, you know what happened last night, right?" said Mary

"Yeah, I know... Andrew still hasn't found Cassie either" said Louis

"Well Evan is avoiding Charlie" said Mary "so I thought, seeing as you're a younger brother, you could be a big brother to Charlie and spend time with him, maybe talk with him so he doesn't feel so isolated"

"I see" said Louis "Sure, I can do that... Where do they live?"

"3 houses down from the church on Peachtree Lane" said Ni

"Okay... I've got about an hour's worth of cleaning to do, so I'll head over when I'm done" said Louis "Shoot me a text with Evan's number munchkin.. I'll give him a call and see if he wants to hang out and help me pick a stereo for the apartment bc Gemma has nothing but CD's, so I've been listening to those and if I have to listen to Patsy Cline, one more time, I'M gonna go crazy"

"Hey Patsy Cline is awesome" said Jessie

"Yes, she is.. but its the only CD Gem has that's any good" said Louis "and I've been listening to it for 3 days now... I need cleaning music.. the Doors, Led Zepplin, AC-DC... anything but Patsy Cline"

"Ahh I see" said Jessie "The closest thing I got to those is Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen & Johnny Cash"

"Can I borrow them?" asked Louis

"Sure.. let me go get them for ya" said Jessie and went upstairs and came back with the CD's "Here ya go.. keep em as long as you want and I'll go thru the rest of my CD's later and whatever else I've got, I'll have them for you tonight... okay?"

"Sweet.. Thanks munchkin" said Louis "I gotta go.. be back later Mom" and kissed her cheek "Have fun shopping"

"Thanks sweetie" said Mary "Drive safe"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis and left the house

"Okay, now I can relax" sighed Mary and sat down

"That was a good idea Mary" said Gran "Now we just need to see what Evan needs to try and get past this till Monday"

"Evan needs a friend" said Jessie "even before all of this, he never hung out with anyone or went anywhere unless it was to look for a job" and took care of her plate "I'm sure its hard to keep friends when you have siblings to take care of... He also needs a social life and a boyfriend.. but that last part can happen later" and went upstairs

"Jessie's right... about all of it" I said "I don't know where Evan went when he ran away, but he's isolated himself in that house and that may work for him, but its not healthy... may be he's afraid of being rejected, who knows, but he definitely needs a friend"

"I think you boys and Mack & Jimmy should be the ones to help Evan" said Mary "Don't push him if he's not ready to come out, but let him know that if he ever wants to talk or hang out, that he can all any one of you... Okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said Liam & Zayn and Mack & Jimmy as Jessie cam back

"Here Momma, this is for your shopping trip" said Jessie and handed Pamela an envelope

"Thank you baby" said Pamela 

"Izzie needs the works... clothes, pajamas with a robe & slipper and fuzzy socks, shoes and make sure she gets some dresses" said Jessie

"Yes ma'am" said Pamela

"Here Izzie, this is for Mr. Thompson" said Jessie and gave Mary a small bag (like what women use for make-up) "and here's my digital camera, and yes, it has been checked, just push the button... take pictures of anything you want for the nursery, Okay?"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"And as I said before, if you want to wait till you have a nursery to get your 'baby basics', that's fine, its up to you" said Jessie "I texted Momma the list for the basics, so either way, you're all set"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"And Momma, make sure Izzie tries some of the clothes on bc some of the sizes run small" said Jessie "They have baby-bump pillows so that she get the right fit"

"Oh, okay baby" said Pamela and Jessie sat down

"Come on Haz.. lets go set up the baby pool" said Ni

"Okay NI" I said as we yook care of our plates and went outside

JESSIE'S POV

"I called Niall's Dad and he's going to send me the photos & videos from my house and they'll be here Thursday" said Gran 

"Oh excellent" I said "now we just need Momma's and the photos they took in Georgia and we can get started"

"What are you needing them for?" asked Garrett

"Simon is helping me make a video of Momma & Papa for the reception" I said "it'll have pictures & videos of them growing up, along with pictures of them together... if it meshes with what's in my head, its going to be amazing"

"Ah... let me call Kyle, he's got photos & videos he took of Pamela from our family outings and football games" said Garrett "I'll have him email them to you"

"Wow.. that would be great" I said "Thanks Garrett"

"You're welcome" said Garrett and pulled out his phone and put it on speaker

KYLE: Hey Dad... Whatcha need?

GARRETT: Hey Kyle... I need you to send me all of the photos & videos you've taken that have PJ in them please

KYLE: Damn.. that's a lot Dad

GARRETT: You have them digitized, right?

KYLE: Sure I do

GARRETT: Then send them in an email

KYLE: Oh Okay.. Is there any specific email address you want me to send them to?

GARRETT: Yeah.. send them to HurricaneJessie@gmail.com... subject: photos & videos of PJ

KYLE: You got it Dad... I heard you called Mom to come to England.. Is everything okay over there?

GARRETT: Everything is fine Kyle.. a friend of the family needs your Mom's help is all

KYLE: Oh okay.. I'll email the stuff out in the morning.. expect about 15 emails

JESSIE: Holy shit.. 15?... seriously?... Are y'all tryin ta kill me?

KYLE: Who's that Dad?

GARRETT: That's Jessie... PJ's daughter

KYLE: Are you serious?... Pamela Jane Williams, I know I'm on speaker, so you better start talking young lady

PAMELA: Yes, I have a daughter... Her name is Jessie, she's 10 years old, 5 ft. tall, blond hair & blue eyes and as you can tell, she has a mouth on her and isn't afraid to speak her mind... talk to her

KYLE: Hello Jessie

JESSIE: Hello... sorry for swearing.. I'm working on that

KYLE: That's alright... What grade are you in?

JESSIE: I don't have one.. I was home-schooled.. I have to take a test for high school and then I'm done with school 

KYLE: Wow.. Okay, What do you do for fun?

JESSIE: Not much... I like to do lots of things, but I've been busy planning Weddings, scavenger hunts and doing engagement photos lately... and having minor meltdowns, which for me, is normal... I also planned an epic water fight for this Sunday.. Men vs. Women and the losing team makes dinner

KYLE: Wow impressive... Who's going to win?

JESSIE: We are, of course... Momma & I got this in the bag bc the guys aren't quite getting the concept of 'the art of war'... They keep leaking their battle strategy... I keep telling them that strategy meetings are to be held in private and not discussed.. but dio they listen?... Nope

KYLE: *chuckling* Well sometimes, the excitement of the coming war makes people talk when they shouldn't

JESSIE: Gee, ya think?.. *giggling* All I know is that if I gotta explain the rules one more time, I'm shooting someone in the butt with a paintball... maybe if they have a bruise, it'll help them remember to listen

KYLE: How many times have you told them the rules?

JESSIE: 3 times... you'd think telling them the rules once would suffice, but they just keep running their mouths like the village idiot

NIALL: Hey now, we're not idiots

JESSIE: Hay is for horses Papa... y'all don't stand a snowballs chance in Hell of winning bc y'all talk too dang much... that's a fact Papa, so deal with it... I knowe everything that goes on in this house and what everyone is thinking at all times

KYLE: Ahh.. you're like my Dad

JESSIE: Yep, I am... Oh crap... sorry Kyle, I gotta get ready for music practice... It was nice talking to ya

KYLE: It was nice talking to you too Jessie

"Jessie, before you go, I need your Ipod and the computer adapter" said Haz

"Okay.. I'll got get them for ya" I said and went upstairs to get my purse and grabbed my Ipod and cord and went back downstairs "here ya go Haz.. just put it on my dresser when you're done"

"Thanks peanut" said Haz "Have fun at rehearsal"

"I will... you ready Pooh bear?" I said 

"Yep" said Mack 

"Bye Momma, have fun... Bye Papa, see you in a while" I said and gave them a kiss good-bye

"You too baby" said Momma

"See you in a while lemur monkey" said Papa as we walked out the door and headed for the school

HARRY'S POV

"Good.. she's gone" I said "Are you guys ready to set things up for Jessie?"

"Yep" said Jimmy "its all in the blue room in 5 suitcases"

GARRETT: I have to go Kyle.. Have a good night and thanks

KYLE: Okay Dad, have a good day and you're welcome... talk to you soon PJ

PAMELA: Okay... tell Kara I said hello

KYLE: I will... bye

and hung up "What are we setting up for Jessie?" asked Garrett

"Jimmy brought all of Jessie's DVD's, CD's, photo albums, books & framed pictures and other things back from Georgia" I said "We're going to hang some of the framed pictures in Jessie's room, put the DVD's in the Livingroom and I'm going to put all of her CD's on her Ipod"

"Wow... lets get started" said Garrett as we headed next door "How did you get them thru customs?"

"I used a diplomatic pouch for each suitcase" said Jimmy "Max sent me 5 of them so that I could get it all here"

"Ah.. okay" said Garrett as we walked thru the door and went upstairs

Jimmy started opening suitcases "This one is the DVD's" said Jimmy and gave it to Liam "This one is books & photo albums" and gave it to Ni "This one has picture frames" and gave it to Garrett "This one is all of her CD's" and gave it to me "and this one is the stuff from William's study and closet... I'll take this one... Let's go"

"Holy shit this is heavy" said Liam "How in the Hell did you get these upstairs?"

"Mack carried them" said Jimmy "they're not that heavy for him"

""Jesus Christ" said Ni "This is ridiculous... How can they not be heavy for him?"

"Because Mack lifts weights" said Jimmy "He can bench press 250 pounds without breaking a sweat"

"Impressive" said Garrett "Do you workout Jimmy?"

"I run sometimes.. but I'm one of those people that can eat anything and not gain any weight" said Jimmy "I don't workout like Mack does.. Mack works out & runs to relieve stress.. I do it out of boredom"

"I see" said Garrett as we walked thru the door and put our suitcases down in the Livingroom

"I moved some pictures and things Haz" said Mary "so if you want to put some of Jessie's things down here, there's room"

"Thanks princess" I said "I need to use your computer to transfer these CD's to Jessie's Ipod.. Is that okay?"

"Sure.. you don't have to ask Haz" said Mary "The username and password is taped to the bottom of the keyboard... Liam, do you still have my car keys?"

"Um... oh yeah.. they're upstairs.. I'll go get them" said Liam and ran upstairs and came back down with the keys "Here you go Mom"

"Thanks sweetie" said Mary

"Have a good time princess" I said and kissed her "I'll see you in a few hours"

"I will.. and don't worry Haz, Pamela's driving" said Mary

"Okay princess... Have a blast Sarah" I said "Drive safe Pamela"

"I will Hazzabear" said Sarah

"Always" said Pamela "Are we ready to go ladies?"

"Absolutely Captain" said Sarah & Gran in unison

"Have fun poppet" said Ni "See you in a few hours"

"Okay sunshine" said Pamela and kissed him "Make sure Pops eats something id we're not back by 2:30.. Okay?"

"I will" said Ni "now go"

"Okay" said Pamela as they all headed out to the car

"Jimmy, why don't you put your bag in the study" I said "and Zayn, you can work on the picture frames with Liam"

"Okay" said Jimmy & Zayn

I took the suitcase of CD's to the study and started unpacking them onto the desk and getting set up on the computer when Louis came in with Charlie.

"Hey Haz… What's with all of the suitcases?" asked Louis

"Jimmy brought Jessie's things from Georgia" I said "all of her movies, books, photos & CD's... I'm getting everything set up so I can transfer all of her CD's onto her Ipod"

"Man... She's got a crap load of CD's" said Louis

"I know... I think some were Catherine's and William & Maggie's" I said "Take a look thru them and if you find any you like, I'll burn you a copy"

"Oh sweet... Thanks Haz" said Louis and looked thru the stacks of CD's "Oh man... Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Pink Floyd... these are incredible... I'll tell you what Haz, I'll buy the blank CD's and you burn me a copy of all of them.. this is the best collection EVER and if you ever need a favor, you let me know... Okay?"

"You got it Lou" I said "So what are you two up to today?"

"Charlie is helping me set up a primo sound system" said Louis "Charlie says that I don't need a new stereo if I'm willing to try a wireless surround sound system and get some decent CD's, it'll sound like I'm at a concert"

"Oh wow.. that sounds cool" I said "Let me know what is costs.. now that we have all of Jessie's movies, and if Mary agrees, movie night could rock"

"Oh Hell yeah" said Louis ""Gem's gonna love it.. now she wont have to carry her CD player around the apartment"

"How are you feeling Charlie?" I asked

"I'm doing okay" said Charlie "My face hurts, but I'm trying not to take the pain meds bc they make my head feel fuzzy and out of focus"

"Damn... What did they give you?" I asked

"Darvocet and one other I can't pronounce" said Charlie "They knock out the pain, I just don't like how they make my head feel"

"Does Mom have any Ibuprofen left?" asked Louis

"Yeah, she brought some back with her" I said "How many do you want?"

"Just 8... that will give him a couple of days to relax without pain and that fuzzy feeling" said Louis

"Okay.. I'll go get them" I said 

"Thanks Haz" said Louis as I went upstairs and came back with the bottle

"Here.. there's only 10 left in the bottle" I said "The dosage is 2 pills every 4 hours and not to take more than 8 pills in 24 hours.. but I take 1 pill for a headache and it never comes back and it wont make your head feel fuzzy"

"Oh okay... Thanks Haz" said Charlie and took a pill

"You're welcome Charlie" I said 

"Did Mom and the girls go shopping?" asked Louis

"Yeah and Jessie took Mack with her to rehearsdal" I said 

"Have you seen Meghan this morning?" asked Charlie

"Yeah.. she's over at the house doing some writing" I said "She didn't say much"

"Meghan doesn't talk when she's writing.. it disrupts her train of thought" said Charlie "Can you tell her I'm sorry for being an asshole for me"

"Sure" I said "give her some time to clear her head and think.. Okay?"

"Okay.. Thanks" said Charlie "well, we better go Louis so we have to hook it all up before Gem gets home"

"Okay Charlie" said Louis "Catch ya later Haz"

"Later Louis.. take it easy Charlie" I said

"Yep.. always" said Charlie as they left the house

I went over to the house and up to Meghan's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in" said Meghan

"Hey Meghan" I said as I opened the door "Charlie came by with Louis" and sat on the edge of the bed

"How is he?" asked Meghan

"He's doing okay" I said "Charlie said to tell you he's sorry for being an asshole.. He' feels really bad that you left and misses you"

"Yeah I know" said Meghan "I miss him too but I can't go back just bc he apologized... He needs to realize there are consequences for his bad choices"

"I get it" I said "I think he just needs to hear your voice and know that you still love him.. I think it would help him relax a little"

There was a knock at the front door "That's Evan" said Meghan and grabbed her laptop and went to answer the door as I followed "Hey,, come on in"

"Hey turtledove" said Evan "Hey Haz"

"Hey Evan" I said "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired.. I didn't sleep very well last night" said Evan "The pain meds the doctor gave Charlie made him have bad mood swings till he cried himself to sleep and when he woke up, he refused to take the pills bc he said they made his head feel fuzzy and out of focus"

Poor guy" I said "no wonder he asked for a regular pain killer... Charlie & louis stopped by on their way to the electronics store.. He asked about Meghan and then they left"

"He's having a hard time with Meghan being gone" said Evan "He sat in her room for 2 hours on the floor crying" and looked at Meghan "He thinks you hate him and that you're never coming home"

"FINE.. I'LL CALL HIM" yelled Meghan "YOU HAVE TO QUIT CODDLING HIM EVAN.. CHARLIE NEEDS A PARENT AND HE NEEDS TO REALIZE THAT HE CANT ACT LIKE AN ASSHOLE AND NOT HAVE ANY CONSEQUENCES... IF I GO BACK HOME, ALL HE'S GOING TO SEE IS THAT HE CAN DO WHATEVER HE WANTS BC THERE'S NO ONE THERE TO BEAT HIS ASS FOR IT"

"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO BE A PARENT MEGHAN" yelled Evan "I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT YOU & CHARLIE TILL FATHER DONNELLY TOLD ME THAT MOM WAS SICK SO GET OFF MY BACK... Here's your things you asked for" and left

"EVAN... WAIT" I yelled and ran after him

"WHY?" yelled Evan "NO ONE EVER ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED... I DON'T WANT TO BE A PARENT... ALL I GET FROM HER IS ATTITUDE AND CONSTANT BITCHING"

"HEY!!.. That's enough Evan" said Zayn as he came over to us "Like it or not, you're the only parent Meghan & Charlie have so quit acting like a child and be a man"

"You don't know me" said Evan "I was on my own for 9 years with no parent... I worked my ass off, went to school, went to church and bc that bitch of a Mother got sick, I had to leave University, lost my job and got saddled with 2 brats that I didn't even know about till 2 years ago, so DON'T tell me to be a man"

"I know you better than you think I do Evan" said Zayn "I know what you had to do to survive... trust me... been there, done that, got the t-shirt... you think you're the first person to ever be treated like trash?... get in line bc you ain't the first and you sure as Hell ain't the last"

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD" yelled Evan

"Honey, I don't need to be in your head to know you've been hurt more times than you have fingers & toes" said Zayn "thinking you found someone to love and who loved you back till they left... letting dirty old men do what they wanted bc you needed the money... sleeping in flea bag hotels just so you could shower and maybe get a few hours of sleep till the next round of Hell begins... like I said, been there, done that, got the t-shirt... now you walk your scrawny ass over to that house and apologize to your sister and if I EVER hear you yell at her like that again, I'll knock you on your ass... MOVE IT!!!"

Evan walked over to Meghan "I'm sorry Meghan" said Evan "Forgive me for being a spineless asshole"

"I forgive you" said Meghan "I'm sorry too... Forgive me for being a bitching shrew"

"I forgive you" said Evan

"Go home and get some rest while Charlie's gone" said Meghan "I'll call him later"

"Okay" said Evan and walked over to Zayn "Can I call you if I need to talk?"

"Sure... give me your phone and I'll put in my number" said Zayn as Evan pulled out his phone "I'm also going to give you Liam's number bc sometimes I forget where I put my phone.. Okay?"

"Okay" said Evan

"You can talk to Liam, Jimmy & Mack too" said Zayn "We all have our own story about how we dealt with being gay... and contrary to what the church may say, being gay ISN'T a sickness, a perversion or an abomination.. Okay?"

"Okay" said Evan and relaxed "I'm gonna go home and rest while Charlie's gone"

"Okay" said Zayn "Drive safe Evan"

"Yep.. always" said Evan and got in his car and left

Meghan walked over to Zayn and hugged him "Thank you" said Meghan

"You're welcome darlin" said Zayn "Now go work on your story and clear your head and if you need anything, we're all right here... Okay?"

"Okay" said Meghan and kissed both of us on the cheek before going into the house

"Its alright Haz" said Zayn and hugged me "We all have our scars, its a part of life... We survived our past to find our 'happily ever after' and now we move on... for ourselves, our family and for our babies so that they don't have to go thru the same things we did... now, lets go in the house"

"Yeah okay" I said as we walked in the house

"Are you okay babe?" said Liam and hugged Zayn

"Yeah, I'm okay" said Zayn "I gave Evan both of our numbers.. you know how I'm always misplacing my phone"

"Yeah, I know" said Liam "We're all done, so why don't we sit down and have some potato salad for lunch"

"Oh that sounds good" said Zayn and went to the kitchen and started getting out bowls and forks "Garrett, would you like some potato salad?"

"Yes please" said Garrett

"Haz, why don't you pour some sweet tea and we'll all go sit outside and have lunch" said Zayn 

"Okay" I said and put ice in the glasses and poured the tea

We each grabbed a bowl and a glass and went outside and sat down to eat and watched Chelsea & Trudy playing in the baby pool.

"Man.. they sure love that pool" said Liam

"I know... look at them running around" said Jimmy

"Oh, they're gonna have so much fun at the lake on Sunday" said Ni "and if they get dirty, we can give them a bath in the baby pool"

"So what's your battle plan for Sunday?" asked Garrett

"Take out the threat - Sarah, Beth & Pamela first, then Mack & Gem" said Marcus "once they're out, then it'll just be Jessie, Anne, Maura & Linda that's left and once they're out, we win"

"I see" said Garrett "Divide & Conquer works in theory.. not in action... besides the threat isn't Sarah, Beth and Pamela... the threat is Anne"

"Why is my Mum a threat?" I said

"Its always the quiet ones you have to look out for" said Garrett "When you've talked about who to take out in front of the ladies, what is Anne doing?"

"Nothing" said Ni

"That's what you think" said Garrett "Anne is watching and listening to everything you say and do and then she tells Jessie"

"No way... my Mum is a spy?" I said in shock "Mum's gotta go mate"

"Anne does her job well" said Garrett "This whole time you've been so focused on Sarah, Beth & Pamela when you should have been looking elsewhere... THAT is the art of war"

"Calm down Haz" said Marcus "for now, we don't let on that we know about Anne, we'll keep that information to ourselves and keep an eye on her"

"Okay.. Out of all of the ladies, who can't read?" said Garrett

"Anne, Maura, Linda & Pamela" said Marcus

"Okay Men, you're gonna do a little recon" said Garrett "I want you to make a list with all of the ladies names on it and find out what their strengths & weaknesses are... Are they athletic?.. that can be a strength bc that means they'll last longer than someone else, but that can also be a weakness, which will make them an easier target"

"Oh, that's a good idea" said Ni and pulled out his phone and started typing "And don't forget that Anne is a spy.. she may not be athletic, but she's smart... so id Mom & Linda"

"We should put Mom on that list too Ni" said Liam "I know she's not on any team, but she knows how to play dirty... remember when she ambushed us after Marcus got hit?... She's dangerous"

"Oh yeah.. Okay Li" said Ni

"Mary's not on the ladies team?" asked Garrett "Why?"

Because Mary's pregnant and Jessie doesn't want her getting hurt" said Marcus "Zayn isn't on our team for the same reason... they're going to be working video cameras"

"Ah, okay" said Garrett

Regardless of our group strategies, Jessie wants everyone to have fun and be safe" said Marcus "Jessie & I have had these little battles before, but never on this scale, so we're trying to make sure no one gets severely injured"

"I see... well, you're doing great so far" said Garrett "What have you noticed from the ladies lately?"

"They're using titles" I said "Jessie is the Admiral, Pamela is the Captain and Sarah is the Sergeant"

"Exactly... they've established a chain of command" said Garrett "All orders come from the top, that's Jessie... relayed to Pamela... and carried out by Sarah and the troops"

"I'll be damned" said Liam "Jessie's been showing us how to get organized... all the rules, the titles, the target practice, and we haven't done shit... Jessie's right men, we don't stand a chance of winning"

"Well we can't quit, if we do that, she'll loose all respect for us" said Jimmy "This isn't just an epic water fight for Jessie, its a test to see how you handle stress under pressure... Will you give up? or will you push thru to the end?... Jessie knows our limits, but she wants us to see those limits for ourselves, to get to that limit and go beyond it... To Jessie, there's no better feeling than hitting that limit and shattering it into a million pieces"

"Precisely" said Garrett "There's a saying that the Navy Seals hear when they go thru their basic training 'The only easy day you'll have was yesterday'... Life is going to push you beyond childhood and into adulthood, so you can either push thru it and be a great man or give up and go thru life feeling worthless"

"That's why Jessie didn't argue when you decided to go with us Ni" said Jimmy "Jessie knew you needed to overcome your claustrophobia & fear of flying with Pamela ass the pilot and you did both in 2 days"

"Damn.. I didn't even realize that" said Ni "huh... I guess she does know our limits"

"Now if you can just get past the sight of blood, you're golden" I said "bc you know if you pass out when you & Pamela go thru childbirth, Jessie's gonna kick your ass mate"

"Oh God" said Ni "and the hits just keep on coming"

"There's really no blood during childbirth Ni" said Garrett

"Its not the sight really, its the smell" said Ni "I have to plug my nose when I take my iron vitamin bc it makes me dizzy"

"Really.. that's unusual.. not many people can smell the iron in blood" said Garrett "its usually the sight that makes people pass out"

"Yeah, well its disgusting" said Ni and shuddered

"Hey y'all, we're back" said Jessie as she & Mack came thru the backdoor

"Hey poppet... How was rehearsal?" asked Ni

"Oh my God Papa, it was amazing" said Jessie and sat down "We did a run thru of Rhapsody in Blue and I nailed it... we sound so good, it was just... wow"

"Wow, way to go poppet" said Ni

"Jessie was amazing" said Mack "Heaven was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop and I swear I could hear Catherine crying"

"Wow" said Jimmy & Simon

"I'm sorry I missed it" said Simon

"You want to watch it?" asked Mack and pulled out his phone "I took a video"

"Hell yeah" said Simon

"Okay" said Mack and brought it up and hit play as he handed it to Simon as the music started "Jessie starts the song... and that's Linda on the other piano"

"That's Sarah's Mom, right?" asked Simon

"Yeah" said Jessie as the orchestra came in

"Oh wow" said Ni "I see why that's the first song"

"Show them the other video" said Jessie "The one Linda shot"

"Oh God... I can't" said Mack

"Oh Pooh bear" said Jessie and pulled out her phone "its a good thing I had Linda send it to me then" and hit play and turned it around to show everyone as Mack sang 'Moon River' 

Everyone was quiet as the video played and when it was over, Jessie put her phone away.

"Wow" said Simon "You're really good Mack... you should sing more often"

"I sing all the time" said Mack "I just haven't sung on stage since high school, so I was a little nervous"

"What did you do in high school?" asked Liam

"Choir & Musical Theatre" said Mack "My Senior year, we did My Fair Lady and 7 Brides for 7Brothers"

"Wow" said Zayn "Why didn't you go into singing professionally?"

"I was more into modeling & fashion.. besides my family couldn't afford for me to go to college in New York" said Mack "I prefer a more laid back and less hectic career"

"Ah, Okay" said Zayn

"So what did y'all do today?" asked Jessie

"Not much" said Jimmy "we unloaded some suitcases, had lunch and watched the dogs play in the pool... its been pretty quiet"

"Mhm... then why are y'all blocking me?" asked Jessie

"Because we have a surprise for you" I said "but we want to wait for your Momma & everyone to get home to show you"

"Ahh.. Okay Haz" said Jessie

"Speaking of which, I need to get back to work" I said and went in the house


	112. Chapter 112

Chapter 112

JESSIE'S POV

"Gee.. Could Haz be any more cryptic?" I said "He's getting really good at keeping secrets"

"Yeah he is" said Papa "I think he finally gets it.. you don't always have to share good news and ruin a surprise all the time"

"That's true" I said "so seriously... Has anyone heard from Charlie or Evan yet today?"

"Yeah.. Charlie came by with Louis, but they were only here for a few minutes" said Jimmy "and Evan stopped by the house to bring Meghan some things... that didn't go well"

"What happened?" I asked

"After Louis & Charlie left, Haz went over to see Meghan bc Charlie left her a message" said Zayn "While he was there, Evan showed up and he & Meghan had an argument...Well Haz ran after him to get him to calm down and Evan went into a tirade, saying how no one asked him what he wanted, that he didn't want to be a parent and that all he gets from Meghan is attitude & constant bitching, so I stepped in.. I made him apologize to Meghan and said that if I ever heard him yell at her like that again, I'd knock him on his ass"

"Oh God" I said 

"I talked to Evan too and gave him Li & I's numbers and told him to call if he ever wanted to talk" said Zayn "I also told him that he could talk to Jimmy & Mack bc we all have our story of how we handled being gay and he relaxed and went home"

"Well, I'm glad it ended well" I said 

"Yeah, but it shook Haz up" said Zayn "I had to tell Evan about my past.. before I met Liam.. It wasn't sunshine & rainbows... Liam & Mary know, and now so does Haz, but Pamela doesn't know and its not something she needs to hear.. I've made peace with it and moved on"

"Okay Grandpa" I said "We all have some kind of baggage in our lives and some of that baggage has skeletons in them.. When you're ready to get rid of them, you let me know... no rush, no pressure"

"Okay princess" said Zayn "I will, I promise"

"WE'RE HOME" yelled Sarah and came running outside "Oh jellybean... we had so much fun" and hopped onto my lap

"You did?" I said and smiled "Did Izzie get some pretty clothes?"

"Oh yes and the softest, fluffiest bathrobe - peach with bunnies on it, with a pair of fuzzy slipper and fuzzy pajamas" said Sarah "and the dresses.. oh gosh, they're so pretty"

"Wow" I said "Did she take lots of pictures at the baby store?"

"Yep and she found the crib with a canopy too" said Sarah "She didn't buy anything tho, she decided to wait"

"Ah Okay" I said as Momma, Mary & Gran came out and sat down "so I heard your shopping trip was a rousing success"

Mary chuckled "Yeah, it was and here's your invoice from the Hotel" said Mary and handed me a folded up piece of paper

"Thanks Izzie" I said and put it in my pocket "Did you get everything you need?"

"Yeah, but there were a few things that I wont need till around October, I can get them then" said Mary

"Ahh... got it" I said "Yeah, those kind of things need to be bought at the time you need them"

"I also got Haz a few things for when we go to Ireland" said Mary as Meghan came out

"Well, its done and sent off to my publisher" said Meghan and sat down "Its amazing what you can get done when you have banana chips, sunflower seeds and a cappuccino"

"Wow.. Congratulations" I said "How much did you have left to write?"

"I had 4 chapters to finish" said Meghan "The book has 15 chapters, so its going to take Mr. Snow and few days to read & edit before I get it back for re-writes"

"How long does it take you to come up with a new story?" asked Sarah

"It depends.. sometimes a few days, sometimes a week" said Meghan "anytime you get ready to write a story, you need an outline to follow.. you think of the kind of story you want to write, then you pick your characters and give them life.. like, how old are they, do they have a big family or a small family and go from there... you can write about yourself, your family, your best friend, or make up characters from your imagination and tell those stories"

"Oh wow... that sounds like fun" said Sarah

My phone buzzed "Hey Meghan.. Louis & Charlie are on their way over.. apparently, Charlie has some good news he wants to tell you" I said "Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah.. its fine" said Meghan

"Okay" I said and sent a reply

TO: Louis  
FROM: Munchkin

Oh cool.. See you when you get here  
Meghan wants to hear the good news  
Jessie xx

"So what were Louis & Charlie doing today?" asked Mary

"They were going to buy a wireless sound system" said Liam "I guess Charlie told Louis he didn't need a stereo if he had a really good sound system.. from what Louis said, it'll sound like he's at a concert"

"Oh wow" said Momma "Louis must be in Heaven right now"

"Yeah.. He said 'Gem's gonna love it' " said Zayn "We'll see how that goes"

"Linda is bringing over the keyboard when she comes for the bridal shower" I said "and Mack & I went to the beauty supply place after rehearsal and got some soft curlers so we can do your hair tomorrow after the shower"

"Oh good" said Mary

"Theresa & Maria will be here Friday at 11am to deliver the flower crown & cupcakes" I said "Ellie & the sisters will be here at 2pm to set up the food and Father Donnelly will be here at 2:30 and the Wedding starts at 3 o'clock sharp and Anne is bringing special outfits for Chelsea & Trudy to wear at the Wedding"

"Oh gosh" said Mary

"Outfits? for the dogs to wear?" said Simon "Seriously?"

"Yes.. I guess one of Robin's clients makes outfits for dogs and heard about the Wedding and made 2 dresses for the girls... one with pink bows and one with purple bows" I said "Anne sent me pictures" and pulled out my phone "See?"

"Oh how cute" said Mack

"Yeah, okay.. they're not bad" said Simon "They look like little ballerina tutus" and showed Mary

"Oh.. they are cute" said Mary as Haz, Louis & Charlie came outside

"Hey Charlie... How was your day?" I said 

"It was so awesome" said Charlie

"And let me tell you.. this guy is a whiz when it comes to electronics" said Louis "and Tom Petty never sounded better than he does on the new sound system... its amazing"

"Wow" I said "What's your good news Charlie?"

"I got a job at the electronics store" said Charlie "Mr. Carlson said that bc of my agae, he can only give me 20 hours a week till school starts and then I'll only be able to work the weekend... and get this?.. He's paying me $20 an hour"

"WOOHOO!!.. Way to go Charlie" I said and gave him a hug "Congratulations"

"Thanks" said Charlie

"Oh Charlie.. I'm so happy for you" said Meghan and hugged him "Do you have to wear a uniform?"

"No, Mr. Carlson gave me some shirts" said Charlie "and I called Sister Grace and she has some black dress pants and shoes for me, so I'm all set"

"When do you start?" asked Papa

Noon on Monday" said Charlie "I have to go in for a couple of hours tomorrow, Friday & Saturday to learn how to do inventory, work the cash register and stuff like that"

"That's great Charlie" said Papa and shook his hand "Congratulations and if you need anything, have Evan call me or Jessie.. Okay?"

"Okay.. I will" said Charlie "Speaking of Evan.. um.. I thought I heard him crying last night and he wouldn't talk to me today.. Is he okay?"

"Evan is having some bad dreams" I said "I'm working on helping him.. for now, just give him a little time and if he yells, cries or doesn't talk to you, don't let it bother you.. Okay?"

"Okay" said Charlie "You'll let me know, right?.. If I can help?"

"Absolutely" I said "till then, focus on your new job and have fun.. Okay?"

"I will" said Charlie

"Okay Jessie, its time for your surprise" said Haz "take my hand and close your eyes"

"Oh crap... I hate these kind of surprises" I said as I took his hand and closed my eyes "Can you at least tell me where it is so that I don't feel like a toddler learning how to walk?"

"Its in the house and that's all I'm telling you" said Haz

"Okay.. fine" I said as Haz led me towards the house and inside

"Stand right here and when I count to 3, open your eyes, Okay?"

"Yep, on 3.. got it" I said 

"1.. 2.. 3" said Haz and opened my eyes

"Oh gosh" I said as I saw my pictures and stuff from back home "My pictures.. my snow globes.. Gammie's knick-knacks.. my baby shoes.. Pappie's model Studebaker.. Mom's Senior portrait.. Gammie's family photo album.. my baby book.. Gammie's cook books.. my movies" and looked at Haz "How?"

"That was the extra stuff Jimmy brought" said Haz "I asked Jimmy to bring them for you so that this felt more like home"

"Oh Haz" I said as tears ran down my face "Thank you" and hugged him "This is the best surprise ever" and kissed his cheek

"You're welcome peanut" said Haz "And..."

"And?" I said and looked at him

"And Jimmy also brought your entire CD collection" said Haz "which I put on your I[pod along with all of the CD'S from your shoebox"

"Holy shit" I said as Haz gave me my Ipod "All of them?"

"Yep.. all 150 CD's" said Haz

"Oh.. my.. God" I said slowly as I sat down, scrolling thru the titles "Oh no way.. YES!!… Oh we're gonna have some fun dancing now y'all… Where's the CD's?"

"They're in a suitcase in the study" said Haz "and you & Marcus's CD's are back in your shoebox, minus the ones you let Louis borrow"

"Y'all, we're gonna have a l;ittle party tonight" I said "to kick off the Wedding festivities.. Louis call Gem & Anne.. Haz & Papa, you're gonna go get Chinese"

"Mom has another date tonight" said Papa

"I'll call Evan" said Zayn

"Can we go get Brian?" asked Sarah "He's at the store with Mom & Dad"

"Sure sweetie" said Momma "lets go" as they left

"What if Anne & Robin have plans?" asked Louis 

""Find out.. If they do, tell them to swing by after" I said "If not, then tell them to come over and why.. DUH"

"Don't 'DUH' me.. I'm not good with spontaneity munchkin" said Louis

"Yeah?.. I bet ya can't spell it either" I said 

"S-P-O-N-T-A-N-E-I-T-Y" said Louis "There beat that" said Louis

"Woohoo.. lookie who learnt sumthin in skool other than how to chase after skirts" I teased

"Oh shut up" chuckled Louis and called Gem "Hey honey... munchkin is slamming together a party to kick off the Wedding festivities... Haz & Ni are getting Chinese, you in?.. Okay honey... yeah go ahead and we'll stay at the house in your old room... Okay, see you in an hour... I Love You too.. Drive safe.. bye" and hung up "Gem's in"

"Awesome" I said as Louis called Anne "Here Grandpa" and handed Zayn my phone

"Thanks princess" said Zayn and called Evan "Hey Evan, its Zayn... Jessie is planning a little party tonight to kick off Haz & Mary's Wedding festivities.. Do you want to come?... Charlie's here with Louis and we're getting Chinese... Why don't you come over and have some fun and relax... Okay, we'll see you in an hour... bye" and hung up "Evan's in"

"YES!!" I said

"Anne & Robin have plans, but said they'll be over after" said Louis

"Okay, then that's everyone" I said "Momma & Sarah went to pick up Brian.... so that's 20 we need to get dinner for Papa"

"Okay poppet" said Papa and grabbed a piece of paper and started writing down what everyone wanted as I got the money out of my purse and gave it to Papa

"Here Papa, this should cover it" I said 

"Okay poppet" said Papa "Come on Haz"

"I can't find my keys" said Haz

"They're on our dresser Haz… with your wallet" said Mary

"Oh... Thanks princess" said Haz and ran upstairs then came back down "Okay, come on NI" and they left

"Come on Charlie" said Louis "We'll be back in 30 minutes munchkin"

"Oh, okay" I said 

"Where are we going?" asked Charlie

"I'll tell you in the car" said Louis

"Oh, Okay" said Charlie as they left

The guys moved the patio table & chairs and set upo the long table and chairs as I picked up dog poop & toys and got the girls their food. We just finished setting the table when Louis & Charlie came thru the back door with a huge box.

"What the heck is that?" I asked

"You'll see" said Louis "You're gonna love it"

"Oh God... What did you buy now?" I said 

"Something your dance party is in dire need of" said Louis

"Oh.. my.. God" said Mary "its a boombox.. like your Dad used to have in the garage"

"Close Mom" said Louis "its a 60-CD stereo... Charlie calls it 'the party machine'... you load it up with CD's, put it on shuffle and you've got 12 hours of music playing to keep the party rocking all night long"

"Holy shit" said Mary & I in unison and looked at each other

"Go get your CD's munchkin, including your shoebox" said Louis

"O-okay" I said and went inside and came back with the suitcase and shoebox "Here you go Louis"

"Thanks munchkin" said Louis and opened the suitcase and then went inside and came back with Momma's CD case and a single CD and put it in the stereo

"What CD was that?" I asked

"Frankie Valli" said Louis and continued loading up the stereo with CD's till it was fully loaded "There.. now we're all set"

"Where are we gonna put it when its not being used?" I asked

"In the storage pantry" said Louis "It has a handleso you can carry it, the speakers are attached so you don't need to make multiple trips and if you want to hear each CD, turn off the shuffle and it will play each one"

"Oh okay... How much was it?" I asked

"I used some of the money you gave me last Sunday" said Louis "so don't worry you already paid for it"

"Oh okay" I said "still... How much?"

"$200" said Louis

"Wow... that's a pretty good price" I said as Momma, Sarah & Brian came outside

"Damn Lou, think you got a big enough stereo?" said Momma

"Oh yeah... its perfect huh?" said Louis

"I guess... just don't have it up too loud" said Momma "and you may want to set it on a bench... its not good to leave it on the ground"

"Not a problem" said Louis "Oh.. that's a good idea, I didn't think of that" and grabbed a bench and set it on it "Oh that's better"

Gem & Evan came thru the door with Papa & Haz.

"Hey honey... How was work?" said Louis and gave Gem a kiss

"Busy... I spent all day in court" said Gem "Sometimes I think I should've been a doctor instead of a lawyer... Today was a bad day"

"How bad?" asked Louis 

"I had 12 cases" said Gem "I lost 8 of them and the rest were sent to Mediation starting Monday... my brain hurts" and rubbed her temples "and I had a judge who has only been on the bench for 6 months and doesn't know a damn thing about the cases bc he never bothered to read the case files, so now I have to write up 8 motions of appeal, pray we get new trials and a different judge that actually does their damn job and pray we get an actual settlement this time"

"Oh honey, I'm sorry you had a lousy day" said Louis "lets have some dinner, do some dancing, and try and relax & have fun"

"That sounds great" said Gem as Louis pushed some buttons

"Lets say Grace and relax" said Mary "everyone join hands... Jessie"

"Heavenly Father bless this food with your love... Watch over the guys tomorrow as they run around London and keep them safe... Watch over Charlotte and keep her safe as she travels here and bless us with your strength, wisdom and mercy.... In Jesus name... Amen" I said 

"Amen" said everyone and Louis started the music

"Charlie.. tell Evan your good news" said Meghan

"Good news?" said Evan and looked at Charlie

"I got a job at the electronic store" said Charlie "I start Monday... 20 hours a week till school starts then I'll drop down to the weekends only and Mr. Carlson is paying me $20 an hour... I have my work shirts and Sister Grace has some black dress pants & shoes for me, so I'm all set... What do you think?"

"Wow... Charlie, that's great" said Evan "Congratulations... I'm so proud of you"

"Thanks Evan" said Charlie "I have to go in for a couple of hours tomorrow, Friday and Saturday to learn how to do inventory and work the cash register and stuff, so you don't have to worry about me, if you want to go with the guys tomorrow"

"Are you sure?" said Evan

"Yeah, I'm sure" said Charlie "Go have fun and I'll come back here when I'm done and help Mack set up for Mary's bridal shower and hang out till you get back"

"Well okay then" said Evan "Looks like I'll be able to join you guys after all"

"WOOHOO" said Jimmy


	113. Chapter 113

Chapter 113

JESSIE'S POV

"Okay men, here's your itineraries" said Garrett and handed out envelopes to all of the guys We meet here 0530 (5:30 am)… you are to wear black dress pants, a nice dress shirt, comfortable black dress shoes & socks and you will be given your lists when we get to London... Any questions?"

"Do we need to bring anything with us?" asked Haz

"You'll all need your passports, wallet, phone and a backpack" said Garrett "if you need a backpack, let me know.. you'll be working in teams of 2, so everyone needs a backpack"

"Oh.. this is gonna be a trip" said Louis "I take it we'll be paired up in London when we get our lists?"

"Yes" said Garrett "Now, I'm aware that all of you aren't familiar with London, so I've arranged for each team to have a guide, we'll all meet up at a specific time, so that we can be back here by 2 o'clock"

"Oh wow" said Liam "How long does it take to get to London?"

"About 3 hours" said Garrett "Don't worry Liam, we'll be back by 2"

"I knows we will" said Liam "I'm worried about Zayn bc that's a lot of walking for him.. I worry that he'll get tired"

Ahh.. Well, don't worry, I've got that covered" said Garrett "When Pamela & I talked about this, she sent me a list of requirements, along with a list of what Zayn can & can not do.. its all in place"

"Oh.. okay" said Liam and relaxed

"You guys are gonna have so much fun" I said "And every chance you get, I wantg you to take pictures... Okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said everyone

"So what are you guys doing in London?" asked Brian

"A Bachelor's Scavenger Hunt" said Haz "Pamela & Garrett set it up for us"

"Oh cool" said Brian "I love scavenger hunts bc they make you think outside the box... you'd be surprised what you can find in the most unlikely places.. that's what makes them so much fun"

"Really? Like what?" said Haz

"This one time, I had to find a sprocket for a clock" said Brian "well, I had to look it up, bc I didn't know what it was.. once I knew what it looked like, Dad & I went around town to find all of the items on the list.. Well Dad had no idea where to find one, so we took a break.. well this old man asked what we were doing and when I told him what I was looking for, he pulled a sprocket out of his pocket and gave it to me.. turns out he restored antique Grandfather clocks... I still have it"

"Wow, that's cool" said Jimmy

"When you get your lists, think to yourselves 'How many places can I find this'?" said Brian "give me an example and I'll explain what I mean"

"A quilt" I said

"Okay... those you can find at any department store" said Brian "but what you're really looking for is something unique.. so look at vintage stores & resale shops... even in dinghy little hole-in-the-wall Mom & Pop shops.. that's where you'll find the really cool stuff"

"Damn.. He's good" said Mack

"When our Grandma goes looking for vintage items or antiques, she takes me with her, so I've learned a lot from going to different places" said Brian "I really like the history in the things we find... cedar chests, old clocks, quilts, China sets, wooden farm animals, old books, antique furniture, vintage curtains.. they're really cool... Grandma's house looks like a throwback to the 1930's.. except the kitchen... you don't touch her kitchen"

"Wow" said Mary "I need to meet your Grandma"

"If you ever want me to show you where we go, just let me know" said Brian "I know all the cool places... there's even one over by the RAF Base that has full-on vintage baby stuff... clothes, toys, cribs, buggy's, you name it, they got it"

"Oh Izzie... we should go there when we get back and see what they have" I said

"Good idea sweetie" said Mary

Chelsea was whining "What's wrong baby?" I said as Chelsea looked at the house and then looked at me "Oh crap... sorry girls" and ran in the house, put they're food in their bowls and went back outside "I'm sorry.. here you go,, eat it all up and then you can go play" I scratched their ears and went back to the table "That's twice tghat I've forgotten to feed them... I need to have my head checked"

"That happens sometimes" said Mack "at least they didn't knock you out of your chair like Duchess did to me a few times"

"That's bc you & Jimmy didn't stop her" I said "Y'all let her take over the Condo as if she owned it... trust me, if you had cracked her butt like Pappie did, she never would've done that"

"You cant just hit an animal sweetie" said Mary

"I know, but when the animal stands 6' 2" on their hind legs, you have so your dominance" I said "it took Pappie 1 time for Duchess to know who the boss of the house was.. and it wasn't her... He lightly popped her on the butt and said 'that's enough' and that was all it took... I never hit Duchess, but there were times when she got unruly, so she'd get a flick on the nose for it and she'd stop... most of the time, like 99.9%, she was an absolute angel and we never had a single problem the whole time she was here"

"That's true" said Mary "I think that was bc she had Charlie to run around with"

"That could be" I said "I don't see having that problem with Trudy... she & Chelsea are very well behaved"

"What did Tom & Linda say when you & Sarah showed up to pick up Brian?" asked Papa

"They were surprised" said Momma "Tom said seeing as the kids were going to be hanging out with us for a while, they should go out on a date... they'll be by later to get Brian"

"We keep telling them they should go out" said Brian "Its not like Sarah & I are gonna kill each other if they went out to dinner or to a movie... there have been so many times we wanted them to go pout so that we could plan a surprise for them when they got home, but they never leave the house"

"Like what?" I said 

"You cant tell them we know.. Okay?" said Brian

"We wont say a word.. promise" I said 

"They want to have another baby, which we think is great" said Brian "so we thought, if they went out to dinner or whatever, that we would make the house all nice & romantic... scented candles, rose petals on the floor, a bottle of wine, soft music, the whole enchilada... but.. they.. never.. leave"

"Yeah, we already got Grandma in on it" said Sarah "if we can get them out of the house, while we're both there, and get everything set up, Grandma's going to come get us while they're gone and give them a whole weekend alone"

"How long have you two had this plan?" asked Gem

"2 months" said Sarah & Brian

"And it hasn't been easy" said Brian "so we thought up a Plan B... that didn't work bc now Sarah's here and I'm stuck at home... with them"

"Oh my God" I chuckled "so you messing with Sarah was your Plan B?"

"Yeah.. you see how that worked" said Brian "we thought 'okay, lets mess with each other, so they'll have to send us to Grandma's' "

"Cue the explosion" said Sarah as Brian whistled and made the sound of an explosion "Plan B died a violent death.. so now, we either go back to Plan A or scrap it and move on down the alphabet"

"You two are a trip" said Louis "if you two can hold onto Plan A for 1 week, I'll help you pull this off... on one condition"

"Anything.. you name it" said Brian 

" 1) Both of you need to apologize to your Mom & Dad" said Louis " and 2) no more plans... Plan A is perfect... you have 7 days to prove to your parents that you can be trusted at home alone for a couple of hours and next week Friday, operation 'Romantic Weekend' will begin... Deal?"

"Deal" said Sarah & Brian and gave each other a high-5

"And if this work, we'll know by Mid-September if Mom's gonna have a baby" said Brian "this is gonna be so cool"

"I know right?" said Sarah "We figure if Mom gets pregnant by September, October at the latest, then the baby should be born around June, which will give Mom 3 months before school starts and she has to go back to work"

Hmm... smart thinking Sarah" said Garrett

"You two are really excited about this" said Liam

"I've been waiting a long time" said Brian "I want another little sister.. Sarah wantgs a little brother... I think she's crazy, who could be better than me?"

"What if Linda has twins this time?" asked Papa "You ever think of that?"

"If that happens, I'll be praying every night for 6 months that they're girls.. as pretty as my little baby girl" said Brian and kissed Sarah's hair

"That's what I call Pamela" said Liam

"Why do you call Pamela 'baby girl'?" asked Brian

"Because Pamela is my daughter.. my baby girl" said Liam 

"Ah, okay... I didn't know you're Pamela's Dad" said Brian "I thought Zayn was her Dad"

"I am" said Zayn "I met Liam 18 years ago, when Pamela was 18 months old... we got married 3 years ago"

"Oh okay... and now you're having 3 babies.. right?" said Brian

"Yep.. I'm due in March" said Zayn "according to Jessie, they're all 3 girls"

"Oh wow" said Brian "Congratulations"

"Thanks" said Zayn

"You know they're all gonna have purple eyes.. right?" said Brian

"Why do you say that?" asked Liam

"Sarah told me about the legend, so I looked it up" said Brian "Brown eyes are a dominant trait, but no woman od Scottish descent has never had brown eyes... so when a girl is born to a brown-eyed father of Scottish descent, they'll have purple eyes instead of brown"

"No way" said Haz

"Yep, afraid so" said Brian "so bc Pamela's eyes are purple, depending on how many children she has, lets say 5, 3 of them will have purple eyes and 2 will have blue, or they could all have purple eyes... What color were her Mother's eyes?"

"Brown, like mine" said Liam

"Ahh... yep, all of Ni & Pamela's children will have purple eyes" said Brian "Chances are, you wont see blue eyes pop up till their children have their own children"

"Damn" said Liam

"Didn't you ever learn about Hereditary Traits in Biology?" asked Brian

"I'm sure I did, but I failed Biology, so I don't remember" said Liam

"You fai-" said Brian and covered his eyes "oh dear God... okay, follow along... the human body has 26 chromosomes, 13 from your Dad and 13 from your Mom"

"Okay" said Liam

"Now this part I'm guessing at" said Brian "Your Dad had brown hair & eyes.. your Mom has blond hair & blue eyes, which gave you traits for both brown & blue eyes... bc you have brown eyes & Pamela's mother had brown eyes, you both passed those traits onto Pamela... with me so far?"

"Yeah.. go on" said Liam

"Okay, now Pamela has traits for brown eyes, but she also has traits for blue eyes, that she got from your Mother" said Brian "Now Ni has blue eyes, but if he has any traits for brown eyes in his DNA, their children will have purple eyes.. get it?"

"Oh okay" said Liam "so that means any children Gemma & Louis have could have purple eyes too, right?"

"Yep" said Brian

"Fascinating" said Garrett

"Well Mom, it looks like Grandma's purple eyes are here to stay" said Momma "I'll bet your girls have purple eyes too" as my phone buzzed

"Momma, its Travis" KI said "Betsy is fixed and says he did a test flight to the military base and back to the airport and had no problems... He says if you have time in the morning, to come by for another fly around to make certain that she's good to go"

"Finally" said Momma and relaxed "Tell him that I'll be there at 8am"

"Okay" I said 

TO: Travis  
FROM: Ms. Jessica

Momma says she'll be there at 8am  
You're the best Travis  
Ms. Jessica

"Its sent" I said 

"Thanks baby" said Momma

"You're welcome" I said as my phone buzzed again "Travis says he'll se you then"

"What is Betsy?" asked Brian

"Betsy is my helicopter" said Momma "Jessie, Gran & I flew to London last week and had to make an emergency landing at the airport on our way back... Travis took a look at it and found rotted wires, so he stripped and rewired it"

"You have a helicopter?" asked Charlie & Brian together

"Yep" said Momma and took out her phone and showed them "That's Betsy"

"Oh wow" said Charlie & Brian

"I got my pilot's license 4 years ago with Garrett's granddaughter, Becca" said Momma "Becca is in California learning to fly F-16 combat fighter jets"

"Are you serious?" said Charlie in shock

"Yep" said Momma & Garrett

"You'll get to meet her, she'll be here in 3 days, after she graduates from flight school" said Garrett

"Oh wow" said Brian "Do you have a picture of her?"

"Yes" said Momma and chuckled as she showed them Becca's picture

"Oh wow... She's gorgeous" said Brian

"Oh my God" saikd Charlie slowly "I've seen her before"

"When?" I asked

"2 years ago" said Charlie "just before Evan came home... she was with someone who was getting a tattoo of some bird"

"Momma... he saw you get your tattoo" I said

"Its called a phoenix" said Momma and showed the tattoo to Charlie "it symbolizes rebirth"

"That's the tattoo" said Charlie "That was you?"

"Yeah... Becca was with me when I had both of my tattoos done" said Momma "the other one..."

"Is red, black & yellow... a globe with an eagle & an anchor" said Charlie

"That's creepy" said Louis

"Its the Marine's coat of arms" said Momma "Did you ever see Becca again?"

"Yeah.. she was with a bunch of guys playing a game in a park, I think and someone got hurt in the right shoulder" said Charlie "and then she was floating thru the air, like she was falling in slow motion"

"Our family football game last fall" said Garrett "and when Becca & Kyle went skydiving after graduation"

"Who is Kyle?" asked Brian

"Becca's Dad" said Momma

"Ah, okay" said Brian

"Why did I see her?" asked Charlie

"I have a theory" I said 

"What?" asked Charlie

"It sounds like you & Becca are soulmates" I said 

"Soulmates" said Charlie

"There's only one way to find out" said Louis

"How?" asked Charlie

"Seriously Louis?" I said "That's not definitive proof"

"Hey, its worth a shot... look at me & Gem? if its the same, you may be right" said Louis

"Okay, ask him" I said 

"Charlie, when is your birthday?" asked Louis

"September 15th, 1998" said Charlie

"No way" said Garrett

"When is Becca's?" asked Louis

"September 15th, 1990" said Garrett

"See Jessie? I told ya, you may be right" said Louis

"Yeah well, we wont know for sure till we talk to Becca" I said 

"Lets see..." said Momma "Its 9 hours from here to Georgia... 3 hours from Georgia to California, that's 12 hours total... its almost 6pm, so that would be almost 6am there" and pulled out her phone "now everyone be quiet for a bit" and put it on speaker

BECCA: Hey Pajama Girl.. you caught me on my run.. what's up?

PAMELA: Hey Becks, yeah I thought I had... Can you talk while you run?.. I've got to ask you some questions

BECCA: sure... fire away

PAMELA: Okay, what do you remember about the day I got my phoenix tattoo?

BECCA: You mean the day in general? or the fact that you fell asleep getting it done?

PAMELA: The day.. What do you remember? Did you see anyone? or hear anything?

BECCA: Yeah, I saw that guy, the one with blond hair & ice blue eyes... the one that couldn't be more than 10 or 11 at the time... Why?

PAMELA: How many times have you seen him?

BECCA: Oh God... maybe a dozen or more times since I was 8.. again,, why?

PAMELA: Okay Becks, take a knee cuz what I'm about to say is gonna knock ya on your ass

BECCA: Oh God damn it PJ, just say it for God's sake

PAMELA: He's here, in England... I'm looking right at him

BECCA: Are you serious?.. Don't joke about this PJ or so help me, I'll knock your hair straight

PAMELA: I'm not joking... you want to talk to him?

BECCA: OW.. son of a bitch... hang on a sec PJ *bluebird to echo base* *this is echo base, go ahead bluebird* *I need a medic, 80 clicks southeast of your location* *copy that bluebird.. a medic is en route, ETA 10 minutes* *copy that, bluebird out* Okay, I'm back

PAMELA: What the Hell did you do Becks?

BECCA: I stepped in a chuck hole and wrenched my knee you shithead.. happy now?

PAMELA: I told you to take a knee dumbass, this is your fault for not listening, so deal with it... Do you weant to talk to him?

BECCA: What's his name? His full name

PAMELA: His name is Charles Arthur St. James.. you can call him Charlie

BECCA: Oh my God yes... AND TAKE ME OFF SPEAKER.. THAT'S SO RUDE PJ!!

PAMELA: Okay, okay, God.. Do the world a favor Becks and have that medic remove that stick you got up your ass

BECCA: Keep it up smartass and I'll hit you with that stick

PAMELA: Okay... Here's Charlie

And turned off the speaker and handed the phone to Charlie, who took it and went to the picnic table and sat down.

"Man, is he nervous" said Louis

"He should be" said Mary "now he knows she's real and not one of the angels he sees" as Andrew and the guys appeared

"Hey guys.. Did you find her?" I asked

"Yeah... Catherine is talking to her in the Chamber" said Damian "Who is Charlie talking to?"

"He's talking to Becca" I said "it turns out they're soulmates"

"No way.. Seriously?" said Davis

"Yep... Becca confirmed it" I said 

"Wow" said Davis and sat down next to Meghan "Hey sweetie.. How was your day?"

"It was good.. I finished my book" said Meghan

"Oh good" said Davis "Did you and Charlie talk yet?"

"No, notg yet" said Meghan


	114. Chapter 114

Chapter 114

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Are you alright Andrew?" asked Sarah

"I'm fine beautiful, I'm just a little tired" said Andrew and smiled "I heard you had a fun day with Mary and the ladies today.. why do you tell me about it"

Sarah got up and went and sat on Andrew's lap and told him about her day.

"Wow.. that was fuhn, wasn't it?" said Andrew

"Oh.. it was the best day so far" said Sarah "you remember that secret I told you?"

"Yeah, what about it?" asked Andrew

"Louis is going to help Brian & I pull it off" said Sarah "if we can get Mom & Dad out of the house, its going to happen next weekend"

"That's great" said Andrew "How did your rehearsal go?"

"Oh.. it went so good" said Sarah "and Ni, Haz and the guys were so good, they gave Mom goosebumps"

"Oh wow" said Andrew

"Did you open your envelopes yet?" asked Sarah

"Nope, but we brought them with us" said Davis

"Well open them" said Sarah as they opened them

"Congratulations on solving your clue.. you were each given a color, so now this clue should be easy to figure out... put all of your answers together to figure out what is at the end of the rainbow. Good luck... Love, Jessica" said Davis "so this is a group clue?"

"Yep" I said "go for it"

"Its a senior prom" said Davis "Seriously? all of this was for a senior prom?"

"Yes, bc its not just any senior prom" I said 

"What kind of senior prom is it?" asked Davis

"Its a senior prom for the residents of the senior center down the road" I said 

"Oh that's so cool" said Davis "When is itg?"

"August 20th" I said "and KI need a favor from you & Louis"

"Sure... What do you need?" asked Davis

"The senior center's van is broken down... Can you & Louis take a look at it and see if it can be fixed?" I asked "if it cant, let me know please"

"Sure munchkin" said Louis "We'll take a look at it on Monday"

"Thanks guys" I said 

"Hey NeeNee" said Simon

"Yeah?" I said 

"Jeff finally sent me a text" said Simon "He says the boxes from the house were sent out on Monday and should get to Sister Grace by tomorrow morning"

"Awesome sauce" I said "Tell him I said 'thanks a bunch' "

"Okay" said Simon "Oh Mack.. Jeff also says that your boxes and furniture are all locked up in a storage unit so let him know when y'all find a place and he'll have them shipped over"

"Oh good" said Mack as Charlie came back smiling and gave Momma back her phone

"Thanks Pamela" said Charlie

"You're welcome Charlie" said Momma "Did you & Becca have a good conversation?"

"Yeah.. and she's so funny" said Charlie "Did you know she tells jokes when she gets nervous?"

"Yeah, I know" said Momma "Becks doesn't get nervous a lot, but when she does, the jokes come out... Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's okay" said Charlie "The medic said she just twisted it, no permanent damage"

"Oh good" said Momma

"Hey Evan?.. Can you help me get a phone?" asked Charlie "I can pay you back when I get my first paycheck"

"Sure Charlie" said Evan "and you don't have to pay me back.. I'll get the phone and pay for your first month, then you'll pay the bill when its due.. just know, that if you miss a payment, they'll shut your phone off... Okay?"

"Okay, I wont forget, KI promise" said Charlie "um.. Davis?... I'm sorry for punching you.. I guess when you asked if you could date Meghan, I thought you were gonna take her to live somewhere else... as it is, I'm the reason she left home... forgive me?"

"I forgive you Charlie.. I had a sister once" said Davis "Meghan & I are just dating for now, and I promise, when anything changes between us, you & Evan will be the first ones to know.. Okay?"

"Okay" said Charlie and shook Davis's hand "You can date Meghan... Make her happy, treat her with respect, and don't be the reason she cries or I'll punch you again"

"IK will, I promise" said Davis "So you have a girlfriend, huh?"

"Not yet.. we're just talking for now" said Charlie "Becca is busy with school and I need to ask her Dad if we can date... She's 8 years older than me, so I'm not sure how this is gonna work, but its a start"

"I'd say that sounds like an excellent plan for now Charlie" said Davis "take it slow, work what you just told me into your plan and stick to it, and you & Becca will be just fine.. Okay?"

"Okay" said Charlie "Garrett, sir... What kind of flowers does Becca like?.. She wouldn't tell me"

"White Gardenias" said Garrett

I pulled out my phone "Hey Theresa, its Jessie Horan... I'm doing good... Do you carry white gardenias at the shop?... awesome.. I have a friend who'll be in , in a few days to get some, I was just checking to see if you had any... great thanks Theresa, you rock lady... okay, I will... you too, bye now" I said and hung up "when you're ready Charlie, the flower shop at the Manchester Hotel carries white gardenias and ask for Theresa... Okay?"

"Oh wow... Thanks Jessie" said Charlie "Now I'm nervous... I've never given a girl flowers before"

"Just breathe Charlie" I said and chuckled "all guys get nervous the first time they give a girl flowers.. you have an advantage bc you know what kind she likes... now this is what you're going to do.. every time you & Becca talk on the phone, any time she tells you about things she likes, write them down and keep it with you at all times till you can remember them"

"Okay... what do I do with them once I can remember them?" asked Charlie

"Just remember them" I said "and when Becca has a bad day or is feeling kind of not herself, whatever it may be, surprise her with something she likes... anything to make her smile"

"Ahh, got it" said Charlie "that sounds pretty simple to do.. thanks, I'll do that"

"You're welcome" I said "now.. giving a girl flowers is a very special thing that you save for the most special moments, and there are different kinds of flowers to consider, but always remember her favorite flowers for the ultimate special moments"

"Oh okay... so like a small bouquet of hand-picked wildflowers would be like 'I was thinking of you when I picked these'... right?" said Charlie

"Exactly" I said 

"Got it" said Charlie and relaxed "is it normal to feel like you got butterflies in your stomach?"

"Yeah" said Haz "it goes away eventually... I still get butterflies sometimes, but they're more like excited butterflies, not nervous ones"

"Oh okay" said Charlie

"Okay people, lets clean up and do some dancing" said Louis "this is supposed to be a party for cryin out loud"

"I cant dance" said Charlie & DEvan 

"Well you're gonna learn tonight boys" said Louis

"Seeing as the men out-number us ladies" I said "we'll take turns dancing with each other.. got it?"

"Yes ma'am" said the guys

"Momma, I need to borrow your denim heels... some of these guys are tall" I said 

"They're in my closet baby" chuckled Momma "go ahead and get them"

"Thanks Momma" I said and ran upstairs, got the shoes and a piece of paper and went back outside and sat down

"What's the paper flor?" asked Brian

"To put in Momma's shoes" I said "they're a tad too big, so I fold up a piece of paper and tuck it in the back of the shoes so that they fit better" and put the shoes on

"Oh okay" said Brian "Where'd you learn that trick?"

"My Grandma" IO said "I had to wear heels with a dress and the shoes were a little big, so My Grandma pucked a piece of paper in them and they fit" as I put my hair up in a messy bun "Come on Louis, turn it up"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis and pulled a remote out of his pocket and turned up the volume

"Damn... you went high-tech on this didn't ya?" I said 

"Go big or go home munchkin" said Louis

"Good point teddy bear" I said "Come on Pooh bear, lets show em how its done"

"Ooo lets tear it up care bear" said Mack "we're doing a line dance if y'all want to join in" and started danc ing

"Ooo shake what your Momma gave ya Pooh bear" I said 

"Back at ya darlin" said Mack

"Come on Jimmy, they are having way too much fun" said Momma loudly

"Yes ma'am... Come on y'all" said Jimmy 

"Nope.. I'm saving my first dance for a slow one with Ms. Beth" said Simon

"You're a sap Si" said Jimmy "live a little old man"

"Oh shut up or I'll tell Mack you took dance lessons" said Simon and slapped his hand over his mouth

"Gee, thanks for tanking mhy surprise Simon" said Jimmy "Ya idgit"

"Sorry Jimbo" said Simon "the cat's out of the bag now, so cut loose little boy"

SIMON'S POV

"Dang.. Jessie can dance" said Brian

"Yes she can" said Damian

"Well I'm not doing any dancing till this cast comes off" said Brian "I'll kill someone"

"How did you break your leg Brian?" asked Davis

"I was in the shower and Sarah put my skateboard outside of the tub, so when I stepped out, I stepped on it" said Brian "I slid across the bathroom and fell on it, snapping it in 3 places"

"Damn Dude.. What did you do to piss her off?" asked Davis

"Nothing... it was part of a plan we had that back-fired" said Brian

"I'll explain later" said Meghan

"Oh okay" said Davis "Come on sweetie, there's a slow song"

"Okay" said Meghan as they joined the others in the yard

"Ms. Beth, may I have this dance?" I asked

"I'd love to" said Beth and we went out in the yard

CHARLIE'S POV

"Come on Charlie" said Pamela "you're my dance partner for this song"

"O-okay" I said 

"Just breathe Charlie" said Pamela "Take my hand and put your other hand on my waist, that's it, now just relax, its a simple dance.. you're not going to die"

"That's what you think" I said "if I break your foot, Ni is gonna kill me"

"You wont break my foot Charlie" chuckled Pamela "You want Jessie to teach you?.. she taught Haz" and looked at Haz dancing

"Jessie taught Haz how to dance?" I asked

"Yep.. she can show you if you want" said Pamela

"Yeah.. sorry" I said 

"That's alright... Jessie, come show Charlie how to dance please, he's afraid he'll break my foot" said Pamela as she & Ni danced over to us

"Okay Charlie, its a simple dance.. I'll lead till you learn it, then you'll lead.. okahy?" said Jessie

"Okay" I said 

"Here we go" said Jessie as we started dancing "See?.. its easy.. all dancing is, is moving gto the music and how it makes you feel.. just make it fun, there's no bad dances"

"You make it sound easy" I said "I just don't want to look like an un-coordinated idiot"

"You're doing great" said Jessie "the music went to a new song and you didn't even notice, now you're letting the music lead you"

"Oh wow" I said as we danced "I guess dancing isn't so bad after all"

"I love dancing" said Jessie "for me, its relaxing & fun and when you have someone to dance with, like Becca, it becomes more special to dance with someone you care about... look at Haz & Mary" and looked at them "they're soulmates in the purest sense of the word... its taken them 17 years to get here and look at how much in love they are" and looked at Jessie "You & Becca will get there one day, and it will be the most wonderful feeling you've ever felt in your life"

"Wow... you think so?" I said

"Yes I do" said Jessie as we stopped dancing.. Marcus walked up behind her

"Hey angel" said Marcus "Mind if I cut in?"

"Sure" I said "I'm ready for a break... Thanks Jessie"

"No problem Charlie" said Jessie as Marcus spun her around the yard and I went and sat down as Jessie laid her head on Marcus's chest


	115. Chapter 115

Chapter 115

GARRETT'S POV

"Look at them dance" I said "they dance like they're the only two people here"

"I know" said Zayn "those two have a connection I've never seen before... like they cant breathe without each other"

"I know the feeling" I said "I feel that way with Charlotte.. when we met, all she did was smile at me and I was in love.. we've been married almost 43 years and when she smiles, I feel like I'm 18 and meeting her for the first time all over again"

"Where did you meet her?" asked Zayn

"We met in a coffee shop" I said "I was on leave and there she was.. sitting on the floor, drinking coffee with a mountain of books around her, so I sat down next to her and said 'mind if I sit here and watch you work?'.. she looked up at me, smiled and in the sweetest southern drawl said 'sure, go ahead.. you want a book to read?', I swear in that moment, I heard angels singing... we dated for 6 months and were married 3 weeks before I was sent to Vietnam"

"Oh wow" said Charlie

"I was there for 2 years, then when my tour of duty was up, I came home and went to work at the Marine base and we started our family" I said 

"How many kids did you have?" asked Charlie

"We have 4 boys.. 2 sets of twins" I said "Kyle & Matthew and Roger & Gary" I said "I come from a large family.. I have 7 brothers & 10 nephews... we thought there was a problem bc there were no girls born in our family, then Becca was born... Rebecca Alexandra Johansen... the pride and joy of our family.. and my only grandchild"

"Holy cow" said Davis "and here I thought this family was big"

"You should've seen Jessie when she found out" I said, chuckling "I thought she was going to have a meltdown bc she found out in the middle of her firearm recertification test"

"Hey Jess.. how did your test go yesterday?" asked Andrew

"I passed... I'm good for 2 years" said Jessie

"Way to go Jess" said Andrew

"Firearm recertification?" asked Brian

"Yeah.. don't tell Mom & Dad" said Sarah "Dad will have a stroke"

"I don't know a thing" said Brian "and if they find out, don't look at me, so quit talking in your sleep young lady"

"Oh be quiet Bry, that happened one time" said Sarah "remember? I had tonsillitis and a fever of 108?.. I was delirious when that happened"

"That may be true, but it still happened" said Brian

"You do it too ya know" said Sarah

"I do not" said Brian

"Oh really?" said Sarah "then who is Josephine Riley?"

"Oh crap" said Brian and covered his face

"Dude.. you just got busted" said Davis

"Don't you worry about who she is" said Brian

"Fine.. just be careful bc next time, it wont be Dad who catches you two making out" said Sarah "it'll be Mom"

"Oh my God, will you please be quiet" said Brian "Christ almighty Sarah, God ain't gotta know every damn detail of what I do, so hush"

"Let it go Sarah" said Andrew "What if.." as Sarah covered his mouth

"Andrew Clarke.. don't even think about saying that out loud" said Sarah "you made your point, I wont say another word"

"No fucking way.. you two?" said Brian in shock

"Brian Leonard Jeffries, you watch your mouth" said Sarah "Yes, us two, and yes, Mom & Dad knows"

"Why is it that I'm the last to know everything?" asked Brian

"bc you're too busy shoving your tongue down Josephine Riley's throat.. may be if you came up for air once in a while, you'd be in the loop Casanova" said Sarah

"Calm down petal" said Liam softly "Brian isn't mad sweetie, he's in shock... that's is, just breathe"

"I apologize Brian" said Andrew "I thought you knew"

"That's okay Andrew" said Brian "I know about Sarah, so I shouldn't be surprised that she had a life before she became my sister... I'm sorry for swearing"

"That's alright Brian, I've heard worse from Jessie" said Andrew "In fact, all of Heaven has heard worse come from Jessie... several times"

"Hey.. its not my fault God keeps sticking his big butt in my business" said Jessie "if he would just butt-out and let me live my life, I wouldn't have to rip him a new ass each time.. would I?"

"Well I think he finally gets it Jessie" said Andrew "so may be you could ease up on him a bit"

"Yeah... I make no promises" said Jessie "we'll just have to wait and see... Okay Evan, you're next.. lets go"

"Yes ma'am" said Evan

"Now take my hand and put your other hand on my waist" said Jessie "that's it, now just relax.. I'll lead till you learn the steps and then you'll lead.. okay?"

"Okay" said Evan

"Here we go" said Jessie as they started dancing "yeah, there you go, feel the music... okay, lets pick up the pace a little.. that's it, now put a little sway in your hips.. woohoo, yeah, now you've got it, let the music lead you... you've been holding out on me Evan, you can too dance"

"I haven't danced in a long time" said Evan

"That's okay, I'm not mad" said Jessie "so how do you feel about Charlie may be dating Becca?"

"I'm not thrilled about the age difference... for him or Meghan" said Evan "but I know what it means to have a soulmate, so for now, I'm okay with it... besides as nervous as Charlie is, his plan for talking for now & figuring things out, is a great idea... I bombed in the romance department, so if they can make it work, I'm happy for them"

"What about you?" asked Jessie "Don't you deserve to be happy too?"

"I don't think I know what it looks like any more" said Evan "I don't know how to be in a healthy relationship with someone.. they never work out for me"

"What if I knew someone who wanted to go out on a date with you?" said Jessie "would you think about it?"

Oh gosh.. sure, I'll think about it" said Evan "can I ask... whats their name?"

"Jordan Baxter" said Jessie "he's super nice, blond, green eyes, fit, he's a detective and is Momma's partner... what do you think?"

"Oh gosh... are you sure he's?" said Evan

"Yep.. I read him" said Jessie and whispered something in Evan's ear

"You're kidding" said Evan

"Nope and he was not subtle about it either" said Jessie

"But the guy's married" said Evan

"Its the uniform... gay or straight, it doesn't matter" said Jessie "everyone gives a man in uniform the 'once over', if you know what I mean"

"I get it" said Evan

"So?" said Jessie "should I call him?"

"Yes, you can call him" said DEvan

"Woohoo" said Jessie and pulled out her phone "Hey Steven... nothing much, just giving dance lessons... I need Jordan's number... bc I have someone he needs to meet... yes, I know... okay, that's fine, give him my number and tell him to call me please... thanks, how is Hannah & the babies?... oh good... okay, tell Hannah the shower is at noon... I will,,, talk to you soon... you too... bye" and hung up "Steven couldn't give out Jordan's number, but he'll give him mine and have him call me"

"Oh gosh... okay" said Evan "I have to sit down for a bit"

"Okay, just breathe Evan" said Jessie as they sat down "that's it, slow & easy" as her phone rang "Hello?... hey Jordan... yeah, I need to talk to you for a minute" and went in the house

"Who is Jessie talking to?" asked Mack

"Jordan Baxter" said Evan "about me"

"Ooo Pamela told me about him" said Mack "wait... is Jessie fixing you two up together?"

"Yeah" said Evan "oh God, this is nerve racking"

"Just breathe darlin" said Mack as Jessie came back out

"Oh sweetie, you are so, so lucky" said Jessie "now, Jordan would love to go out with you, but says he doesn't have a day off till Sunday and says he's going to be at the lake all day for some epic water fight and would like you to come there... are you in?"

"Isn't that your family day thing?" asked Evan

"Yep and he'll be there... are you in?" asked Jessie

"Oh what the Hell... yeah, I'm in" said Evan

"YES!!" said Jessie "Jordan... yeah, he'll be there... okay, I'm gonna give Haz the phone and let him tell ya how to get there... okay, here he is"

"Hey Jordan" said Haz "yeah, that's it, on the other end by the playground & concession building... we're planning on being there around noon... yeah, you can bring whatever you want... no, we don't drink... okay, we'll see you then... okay, here's Jessie"

"Yeah?" said Jessie and walked away, then came back "okay, we'll see you there... you too... bye" and hung up

"Are you playing match maker again?" said Mack

"Sort of" said Jessie

"Jessie... you need to let things like this happen on their own" said Mack

"Pooh bear, what's my #1 philosophy?" asked Jessie

"Love & happiness breed like rabbits and everyone should have them" said Mack

"Exactly" said Jessie "everyone at this table is in a healthy, happy relationship except Evan.. and Simon, but he's a different story, any way, , I want everyone I meet ro find their 'happily ever after' and don't you dare tell me to mind my own business, who do you think told Mom to tell Jimmy to go to the Botanical Garden?... you're welcome"

"Oh.. well okay.. but still" said Mack

"I'm gonna repeat what I said to Grandma... listen this time" said Jessie "sometimes need a little nudge.. you know me pooh bear, never in my 10 years have I ever had two people meet that weren't perfect for each other and except for Simon's commitment issues, which isn't my fault by the way, every single match has led to marriage... again, you're welcome"

"How many matches have you made?" asked Damian

"Since I moved here? or total?" asked Jessie

"Total" said Damian

"22" said Jessie

"How many since you moved here?" asked Haz

"19" said Jessie "and not one of them have gotten a divorce"

"So you have 21 success's and Mack & Jimmy are soon to be #22?" asked Gem

"Yep" said Jessie

"You cant argue with that kind of success rate Mack" said Gem "if Jessie says Evan & Jordan are perfect for each other, who are we to say otherwise?"

"Okay, tell me about Jordan" said Mack

"Jordan Richard Baxter, born April 10th, 1988.. 6'2", 130lbs., blond hair & green eyes... has a sister named Andrea, born December 31st, 1989, his father died 5 years ago, his mother Darlene lives in London with her Mother Peggy... He's been a cop for 5 years and a detective for the last 2, he's never been married & doesn't have any kids, he has a cat named Emma, he can cook, he coaches the departments footie team, he volunteers at the hospital and plays Santa at Christmas in the Children's ward... he's had 3 relationships in his life that didn't end well bc they couldn't handle his job, he likes to go out but also likes quiet nights at home with a movie and sometimes he likes to sit in the dark with the candles lit and relax" said Jessie "and as I said before, he's super nice"

"Oh wow... he does sound perfect" said Evan

"I said he was.. I wouldn't lie about something like this" said Jessie

"Wait... When is his birthday?" asked Meghan

"April 10th, 1988" said Jessie

"Evan.. so is yours" said Meghan "its a sign.. he's your soulmate"

"Oh my God" said Evan and looked at Jessie "is it possible?"

"It sure sounds like it, we'll find out on Sunday" said Jessie "Do you still feel nervous?"

"No, actually, I feel really calm" said Evan and closed his eyes "whoa.. why do I smell vanilla & strawberries?"

"Scented candles" said Pamela and pulled out her phone "Baxter must be home on his break... he's been on desk duty since Rothsdale was made Chief bc I don't start work till Monday"

"I can smell the scented candles... in his house?" said Evan

"Hmm... I have an idea" said Jessie "you want to try something?"

"Like what?" said Evan

"Send Jordan a song" said Jessie "you can smell his candles, right?"

"Yeah" said Evan

"Well if you listen to a song, he should hear it" said Jessie

"Oh okay... what song?" asked Evan

"And old one" said Jessie as she scrolled thru her Ipod "Where is it.. I know its in here... ah, there it is" and gave the earbuds to Evan "Ready?" Evan nodded as Jessie hit play and we waited while the song played.. when it finished, Evan took out the earbuds

"Wow.. that's a beautiful song" said Evan as Jessie's phone rang

"Holy shit.. its Jordan" said Jessie "Hello?... I hear lots of weird things, how weird?... really... you want to hear something really weird?... Evan smelled your scented candles... vanilla & strawberries *HOLY SHIT!!*… calm down Jordan... you aren't going crazy... bc if you are, then so am I and I'm 100% sane, so calm down... are you okay?... bc I need to ask you one question and I need you to be completely honest, okay?... How much did Steven tell you about me?... he told you everything?... define 'everything'... yep, that's everything alright... Evan is your soulmate... I'm as serious as a heart attack on Valentine's Day... *chuckles* yeah, that's pretty serious... let me check, this is all new for him too.... Jordan wants to know if he can come over and meet you now"

"Oh gosh.. yes please" said Evan

"Jordan... Evan says 'yes please' " said Jessie "Okay, we'll see you in 20 minutes, drive safe... bye" and hung up "well that confirms it, you're soulmates"

"Oh God... now I'm nervous again, but excited too" said Evan "Do I look alright?"

"Come with me darlin" said Mack and took Evan in the house

JESSIE'S POV

"Oh, this is so exciting" said Meghan "Evan finally has a chance to be happy" as Mack & Evan came back out.. Evan was wearing a light blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up

"How do I look?" asked Evan

"You look great" I said "we're gonna let you two talk when he gets here" and took Evan over to Anne's yard "bc you're soulmates, he probably knows what happened.. if he asks, don't deny it, okay?"

"Okay" said Evan 

"Jessie... Jordan's here" said Mary

"Thanks Izzie" I said and went in the house and came back out with Jordan

"Oh my God" said Jordan "you're really here" and hugged Evan "I've been looking for you my whole life.. are you alright?" Evan nodded, unable to speak "shh, its alright, I'm here and I wont ever let anyone hurt you ever again.. I promise.. my beautiful sweet angel" and wiped Evan's tears away and kissed his forehead

Evan cleared his throat "I want you to meet my family" said Evan "Jordan, this is my sister Meghan and my brother Charlie"

"Hello.. its nice to meet you Meghan, Charlie" said Jordan and shook their hands

"Nice to meet you as well Jordan" said Meghan

"Nice to meet you too Jordan" said Charlie

"Do you have time to talk before you go back to work?" asked Evan

"We have all night to talk" said Jordan "I called my boss and told him that Jessie had found you and that I'd be back to work tomorrow"

"Oh gosh, you did that... for me?" said Evan

"Evan, Jordan, why don't you go over to the patio and talk for a bit, privately" said Mary "Evan, just breathe sweetie... I know it feels like this is all going really fast, that normal, okay?" Evan nodded "Jordan, Evan has some things that he needs to say, and ask some questions and that needs to be done privately"

"Yes ma'am" said Jordan as Evan took his hand and headed next door and sat down

"Okay everyone, no reading" said Gran "This is private... if there's something we need to know, they'll tell us.. Okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said Everyone

"Care bear, I will never doubt you ever again" said Mack and wiped his eyes

"Yes you will, but that's okay pooh bear" I said "Those two have earned their happily ever after"

"Charlie? Are you okay dear?" asked Gran 

"Is Evan going to leave again?" asked Charlie

"Why would Evan leave?" asked Mary

"bc now he has Jordan" said Charlie

"Oh sweetie" said Gran "Evan isn't going to leave just bc they're together, Jordan will become a part of your family and you'll become a party of his... when you & Meghan get married and have your own families, you may nor see each other as much, but Evan will always be there for both of you, you're family and Jordan would never break up your family"

"Charlie" said Meghan softly "Do you remember what I said after Mom's funeral?"

"Vaguely... remind me?" sdaid Charlie

"Okay... I told you Mom didn't have a choice when she left, we did nothing wrong" said Meghan "remember now?"

"Yeah, I remember" said Charlie

"Evan lost everything to take care of us" said Meghan "who took care of Evan?"

"No one" said Charlie

"We're not children any more Charlie" said Meghan "We hav e jobs and people we care about now, we need to let Jordan take care of Evan now.. Okay?"

"Okay" said Charlie and relaxed "we should give them some alone time... is it alright if I crash on the couch tonight?"

"Sure" said Mack "do you need to go home and get a change of clothes and stuff?"

"No.. I usually fall asleep in my jeans, so I'm good" said Charlie

"Come on Charlie, lets go get a change of clothes" chuckled Louis "you cant do your training in wrinkled jeans, its not professional"

"Damn.. I didn't think of that" said Charlie "Okay Louis... tell Evan I'll be right back"

"We will" I said as they left


	116. Chapter 116

Chapter 116

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Looks like Uncle Lou has taken on the role of parent for Charlie" said Momma

"No, its more like a big brother baby girl" said Liam "Louis's just passing on what I taught him at that age"

"Oh okay" said Momma

"So, it was Louis that Charlie the job?" I said 

Liam chuckled "Not quite.. when they got to the store, Louis said 'okay, which sound system should I get?' and let Charlie do the talking... Mr. Carlson liked what he heard and offered Charlie a job" said Liam

"Oh okay" I said 

"I did that for Louis when he got his first job" said Liam "it makes people pay attention to what you can do and shows them that you know what you're talking about... my Dad did the same thing for me when I got my first job"

"Huh.. that's pretty smart" I said 

"Yeah, it is.. my Dad said once 'you don't fix what works' " said Liam as Jordan & Evan came back

"Where's Louis & Charlie?" asked Evan

"Charlie needed something from home so Louis drove him" said Meghan "they'll be back soon"

"Oh okay" said Evan

"Do you feel better after your talk?" asked Mary

"Yeah, a lot better... Thank you Mary" said Evan and gave Mary a hug

"You're welcome sweetie" said Mary "if you need to talk, or if you need anything from us, just ask.. okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said Evan as Louis & Charlie came out of the house

"Can I talk to both you for a minute, privately?" said Charlie

"Sure" said Jordan as they went over to the other yard "What's up?"

"I'm new at this 'being responsible' thing, but I'm gonna stay here tonight" said Charlie

"Why?" asked Evan

"Because you gave up a lot to take care of us and Meghan & I have decided that you & Jordan need to spend some time alone" said Charlie "I don't want any details.. there are some things I shouldn't know, just be safe, relax and try and have fun... okay?"

"Oh gosh" said Evan

"Thank you Charlie" said Jordan

"You're welcome" said Charlie "now, you be sure tpo have Evan back here at 5:30am for the bachelor's scavenger hunt, properly dressed... black dress pants & socks, comfortable shoes, a nice dress shirt, passport, wallet, phone & a backpack... okay?"

"You got it Charlie" said Jordan 

"Now go, get out of here" teased Charlie 

"Bye, thanks everyone" said Evan "I'll see you at 5:30 Haz" as they left.. Charlie came back, sat down and put his head in his arms

"Are you okay Charlie?" asked Louis

"Why do I feel like a parent who just watched their child run off with the love of their life?" said Charlie

"bc, in a way, you are" said Louis "what you just did for Evan, was the best gift ever... you showed him that he doesn't have to give up something special to take care of you... Did you see how happy they were?... you did that"

"Louis's right Charlie" I said "the reason you're feeling this way, is bc you see Evan as your Dad... as young adults we want our parent or parents around all the time to make us feel safe, but they need to have their own life to grow, make cherished memories and become better people, sothat they can, in turn, love us and help us to become better adults... no matter where they go or what they do, we are their home where they feel safe and loved"

"So this is part of growing up" said Charlie

"Yep, and its not always going to be easy or fun" I said "there are going to be times when you're scared shitless with worry, but we're family and family is what gets us thru everything and anything... okay?"

"Okay... you should write a book on this bc there is no way I'm gonna remember it all" said Charlie

"I'm not a writer" I said, chuckled "that's Meghan's arena... I'm a storyteller of legends, folklore & family histories"

"So you know a lot about soulmates?" asked Charlie

"Yes, I do" I said "What do you want to know?"

"Does everyone have a soulmate?" asked Charlie

"Yes.. when a soul is created, its a ball of energy till its born human and then when its human life ends, returns to Heaven as angels" I said "soulmates have a special connection that goes beyond time and distance... when you were born, Becca saw you and your connection was formed.. she felt what you felt and you saw her do things or hear things like songs she liked or jokes someone told her.. now it wasn't all the time, to you it probably looked like videos playing in your head, but for Becca it was more of a longing to find you"

"So Becca didn't know about me till I was born" said Charlie "Is that how it happened for all of you?"

"It did for Haz & I" said Mary

"No" said the others

"I've learned recently, that soulmates can be connected in different ways" I said " 1) by past lives, like Meghan & Davis.. 2) common birthdates, like Lou & Gem and you & Becca... 3) or have a connection as angels, like Marcus & I, Andrew & Sarah, Damian & Catherine and Stuart & Stacey - I'll explain that one later... then there are 4) soulmates that 'Fate' has brought together, like Anne & Robin, Momma & Papa, Liam & Zayn and Mack & Jimmy"

"What about Brian, Simon & Beth?" asked Charlie "Don't they have soulmates?"

"My soulmate, Shawn died dear" said Gran

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know" said Charlie

"That's alright dear" said Gran "we were4 married for 65 wonderful years"

"If I have a soulmate, I don't know when we'll meet" said Brian "She may not even be born yet"

"We'll work on that Brian" I said "Simon on the other hand, is a hard nut to crack bc he has commitment issues, so he hasn't found or met his soulmate yet... once he gets over his issues, that's when Fate will step in and they will finally meet"

"So what's the hang-up Simon?" asked Davis

"I was traumatized by my parents divorce" said Simon "it was really bad and I was caught in the middle"

"Ahh okay" said Davis

"Okay, so Jordan & Evan are connected like Haz & Mary, but also share the exact same birthday.. is that normal?" asked Charlie

"I don't know that its normal, but it is definitely rare" I said "I only know of one time that its happened and that was with my Grandma & Grandpa Foster"

"I don't mean to ask so many questions" said Charlied

"You're fine Charlie, ask as many as you want" I said 

"What happens if Simon never meets his soulmate?" asked Charlie

"One of two things could happen in that scenario" I said "1) they'll meet in Heaven and 2) they'll be born again in order to meet... soulmates only get one human life to be together, but if they never meet in this life, they would be given the chance to live the life they should've had before"

"Oh Dude.. you better get over your issues or you're gonna have to go thru puberty all over again" said Davis.. that made everyone laugh

"Okay, one last question for tonight" said Charlie "How does the age difference work? bc there's 8 years between me & Becca"

"This is where it gets tricky" I said "you see, with soulmates, time & age are irrelevant... Time is fluid like water, it moves forward and it reverses constantly... When Haz & Mary finally met, Mary was past her child-bearing phase in life, but bc of Haz's age, time reversed so that they could have children and Mary's age became irrelevant... when Mary's biological age matched Haz's, their heat beats synchronized signifying two hearts beating as one"

"Oh wow" said Charlie

"Now with you & Becca, its different bc you're both still young" I said "In your case, time will slow down for Becca in order for your biological age & hers to sync up"

"Wait... so Charlie is going to basically skip over puberty?" asked Davis

"Not quite" I said "physically, Charlie will still go thru it... when the male soulmate is younger, they have to go thru a mental maturity bc men can produce children from puberty till they're in their 90's bc your bodies don't change the way a woman's body does.. we can only have children from puberty till sometime in our 40's"

"Oh okay" said Davis

"Oh there is no way in Hell I'm going thru this again when IK'm 90" said Zayn "as it is, you're going thru the next pregnancy mister"

"Calm down Grandpa" I said "bc you were a twin, your ability to have children will stop at some point and you wont get pregnant"

"Zayn was a twin?" asked Charlie "oh shit"

"You cant get pregnant Charlie" I chuckled "Zayn's twin sister didn't survive, so when that happened, certain parts of her were absorbed into Zayn, that's why he can get pregnant"

"Oh okay" said Charlie and looked at Zayn "Did you know?"

"No, not till Jessie explained why it happened" said Zayn "we took a pregnancy test and then had it confirmed with a Dr.'s appointment, that's when we found out that we're having triplets"

"Wow.. that's so cool" said Charlie "so soulmates can have multiple babies?"

"Yes, they almost always have twins" I said "but this is also tricky bc reproduction is the one area where God & Fate have no say in the outcome... usually if two soulmates only have 1 child, its bc that child is a reincarnated soul and cant be a twin, usually... you and Meghan are twins, but Meghan is a reincarnated soul so that in and of itself, is the contradiction to the legend"

"Oh my God... Are you serious?" said Gem

"Surprise" I said "afraid so Gem"

"Its alright honey" said Louis "just breathe"

"That's easy for you to say" said Gem "I don't handle pain well.. I cry when I get a paper cut... this is gonna kill me"

"Gemma, calm down before you hyperventilate" I said "its not going to kill you, that's why they have drugs to ease the pain of childbirth... you're not even pregnant yet, so don't stress yourself"

"Yeah okay" said Gem "Oh God, I feel dizzy" and laid her head on Louis's shoulder

"Shh.. its okay honey, just breathe" said Louis calmly "if it happens, we'll work it out, till then, try not to think about it.. okay? for me?"

"O-okay" said Gem "I Love You Louis"

"I Love You too Gemma" said Louis and pulled the remote out of his pocket, pushed a few buttons and set the remote down "Come, lets go dance for a bit" and took Gem's hand and went out the yard and held each other as they danced slowly

"Told ya" said Haz softly "If they do have twins, 10 bucks says that will be Gem's only pregnancy"

"I got 20 that says she'll forget all about it and will have more than 1 pregnancy" whispered Jimmy

"Haz… don't take that bet" said Mack

"Haz, listen to Mack" I said "you remember our bet if you lost our race?"

"Yeah" said Haz "Why?"

"Multiply that by 10" I said "and he wont let you out of it like I did... Don't.. take the bet"

"Oh shit" said Haz "Yeah, I'm gonna pass Jimmy, thanks"

"Damn... you two suck" said Jimmy 

"Thyat may be so Jimbo, but I know how you think" I said "some of the shit you come up with scares me... you ever pull that shit on Haz and I'll knock your teeth out so bad, you'll have to shit them out to find them.. you hear me?"

"Yes ma'am" said Jimmy

"Sorry Papa" I said

"What has Jimmy done?" asked Damian.. I walked over and whispered in his ear "are you serious?" and looked at Jimmy "Dude.. that's just wrong"

"Yeah and there's more" I said "but those are for another time"

"As bad as that, or worse?" asked Damian

"Both" I said "you can ask Catherine, she'll tell ya... James Morris Burke, don't trifle with me.. you may be my favorite, but I meant what I said, so stop thinking of messing with Haz"

Mack & Simon smacked the back of Jimmy's head at the same time "Enough Jimmy" said Mack "or you'll sleep on the floor"

"Yes sir" said Jimmy

"I'll be right back.. Chelsea & Trudy need to go to bed" I said "hey pretty babies.. come on, its time for bed sleepyheads" they yawned and slowly followed me into the house

GARRETT'S POV

"Jessie's really good with them" said Brian as Jessie came back out with Tom & Linda "Hey... How was your date?"

"It was nice" said Linda "Have you been having a good time?"

"Yeah.. its been enlightening" said Brian "Sarah & I are sorry for how we've been acting towards each other.. you guys didn't deserve that.. forgive us"

"Oh wow" said Tom "Apology accepted.. we forgive you Bry, Sarah"

"We also want you & Mom to be able to go to dinner or whatever without having to worry about us" said Sarah "so if you want to try it, we promise to be nice to each other so you can relax & have fun"

"Yeah, we promise" said Brian "What do you think Dad?"

"We can try it I guess" said Tom "as long as you promise to call us if there's a problem"

"We promise" said Sarah & Brian

"Okay.. Thank you" said Tom

"YES!!" said Sarah & Brian and gave each other a high-5

"Why are you two so excited about this?" asked Linda

"Because all you & Dad do is go to work and you never go anywhere where its just the two of you" said Sarah "you two need to get out and have some fun.. seriously Mom, we've been trying to get you two to go out for almost 2 months, now do you get it?.. you're starting to resemble fossils"

"Oh really" chuckled Tom "well I'll have you know young lady, not only did we go out to dinner, but we also went dancing... how's that for a couple of fossils?"

"Well its about time" said Sarah "was it fun Mom?"

"Oh, it was so much fun sweetie" said Linda and sat down "How was your day?" as Sarah sat on her lap

"It was so much fun" said Sarah "We went shopping to get Izzie's maternity clothes, then we went to the baby store so Izzie could get an idea of what she wants in the nursery and then we went out to lunch"

"Oh wow" said Linda "it sounds like it... Do you want to go with me tomorrow morning to get Mary's bridal shower gift?"

"Oh, yes please" said Sarah "What time do I need to be ready?"

"10 o'clock?" said Linda

"Okay, I'll be ready" said Sarah

"Okay sweetie... its been a long dayso we better head home" said Linda "Thank you Pamela"

"You're welcome.. it was Sarah's idea to bring Brian over" said Pamela "Two peas in pod, those two are"

"I'm beginning to see that" said Linda "What time is the shower?"

"Noon" said Jessie Haz & the guys will be back around 2 from their scavenger hunt"

"Tom.. would you & Brian like to join us?" I said "You're more than welcome to"

"Oh wow... Can we Dad?" asked Brian

"Sure, that would be great.. Thank you" said Tom "What time and what's the dress code?"

"You're welcome" I said "we 'll meet here at 5:30am... black dress pants & socks, comfortable shoes, a nice dress shirt, any color, passport, wallet, phone and a backpack.. if you need one, let me know"

"Okay, we'll see you at 5:30" said Tom and pulled out his phone "Hey Max, its Tom... somethings come up, can you run the store for me tomorrow?... great, thanks Max, I owe you one... no, I'm on m,y way home, I'll swing by and drop off the keys... okay, see you in a bit... bye" and hung up

"Are we all set Dad?" asked Brian

"Yep, we're all set" said Tom

"YES!!" said Brian "okay, lets go... I need to find dress pants that'll fit over this dumb cast"

:They're in the car Brian" said Linda "remember? we had to drop them off"

"Oh yeah... thanks Mom" said Brian "see ya in the morning Haz"

"See ya Brian" said Haz

"I'll walk you out" said Liam "be right back babe"

"Okay babe" said Zayn as they went in the house

"So what do we have to do tomorrow Mack?" asked Charlie

"I'm not sure... What do we need Jessie?" asked Mack and pulled out his phone

"We need a table for gifts, flowers - ask Mary what kind she wants" said Jessie and pulled out her phone "the caterer will be here at 11 so set up for a light lunch and that's it... we have tablecloths and everything, so unless I forgot something, we're all set"

"We need music, sparkling cider and a cake... not a very big one, just a regular sheet cake with white frosting and flowers on it" said Gem "I'll get them, I still need to get Mary's gift"

"Looks like we're on set up & flowers Charlie" said Mack "What kind of flowers do you want Mary?... skies the limit on me darlin"

"Oh gosh... surprise me" said Mary

"Are you sure?" asked Mack

"Yep.. surprise me" said Mary

"Okay darlin" said Mack "How much flowers do you want Jessie?"

"2 bouquets should be enough" said Jessie "one for the gift table and one for the serving table... what do you think?"

Yeah... it'll depend on the size of the arrangements, but that should be enough" said Mack "and I'm gonna need to borrow a car"

"I'll drive" said Pamela "we'll take Jessie's car"

"Are you sure peaches?" asdked Zayn "its a tank"

"Yes, I'm sure Pops" said Pamela "I have my CDL... Kyle rented an 18-wheeler that I drove when we moved Becca's half of the apartment back to Virginia... I think I can handle the tank"

"Damn.. okay peaches" said Zayn "Have fun"


	117. Chapter 117

chapter 117

GARRETT'S POV (Continued)

"Oh, I will" said Pamela "I've been wanting to drive it since Evan picked us up last Monday... How does it drive?"

"Like a dream, but its a bitch to park" said Zayn

"Clutch or Manual?" asked Pamela

"Manual" said Zayn

"Damn.. I was hoping it was a clutch" said Pamela "oh well"

"You like driving a clutch?" asked Davis

"Heck yeah" said Pamela "Becca has a 5-speed Honda convertible that she taught me to drive.. oh man, it drives like a dream... last summer, we drove a caravan up north to the Au Sable River for a 3-day camping & canoe trip... we hit I-75, I threw that baby in 5th gear and drove 65mph the whole way and left everyone in the dust... what was supposed to be a 4 hour drive, we did in 1 hour 45 minutes"

"Oh, that's it" said Jessie "we need to get the Charger shipped over... Can you find out what it'll cost Jimmy? please"

"Sure Doodlebug" said Jimmy as Pamela's phone rang

"Hey Becks.. How's the knee?" asked Pamela "Oh good... okay, just a sec" and put itg on speaker

PAMELA: Go ahead Becks

BECCA: Who has the Dodge Charger?

JESSIE: KI do.. this is Jessie... why?

BECCA: You leave that car right where it is Jessie... PJ knows why and what I'm talking about

PAMELA: No way Beckers… that wasn't my fault

BECCA: Yeah right :PJ

PAMELA: I swear, on my life, that was Josh's drunk-ass idea... IK had no part in it

BECCA: You never told me how he got the keys from you

PAMELA: And as long as you're on speaker, you'll never know... that is between me, God & my parole officer

BECCA: Oh, so the General can know, but as the owner of the vehicle in question, you wont tell me?

PAMELA: Nope.. not at this present time

BECCA: Well then, for the present time, I cant be a bridesmaid at your Wedding

PAMELA: That's extortion

BECCA: Then spill it PJ, or you'll never see that car

PAMELA: Fine... if anyone says one word, you'll all be going to London with a black eye, I swear to God

"Yes ma'am" said the guys

PAMELA: Oh God... Josh's drunk-ass threw me in the river and then acted like he was rescuing me and copped a feel... remember that?

BECCA: Yeah, I remember, so how did he get the keys?

PAMELA: Where do you think the keys were?.. they were in my bra

BECCA: Oh dear God... Is that why you kicked him?

PAMELA: No, I kicked him bc he took my lollipop... yes, that's why I kicked him, its not my fault he couldn't find first gear unless it was up his ass... we got the car out of the river didn't we?

BECCA: Yeah... I still owe your Uncle Lou for saving my baby frog

PAMELA: Well you can settle up with him at the Wedding... pwetty pwease Becky-wecky

BECCA: Oh stop with the baby-talk PJ, its unbecoming, besides I gotta be there forf ya Pajama Girl, we're best friend's for life, aren't we?

PAMELA: Hell yeah we are... now, can Jessie bring the Charger over?

BECCA: I don't know if you've earned it yet

PAMELA: What's that supposed to mean?

BECCA: Well, told me what actually happened to my baby frog...

PAMELA: But...?

BECCA: But… Why did Josh throw you in the river?

PAMELA: Because you told Josh I was sleeping in the car and bet him $50 bucks he'd never find the keys... so you started the whole mess to begin with

BECCA: Oh please... the reason he threw you in the river was bc your eyes turned blood red... I told you to calm down, but you were beyond livid... you scared the Father, Son, Holy Ghost, the Pope and the Vatican out of his ass 5 ways to Sunday & 10 on Tuesday

PAMELA: Don't you have a plane to fly?

BECCA: Nope.. day off... I'm shopping for a knee brace bc someone dropped a bombshell and caused me to wrench my knee... plus, I need a few things before I head hojme to see Mom & Dad

PAMELA: When are you going to see them?

BECCA: Tomorrow... no, day after tomorrow, I graduate tomorrow

PAMELA: Oh wow.. Where will you be stationed?

BECCA: Oh don't act like you don't know... *laughing* Grandpa just cant keep a secret, I swear

PAMELA: So when will you get here?

BECCA: What day is it there?

PAMELA: Its Wednesday night

BECCA: Okay, its Tuesday morning here, so... your Saturday night around 10:30pm

PAMELA: No fucking way

BECCA: Yes bleeping way

PAMELA: Girl, you better bring your bikini bc we're having the best damned day on Sunday

BECCA: Please.. when do I ever go anywhere without my bikini & cut-offs... I gotta work on my tan

PAMELA: So where are you staying?

BECCA: I'm staying with a couple of really nice ladies... what are their names.. I've got them written down... where is it... there it is... Beth & Maura.. Grandpa said they're friends of yours

PAMELA: Yeah, you could say that... Maura is my soon-to-be Mother-in-law and Beth is her Mother

BECCA: No way, that is so cool.. oh, now I cant wait to get there,,, so who is Jake & Tim? I guess I'm supposed to meet them at the airport

JESSIE: They're my pilots.. they'll fly you home and then will fly you here

BECCA: No way... Thanks sweetie

JESSIE: You're welcome... actually Jake will be flying you, Tim is flying the guys to London in the morning

BECCA: Wow.. you think he'll let me be the co-pilot?

JESSIE: Sure.. He let Momma fly them all home when they went to Georgia last Saturday

BECCA: Oh cool... I'm gonna conference call Mom PJ, stand by

PAMELA: Okay

**Hello, we cant come to the phone right now, we're in England on business... leave your name, number and a message and we'll call back when we return... beep**

BECCA: Well Hell's damn bells... looks like I'll be heading there after Graduation... I'll call before take off PJ

PAMELA: Okay Becks... and the car?

BECCA: I'll let you know when I get there

PAMELA: You're so mean

BECCA: Mhm.. you keep thinking that and ylou'll never get that car

PAMELA: You're so nice to me... NOT

BECCA: *laughing* You still running?

PAMELA: Yep... what are you up to now?

BECCA: Holding steady at 20 clicks.. You?

PAMELA: I just hit 30 clicks with a yoga chaser

BECCA: Pace yourself or your dress wont fit... you're running to maintain, not loose weight... how is the job search going?

PAMELA: I start my new job on Monday

BECCA: Congratulations.. What's the job?

PAMELA: I'll be a Detective with the police department

BECCA: Holy fucking shit... Are you serious?

PAMELA: Yep... I passed my firearms exam and have my badge, gun & ID

BECCA: YES!!.. You go PJ... how impressed were the brass with your ;proficiency & accuracy?

PAMELA: Highly impressed... Jessie passed hers too

BECCA: Oh cool... wait... back that train up girlfriend... say that again?

PAMELA: Jessie passed her firearm exam too

BECCA: Scale of 1-10 compared to you

PAMELA: 20

BECCA: Sweet Jesus... Who raised this kid.. Rambo?

PAMELA: Nope... a cop

BECCA: Oh good God... let me guess... a drunk narcistic dickhead that thinks his shit don't stink... am I close?

JESSIE: Bullseye

BECCA: Sorry sweetie

JESSIE: That's okay... I don't think about him very much any more

BECCA: I heard you had the whole Wedding planned out in 2 hours

JESSIE: Yep and Momma & Papa had no clue till it was all locked down... they finalized the Wedding details last week, the dresses have been bought, the church is locked down, Momma finally has her dress, the accessories will be ready next week and the only thing that's left to do is relax and wait for the day to arrive

BECCA: Wow, you go Jessie... don't give me any details, but how does shed look in her dress?

JESSIE: Oh my God.. Like an angel

BECCA: Hot damn.. if I'm not there when she puts nit on again, send me a photo

JESSIE: I will, promise

BECCA: Oh get a grip people, like you never get good news *muffled talking* *aw poor baby, get off the cross, build a bridged and get over it.. jackass* I'm back, dumb jocks, they think its a cardinal sin for a woman to swear in public.. last time I checked, its the 21st Century people, get with the program *kiss my ass bitch* *here's a newsflash asshole, I fly combat jets so stick that in your hash-pipe and smoke it, you communist bastard.... yeah? that's not what your Mother said last night... yeah, walk away little boy and go play with your Barbie dolls*

PAMELA: Feel better?

BECCA: Not even close

** There was a chirping sound **

BECCA: Oh crap... just a sec people *this is bluebird, go ahead* *bluebird, this is echo base, your presence is requested in the Commandant's office.. what's your ETA?* *ETA 30 minutes* *affirmative... copy out* I gotta go Pajama Girl.. Holla back soon

PAMELA: peace out Becks

and hung up "You two talki like sisters" said Davis

"Yeah, sometimes" said Pamela

"She talks like Jessie" chuckled Mack

"I could listen to her talk all day" said Charlie and sighed "She sounds like an angel"

"Ah.. young love... hits you like a ton of bricks" said Mack "makes your heart race, your knees go weak and make you feel like you're floating on clouds"

"Yeah" said Charlie

"And Becca will be here in a few days" said Mack

"Oh my God.. she's going to be here in a few days" said Charlie "oh shit, shit, shit.. I'm not ready, she needs flowers... I'm not ready"

"Calm down Charlie and breathe" said Jessie "Don't worry about a thing.. you'll be ready and you'll have her flowers, I promise, just relax & breathe" a doorbell sounded and Jessie pulled out her phone

"Kyle sent the emails... all 15 of them" said Jessie "now we just need Izzie's photos & videos of Momma, the pictures Momma & Papa took In Georgia and Papa's photos from Beth will be here tomorrow, so you should be able to get started on Monday Simon"

"Excellent" said Simon as Pamela's phone rang

"Sweet Jesus, what now?" said Pamela and put it on speaker

PAMELA: What's wrong?

BECCA: Holy shit... shut up and listen.. Oh God, I need to sit down... okay, I just called Jake... graduation's been cancelled bc of a water main break and I have my graduation certificate... I'm heading to my room to pack my gear, take off is in 45 minutes, so I should be there in 24 hours... Can I breathe now?.. I feel like... I.. cant.. breathe

JESSIE: Becca, calm down and breathe, slow & easy, in thru your nose and out thru your mouth.. that's it, slow & easy... Charlie, calm down.. Becca's nervous bc you are, just breathe Charlie.. that's it... How are you feeling Becca?

BECCA: Better... oh man, that was intense.. I feel like I just ran a marathon under water... Are you okay Charlie?

CHARLIE: I think so... Are you really going to be here in 24 hours?

BECCA: Yeah, I am

CHARLIE: Oh gosh... so much for having a plan... okay, what's your favorite color in the whole world?

BECCA: Forest green... like a Christmas tree... You?

CHARLIE: Yellow.. like roses & sunshine

BECCA: Okay PJ, what's on the agenda till Monday?

PAMELA: Mom's bridal shower tomorrow, Mom's Wedding on Friday, a music festival on Saturday and our family day at the lake all day on Sunday

BECCA: What's the dress code for the Wedding?

PAMELA: Jeans & a white dress shirt for the guys and casual dress for the ladies.. no shoes required

BECCA: Wow, very 1960's vibe going.. I like it... traditional bridal shower?

PAMELA: Nope, more like a bachelorette bridal shower

BECCA: Ah okay... why in the Hell am I seeing twins?

PAMELA: bc Mom's pregnant... with twins

BECCA: Are you telling me, Ms. Mary finally found her forever soulmate?

PAMELA: Yep

BECCA: Congratulations Mom

MARY: Thank you sweetie

BECCA: so is Pops driving Dad bonkers with nothing to do?

PAMELA: Um.. not really... Pops is pregnant with triplets

BECCA: POPS!! NO WAY... CONGRATULATIONS... WHEN?

ZAYN: End of March

BECCA: Finally.. a March baby... I swear we got the whole calendar booked up except for March... okay, bags are packed... passport.. purse... license, provisional license, pilot's license... wait, where in the Hell are my sunglasses?... oh yeah, on my head... Ipod… gum... eye drops... phone... watch

** knock.. knock... knock **

BECCA: Come in... *Lieutenant, there's a plane on the tarmac... someone named Jake*.. Thank you Corporal, I'll be right out.. *Yes ma'am*… Well, this is it, time to go... see you tomorrow Pajama Girl

PAMELA: Fly safe Becks

BECCA: All the time, every time... Charlie, just relax... I'll see you tomorrow and we'll have all weekend to talk.. Okay?

CHARLIE: Okay... see you soon lovely lady

BECCA: Bye everyone

and hung up "Mack when you get the flowers, I want you to get 2 dozen white gardenias and make sure Theresa ties the box with a dark green ribbon" said Jessie

"Yes ma'am" said Mack

"Now Charlie, when Becca opens the box, she may be a little overwhelmed with emotion, so don't be surprised of she kisses you.. Okay?" said Jessie

:Oh God" said Charlie and whispered in Jessie's ear

"Oh" said Jessie "IK see your point... I'm out of my wheel-house on this one y'all"

Mary whispered in Pamela's ear "MOM!! Seriously?" said Pamela

"Pamela Jane" said Mary

"Relax Pamela, I'll handle this" said Gem "Come on Charlie" and took his hand and went in the house

"Relax" said Haz "Charlie will be fine... Gem taught me, do I look traumatized?"

"Are you serious?" said Pamela

"Yes, I'm serious... What? You think my Mom or Ni should've taught me?" said Haz "get a grip Pamela, its kissing, notg sex for God's sake"

"Sorry Haz" said Pamela "but I never kissed anyone.. except Ni"

"So how did you learn to kiss?" asked Ni

"Romcoms" said Pamela

"Really" said Ni

"How did you learn?" asked Pamela

"I didn't... I just winged it" said Ni

"Seriously?" said Pamela

"Yep.. I did good huh?" said Ni

"Oh Lord" chuckled Mack "you two are just too damn cute"

Pamela whispered in Ni's ear "Yep.. You?" asked Ni, Pamela nodded "How did you learn to kiss, Mack?"

"I'm not telling" said Mack "You wouldn't believe me any way"

"Try me" said Ni

"Okay... Grapes" said Mack

"Okay.. explain" said Ni

"You hold a grape in your mouth, roll it around on your tongue and gently peel the skin off" said Mack "If you do it right, the grape will stay round and smooth... if not, then you start over till you do it right"

"Huh... good to know" said Ni

"Fine... I'll prove it" said Mack and wentg in the house and came out wsith a bag of grapes "You want to see if you can do it?"

"Sure, why not" said Ni and put a grape in his mouth

"Ni.. relax your mouth or you'll squish the grape" said Mack and put a grape in his mouth, then took it out a minute later "See?"

"Holy shit... your mouth barely moved" said P:amela

"That's bc kissing is a sensual art form" said Mack "It isn't meant to be rushed, its meant to be slow and savored"

"Crap" said Ni "Can I get a few more? this is hard"

"Sure" said Mack and gave Ni a few more grapes "Any one else want to try it?"

"Sure" said Sarah & Meghan

"Here you go ladies" said Mack as Gem came back out alone

""Where's Charlie?" asked Louis

"He's in the kitchen... running cold water over his head in the sink" said Gem

"Did he do alright?" asked Louis

"Yep.. oh boy did he ever" said Gem "He learns fast, which is why he's in the kitchen... He said his head feels like its gonna explode... whatever that means"

"Sarah.. What is Jake's cruising altitude?" asked Pamela

"30,000 feet" said Sarah

"Okay" said P:amela and went in the house

"Has Charlie ever been on a plane?" asked Jimmy

"No, why?" asked Meghan

"Its the cabin pressure inside the plane" said Jimmy "Becca is used to it, Charlie isn't, that's why his head feels like its gonna explode"

"Poor kid" said Louis as Pamela & Charlie came out

"Just sit down and rest your head on your arms... it'll pass soon" said Pamela

"Okay" said Charlie and laid his head down "Does flying always feel liked this?"

"Only for the first few times" said Pamela "then after a while, you don't notice it any more"

"What does it feel like when that happens?" asked Charlie

"Its different for each person" said Pamela "for me, its like floating in water... totally quiet and peaceful"

"Oh wow" said Charlie

"When you're ready, you & Becca can go for a fly around in my helicopter... just the two of you.. Okay?" said Pamela

"Oh wow" said Charlie "Thanks"

"You're welcome" said Pamela "How are you feeling?"

"Better... my head still feels like a lead weight, but it doesn't hurt any more" said Charlie

"Hey... I did it" said Ni and removed the grape

"Good job" said Mack "Which number was that?"

"Two" said Ni

"Wow.. way to go Ni" said Mack

"Got it" said Meghan and removed her grape "first one"

"Good job Meghan" said Mack

"Got it" said Sarah and removed her grape "third try"

"Way to go Sarah" said Mack

"Oh what the Hell" said Louis "toss me one Mack"

"Here it comes Louis" said Mack and tossed a grape... Louis caught it in his mouth "Nice catch"

"Thanks" said Louis "Got it" and removed his grape

"Damn Louis, that was fast" said Mack

"What can I say" said Louis "I'm good"

"No comment" said Mack and popped a grape in his mouth 

"You should watch him eat a banana" said Gem and Mack almost choked

"Gemma!" said Mack "keep that one to yourself darlin... we're in mixed company"

"Oh yeah... sorry Mack" said Gem

"That's alright darlin" said Mack and closed the bag "that's enough grapes for tonight"

"Jessie... When Kyle sent you the emails, why did your phone make a doorbell sound?" I said 

"Its my email notification" said Jessie "My Grandpa showed me how to use it... anytime I get an email, it rings and if I send an email, it rings to let me know that my email has been read and shows me the IP address of the person that opened my email"

"You know that's hacking... right?" I said

"I'm aware, but technically its not hacking, if I don't use the information for criminal means" said Jessie "its only used so that emails are replied to immediately and so that whoever I email, I don't pester with constant emails when they've already read my initial letter"

"Ah, I see... so its a basic monitoring system" I said 

"Correct" said Jessie "its no different than the notifications that Twitter, Facebook & Instagram send their users... the only difference here, is that its for my own private usage"

"That's pretty smart" I said "Do you send emails often?"

"No, I've only sent one email since I got my phone, to a Geneologist for help with my family tree" said Jessie "and before my family died, the only other person I sent emails to, was Jimmy" 

"How did you loose your family?" I asked

"Its a long story, but my Mom & Grandparents were killed in a car accident 2 years ago" said Jessie "then my Dad & I moved here and he died in a drunk driving accident 2 weeks ago.. He was at fault"

"I'm so sorry" I said 

"That's alright... as it turns out, Mary & I are cousins, so I still have family I didn't know I had" said Jessie

"Wow... so where's the family connection to Mary?" I asked

"Mary's Grandmother, Gwen and my Grandpa, William were brother & sister" said Jessie "we looked thru Mary's family Bible, and found out they were twins"

"Amazing" I said as Anne, Robin & Maura came outside


	118. Chapter 118

Chapter 118

GARRETT'S POV (Continued)

"Hey Mom.. Did you have f un?" asked Ni and kissed her cheek

"Oh yes" said Maura and smiled

"So? When do we get to meet him properly?" asked Ni

"Soon" said Maura "We're still getting to know each other"

"Okay Mom" said Ni "Garrett, this is my Mother, Maura... Mom, this is Garrett, the General"

"Its nice to meet you Garrett" said Maura

"Its nice to finally meet you too Maura" I said "You've raised a fine young man"

"Oh.. Thank you" said Maura and smiled

"You're welcome" I said 

"Maura" said Beth "Garrett is Becca's Grandfather... I told you about her last night.. she'll be staying with us till she has to report to the RAF base"

"Oh... Becca, Pamela's bridesmaid" said Maura

"Yes dear" said Beth

"I'm so sorry, I didn't make the connection" said Maura

"That's alright Maura" I said "Pamela usually calls me 'General', so not many people make the connection with my given name"

"Maura.. there's been a change in Becca's arrival" said Beth

"Oh, is everything alright?" asked Maura

"Yes, everything is fine dear, but she'll be here tomorrow around noon, may be earlier" said Beth "she'll call when she lands"

"Oh okay" said Maura and sat down "Hi Meghan, Charlie, its nice to see you again... How have you been?"

Hello Maura" said Meghan & Charlie

"We're good ma'am.. You?" said Charlie

"I'm fine sweetie" said Maura "Where's Evan?"

"He's on a date" said Charlie "He found his soulmate, so we're staying the night to give them some time alone to talk"

"Ah, I see" said Maura "speaking of soulmates, Jessie... is it possible for someone to have 2 soulmates?"

"I've never found anything about that, but I guess it could be possible... why?" said Jessie

"I was just wondering bc Alex & I have a lot in common and we've started finishing each others sentences.. like we both know what the other is thinking" said Maura "Bobby & I used to do that when we were married, but not so much any more"

"Hmm... let me look into it" said Jessie "and we'll figure this out"

"Okay sweetie" said Maura "take your time, we're still getting to know each other"

"How long have you & Alex been dating?" asked Charlie

"Not long... we've only been on 3 dates" said Maura

"Hey Charlie, tell Maura your good news" said Louis

"Oh yeah.. I got a job" said Charlie

"Congratulations... doing what?" asked Maura

"Thanks... I'm not sure yet, but I'll be working at the electronics store" said Charlie "Mr. Carlson said bc of my age, he can only give me 20 hours a week till school starts and then I'll just work on the weekends.. and he's paying me $20 dollars an hour"

"Wow, that's great Charlie" said Maura "Can I give you a little advice?"

"Yes please" said Charlie

"You'll be making about $500 dollars a week" said Maura "so when you get paid, put half of your paycheck in a savings account and do that every time you get paid, so that when you aren't working 20 hours a week, you'll still have money in case you need something.. Okay?"

"Yes ma'am... I didn't think of that" said Charlie "Thank you"

"You're welcome sweetie" said Maura "So when do you start your job?"

"Monday... I have to go in for a couple of hours tomorrow, Friday & Saturday to learn how to do inventory and work the cash register & stuff then I'll get my work schedule" said Charlie

"You'll go great Charlie" said Maura "always remember... if you're not sure about something, ask questions"

"Yes ma'am" said Charlie

"So why is Becca arriving early?" asked Maura

"The graduation was cancelled bc of a water main break and she was going to visit her parents, but they're here in England on business, so she packed her bags and left there at 11:45am and will be here tomorrow" said Ni

"Oh gosh... so what's happening with graduation?" asked Maura

"We're not sure" said Ni "Becca called and said that they gave her, her graduation certificate and that she was packing her bags, so I'm guessing they're giving everyone theirs and letting them head off to wherever they're being assigned to"

"That's not right, Becca & the others worked so hard.. they all earned their graduation ceremony" said Maura

"They'll have one Maura" I said "All of their Commanding Officers will give them a ceremony at their posts"

"So Mom, what did you & RFobin do tonight?" asked Haz

"We went out to dinner" said Anne "went for a walk around town... oh and Robin proposed.. I said yes"

"MOM!!" shrieked Gem "Oh my God, that was supposed to be the first words out of your mouth" and ran into Anne's arms "let me see the ring" Anne held out her hand "Oh Mom, its gorgeous" and hugged Robin "Congratulations and welcome to the family Robin"

"Thank you Gemma" said Robin

"WOOHOO!" said Jessie and hugged them both "Congratulations... let me know when you pick a date"

"Well... it looks like I'm moving here permanently" said Beth

"Wait... What?" said Maura & Ni together

"Well someone needs to be a Grandma to all of these beautiful babies, it may as well be me" said Beth

"Oh Mom" said Maura and hugged Beth "What aboutg the house?"

"Greg & Denise are going to live there after the kids come back" said Beth "they're going to need the extra room"

"Okay everyone, take a glass... Mom, Zayn, Sarah, Meghan & Charlie, grab a ginger ale" said Louis "Anne, Robin, may you always be as happy as you are today... if my Dad were here, he'd say 'life is what you make of it, so live like there's no tomorrow bc your future is waiting'.... To Anne & Robin"

"HERE, HERE" said everyone

"Beth, welcome home" said Louis "and to Evan & Jordan, we salute you"

"HERE, HERE" said everyone

"Now.. we've taken a long enough break, lets dance" said Louis "Anne, Robin, this is your dance" and set they're glasses down as Moon River started playing and they danced

"Haz, look at her" said Gem "she's finally happy and in love"

"Yeah, she is" said Haz and kissed Gem's hair "Do you think they'll have kids?"

"Yeah, I do and you'll be the best big brother ever" said Gem and kissed his cheek

The song ended and everyone joined in "Anne, may I have this dance?" I asked

"Of course, I'd love to" said Anne as wed joined the others "Thank you for Harry's outing... He was so excited when Jessie told him"

"You're welcome" I said "You raised two wonderful children Anne... I heard them talking and they are so happy for you & Robin"

"You think so?" asked Anne "I worry about Harry... He's more sensitive than Gemma and he's been thru so much lately"

"I know so" I said "Harry is working it a;; thru Anne and he is going to become the man you always wished he'd be... its a fact that we'll always worry about our children, no matter how old they are, relax and know you did everything right"

"Thank you Garrett... I needed to hear that" said Anne and smiled

"You're welcome Anne" I said as the song ended "I should be going" and kissed her hand "Thank you for the dance" and walked back to Robin "Robin, you're a very lucky man... Congratulations" and shook his hand

"Thank you Garrett" said Robin

"You're welcome" I said "Harry respects you Robin and needs a positive role model in his life.. be the friend and Father he needs and teach him what your Father taught you"

"I will, promise" said Robin

"I have to go... Robin, we'll meet here at 5:30am, Harry & Niall have the details, so I'll see you then" I said "Anne, you & the ladies have a wonderful time tomorrow and we'll see you at 2 o'clock"

"See you at 5:30" said Robin

"Goodnight Garrett... Drive safe" said Anne

"Yes ma'am... Goodnight" I said

"I'll walk you out" said Davis

"Thank you Davis" I said as we went in the house

GEMMA'S POV

"Mack.. Can I talk to you for a minute?" I said 

"Sure Gem" said Mack and followed me into the house "What's up?"

"I know Mom & Robin just got engaged, but I want to get Mom's dress squared away" I said and grabbed my dress book "I have a few ideas I want to run by you bc they're from your collection"

"Okay, lets see what you're looking for" said Mack as I opened the book "Wow... How long have you had this book Gem?"

"Seven years" I said "I started collecting the pictures when you came out with your collection... Mom never had the Wedding that she wanted, so she's going to have it this time... these are my top 3 favorites for Mom" and took the pages out of the book

"Excellent choices" said Mack "What did Anne's previous dress look like?"

"Classic A-line with cap sleeves, sweetheart neckline and a 5 foot detachable train" I said 

"It sounds like a modified prom dress" said Mack

"Yeah, pretty much" I said "I don't care what it costs, I want Mom to have her dream Wedding... so which dress do you think will look best for Mom's figure?"

Mack set the pages down and took the book and started flipping thru the pages "This one would look gorgeous with Anne's figure.. it has a vintage Renaissance look, in that its all one piece, but it has a tiny bit of poof to fill out the skirt and a tiny bit of lace around the bottom and underneath so when its bustled, it lays smooth without looking bunched up" said Mack "What do you think?"

"Its perfect" I said

"Okay... lets make a phone call" said Mack and pulled out his phone and put it on speaker

"Hello?" said a woman's voice

MACK: Evie... What are you doing honey?

EVIE: Mackie... I just finished Ms. Andrea's final fitting and she's all set for next week... What do you need sweetie?

MACK: Excellent... I need yo to go to my private collection and pull the 'Esmeralda' dress & veil and ship them to me please

EVIE: Okay, let me see... ah, there it is.. wait, there's two of them.. do you want the white one or the ecru?

MACK: The white one.. its for a very special bride

EVIE: Okay, let me take it to the office... Do you need shoes & accessories?

MACK: No honey, we have those here

EVIE: Okay... Where am I shipping this to?

MACK: 4132 Apple Grove Lane... Holmes Chapel England

EVIE: And how do you want it shipped?

MACK: Express delivery by noon tomorrow... call Tyrone and have him bring a deluxe model wooden dress box to ship it in and then text me when it goes out

EVIE: Yes sir... Is there a projected date for closing our doors yet?

MACK: Not yet, we're still looking for a location, but you will be my first call when we do

EVIE: Okay sweetie... I'll call Tyrone & FedEx now... you be good swseetie, I Love You Mackie

MACK: Always... I Love You too Evie... bye

and hung up "Who's Evie?" I asked

"She's my personal assistant" said Mack "she runs the boutique"

"Ah.. will she be moving here when you & Jessie find a location?" I asked

"Yes... she runs the business and I help the clients" said Mack

"Ah, okay" I said "lets go back outside before Mom comes looking for us" and put my book away and went back outside

"Is everything okay Gem?" asked Mary

"Yep, everything's great" I said as Mack's phone chimed

"Yes.. its all set for the surprise of the century" said Mack and whispered in Mary's ear

"Oh is she going to be surprised" said Mary "let me know whedn ikt gets here"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack "Charlie.. What time do you have to be at the store tomorrow?"

"8am" said Charlie "Mr. Carlson said that I'd be done around 10-10:30"

"Okay.. I'll set my alarm so you can shower and get ready, then call Jessie and we'll come pick you up" said Mack and pulled out his phone "Is 7am okay?"

"Yeah, 7am is great" said Charlie

"What time does the flower shop open Jessie?" asked Mack

"9am" said Jessie

"Perfect" said Mack "Its almost 11 guys.. 5:30 comes fast"

"Yes sir" said the guys

"Haz.. what's the dress code for tomorrow?" asked Robin

"Black dress pants & socks, comfortable shoes, a nice dress shirt any color, passport, wallet, phone & a backpack" said Haz "if you need one, let Garrett know"

"Okay" said Robin "I'll see you at 5:30 men"

"Okay... Drive safe" said Jimmy

"Always" said Robin as Mom gave the guys all a hug

"Have a good time Harry" said Mom

"I will... Congratulations" said Haz and kissed her cheek "I Love You Mom"

"I Love You too Harry" said Mom "You boys have a good time"

"We will" said the guys

"We had better go too Maura" said Gran "we have a lot to do tomorrow"

"Okay Mom" said Maura "Pamela, do you know if Becca needs anything?"

"I have no idea" said Pamela "but don't worry, if she does, we'll get it when she lands"

"Okay sweetie" said Maura

As everyone said their good-byes, I went in the house and made up the couch for Charlie, then went to my room and laid out Louis's clothes for the next morning as Louis came into our room

"What's wrong honey?" asked Louis

"I forgot your passport" I said 

"That's okay, its still early" said Louis "I'll go get it... did you forget anything else? bc I can grab it"

"Lets see" I said as I looked thru our bag "Our outfits for tomorrow, Friday & Saturday... our bathing suits for Sunday... Mary's bridal shower gift... where's... I forgot my make-u;p bag and our bag of toiletries"

"Okay" said Louis "so I need to get my passport, your make-up bag and our bag of bathroom stuff.. right?"

"Yeah... your passport is on the dresser with my make-up & toiletries" I said 

"Okay, I'll be back in 20 minutes" said Louis and kissed my cheek

"Drive safe" I said 

"Yes ma'am... Always" said Louis and left

I had some work to do before bed, so I grabbed my bag & Briefcase and went down to the kitchen. I made a cup of coffee, pulled out my laptop & files and got started while I waited for Louis to get back.

"What's all this?" asked Simon

"Case files I have to update, a brief I have to write up and an appeal that I have to finalize" I said 

"Damn... I thought I was the only one that worked too much" said Simon "Where's Louis?"

"I forgot a few things so he went home to get them" I said as everyone came in

"Doing some work?" asked Jimmy

"Yeah" I said as I started typing "I've got about an hour's worth to finish u;p before bed"

"What all do you have to do?" asked Jimmy

"Case files to update, a brief to write up and an appeal to finalize" I said as I continued typing

"You want some help?" asked Jimmy

"That's okay, this is the last of my 'catch up' paperwork from last week" I said "This is what I get for taking a week off and not going to the office to see what needed to be done" and took a drink of coffee "plus, I had a lousy day at work, so I need to get my head in the game"

"Ah okay.. well I'll be up for a while if you want help" said Jimmy "just yell"

"Thanks" I chuckled and went back to work

I was just putting my things away when Louis came in "Sorry it took so long honey" said Louis "There was a fire at the bridal shop, so I had to take a detour and got a little lost.. I ended up near the airport when I figured out how to get back"

"That's okay, I had some work to do" I said "at least you made it back... I wonder who did it this time"

"Who knows" said Louis as we went upstairs "that building is going to need to be demolished now.. its not structurally sound bc of all of the damage done to the foundation"

"Then maybe that's a good thing" I said "now a newer building can be built in its place... like for a new bridal shop"

"Hey.. now there's an idea" said Louis as we got in bed, Louis set his alarm and plugged in the charger cord "I'll tell Jimmy about it and you tell Mack and they can look into it... now, lets get some sleep"

"Okay" I said as we laid down and drifted off to sleep

LOUIS'S POV

EARLY IN THE MORNING....

I heard my alarm got off, so I turned it off, grabbed the bag of toiletries and headed for the bathroom, grabbing a towel on the way. I showered quickly and went back to my room and got dressed. I put my phone, wallet & passport in my backpack and went downstairs to make coffee... Mack was in the kitchen

"Morning Mack" I said softly

"Morning Louis" said Mack "there's regular coffee in the silver coffee pot and decaf in the black one for Simon... breakfast will be ready in a bit and Haz & the guys will be here soon"

"Thanks" I said and poured a cup "who's in the shower?"

"Jimmy" said Mack "I told him to wake up Simon when he was done"

"Is Simon going to behave on the plane this time?" I asked

"Yes.. Jessie put the fear of God in him" chuckled Mack

"What did she threaten him with this time?" I chuckled "Divine Retribution?"

"Not even close" chuckled Mack "She threatened him with castration if he made a scene on the plane and he promised to take his meds and behave... Simon doesn't like being the reason Jessie gets pissed off... she scares him, to be honest"

"He should be scared" I said "I've pissed Jessie off a few tines, IK'd hate to see her actually follow thru on one of her threats... I've never hit a wpman, ever in my life, I'd hate to have to knock her out to stop her"

"I know what you mean" said Mack "the only person who could diffuse Jessie's temper, was Catherine... but I will say this, when it comes to Simon, let Jessie make her threats and follow thru, to an extent bc she's the only one who can keep him in line"

"Duly noted" I said as Haz & the guys came thru the door "Shh" and pointed at the couch "Morning guys" I whispered as Jimmy came down the stairs

"Morning" said thr guys softly

"Get some coffee" said Mack "the silver pot is regular and the black pot is decaf... breakfast is almost ready"

"I'll take a cup of decaf babe" said Zayn "please"

"You got it babe" said Liam "Here Lou.. I brought you all an iron supplement"

"Thanks Li" I said and took the tablets "the last thing we need is for someone to get dizzy and pass out" I gave one to Mack & Jimmy and took mine as Simon came into the kitchen "here Simon, its an iron supplement to keep our energy up"

"Thanks Louis" said Simon and took the vitamin

"Okay, fix yourselves a plate and don't worry if there's none left" said Mack "I'll make more for the rest of us after y'all leave"

"I wonder why we need our passports" said Ni "we're just going to London"

"I don't know, but if Garrett says we need them, then I guess we'll find out on the plane" I said

"Charlie looks like he slept pretty well" said Haz "considering how nervous he was"

"Yeah.. poor kid finally fell asleep around 12:30" I said "once Jake & Becca hit International Airspace, he relaxed & fell asleep... Jake & Becca are hauling ass to get back here"

"You can read long distance?" said Zayn

"No, I've been reading Charlie" I said "He & Becca have been connected since they talked on the phone.. its like the minute they knew each other was real, their connection never took a break... I think they were talking to each other bc he can see what she sees"

"Yeah, their connection is intense" said Mack "it could be bc Charlie is so young, but its like an electrical buzzing between them... you can literally feel it"

"Wow... it that what that is?" asked Liam

"Yeah.. pretty cool huh?" said Mack

"That's amazing" said Liam as Garrett came in

"Morning men" said Garrett and set his bags down

"Morning Garrett" said Haz "Do you want some coffee?"

"No thanks... I've had my quota for the day... if I drin any more, I'll get the jitters" said Garrett

"How many have you had?" asked Ni

"Three cups.. that's my limit" said Garrett

"Sorry I'm late, I overslept" said Evan as he, Tom & Brian came in

"Relax Evan, the car just arrived" said Garrett "Does anyone need a backpack?"

"Yes please" said Zayn, Tom, Robin & Simon

"Okay, here you go men" said Garrett and handed out the extra backpacks "lets head out men"

"You got your Zanax Simon?" asked Jimmy

"Yep, and I already took one, so I'm good till we get ready to come back" said Simon

"Okay good" said Jimmy "I really don't want Jessie getting mad at you again"

"Yeah I know.. she threatened to castrate me if I ruined Haz's day" said Simon "so I made sure that I took my pills when I got out of the shower and put the rest of them in your bag so that I don't loose them"

"Good idea" said Mack "now go, you're wasting time... Have fun and don't forget to take pictures when you get the chance"

"We will" said Haz "tell Mary I'll call when we stop for lunch"

"I will" said Mack

We got in the car and headed for the airport "Why do we need our passports if we're only going to London?" asked Ni

"Because we'll be picking something up at another airport before we go to London" said Garrett "and on the off-chance we have to wait in the VIP Lounge for it to arrive, we all need our passports"

"Ahh okay" said Ni "so what are we picking up?"

"One of our guides" chuckled Garrett "He missed his connecting flight to London"

"Where was he coming from?" asked Jimmy

"Scotland" said Garrett "He couldn't get another flight to London till tomorrow, so he drove all night to get to Ireland and hopefully, he's there waiting"

"He drove to Ireland? Holy shit" said Ni "what's his name?"

"Yeah.. surprise" chuckled Garrett "Bo Johansen... my little brother"

"What was he doing in Scotland?" asked Haz

He's an Economics professor doing guest lectures at the University of Edinburgh" said Garrett as we pulled up to the airport and headed to the private terminal for check-in.. Tim was waiting for us

"Hey Tim" said Jimmy

"Hey Jimbo" said Tim "Is Si going to behave this time?"

"Yep.. Ms. Jessie gave him a 'come to Jesus' talking to" said Jimmy "and he took his meds already, so we're good to go"

"Good to hear that" said Tim "You must be Garrett... Ms. Jessie described you to me when we talked last night... our flight plans to Ireland & London are all cleared, Dusty is fully fueled and checked, so we're ready to board"

"Dusty?.. Seriously?" said Jimmy

"Yes Dusty.. the other planes were out for service and Jake is flying Wanda" said Tim "I'm sorry if a dusty pink plane doesn't meet with your high tight-ass standards... if you don't like it, you can walk to London"

"Fine... I guess we don't have a choice" sighed Jimmy "sorry guys"

"The plane is pink?" said Brian

"Yeah.. it was Jessie's Mother's plane" said Jimmy "Catherine loved the color dusty pink, so Jessie's Grandpa had one painted for her"

"Ah okay" said Brian "I can handle a pink plane... you guys have an issue with the plane's color?"

"Nope" said the guys

"Yes" said Simon "you'll see why"

"Oh shut up Simon" said Tim as we headed for the plane "or you can walk too"

"Just keep the lights low and I'll be asleep in 5 minutes" said Simon

"Not a problem Si" said Tim as we boarded the plane

"Holy shit" said Liam "this is amazing"

The inside of the plane looked like a forest of trees with flowers & birds all over the walls and ceiling with dark green leather seats & carpet and dark wooden tables.

"Catherine designed and painted the interior" said Jimmy "it took her 6 months"

"This took Catherine 6 months?" said Marcus "wow... she was an amazing painter" Simon lifted the chair seat and put his bag inside then sat down

"The baggage compartment is in the seats" said Simon "so stow your bag and have a seat y'all"

"That is so cool" said Haz and did the same as Simon put in his earbuds

Once we were all seated and buckled in, Tim lowered the cabin lights, then we taxied down the runway to Ireland. Once we were in the air, I pulled out my book and picked up where I left off, as almost everyone went back to sleep.

"What are you reading Louis?" asked Garrett

" 'A Bright Shining Lie' by Neil Sheehan" I said "it was one of Pamela's books from her Government class's required reading list... I think her professor was a protestor back in the 60's & 70's"

"I read that" said Garrett "Becca & I talked about it bc I was there fighting"

"Ah... so is it fairly accurate?" I said


	119. Chapter 119

Chapter 119

LOUIS'S POV (Continued)

"Yeah, but we didn't know it at the time" said Garrett "all we were told by our superiors, was that we were there to aide the Vietnamese Government against North Korea and the Communist regime bc Vietnam & South Korea wanted a more progressive Democratic government... we had no clue the government was as morally corrupt as the White House"

"I tried to join the Army when I was 18, but I failed the physical exam" I said "I had an asthma attack during the stress test"

"Those stress tests are brutal" said Garrett "If I had to take one right now, I don't know if I'd pass either... thank God for retirement"

"What was your designation?" I asked

"Sniper" said Garrett "when I finished my initial 4-year enlistment, I became a drill instructor, then I went to work at the State Department and haved been there for almost 20 years"

"Do you ever miss being in the game?" I asked

"Sometimes, but I think that's normal for anyone who makes the Military their career" said Garrett "when Pamela called me the other day and asked me if I wanted to train a new tactical team for the Chief, I had to say yes"

"How long will that take?" I asked

"Right now, I'm looking at 30 days" said Garrett "I have 25 candidates, Men & Women, to weed down to a 6 person team, then the training really begins"

"When do you start?" I asked

"Monday at 6am" said Garrett "Chief Rothsdale is meeting with the candidates today and I'll meet them tomorrow morning"

"Mind if I join you?" asked Evan

"Sure, have a seat" I said 

"Thanks" said Evan and sat down "I'm too excited to sleep"

"That's okay, I cant sleep on planes" I said "the sound of the engine's is too loud to shut my brain off"

"Ah okay" said Evan "How was Charlie last night?"

"He was fine" I said "Mack said that he'll make sure Charlie gets to the store on time and will pick him up when he's done"

"Oh good... I never thought of letting Charlie get a job" said Evan "Thanks for helping him do that"

"It was my pleasure" I said "Liam helped me get my first job and it'll help him figure out what he wants to do when he gets older"

"I was a little surprised at how grown-up Charlie was towards Jordan last night" said Evan "Jordan was impressed"

"Speaking of Jordan" I said "no details, but did you two have a nice night?"

"Oh, it was wonderful" said Evan and sighed "we talked, made popcorn & watched a movie and ended up falling asleep on the couch... it was the best first date ever"

"That's great" I said "Its nice having someone.. isn't it?"

"Oh, it is" said Evan "oh, and we called his Mother, and she was so happy and she wants to meet us when they come to visit in a few weeks"

"Oh wow" I said "meeting the family is a big step for both of you"

"I know and we talked about that too" said Evan "we'll do whatever it takes for this to work out"

"Are you okay with Jordan's job?" asked Garrett

"Yeah... Jordan says yes, his job can be dangerous, but he takes every precaution to stay safe" said Evan "He's been doing this job for a while, so I have to trust that he knows what he's doing...I cant ask him to quit, that wouldn't be fair for Jordan to give up a job he loves"

"Garrett, we'll be landing in 20 minutes" said Tim "and the package is waiting"

"Thank you Tim" said Garrett and looked at his watch "we're making good time and we'll get to London by 9am... that's perfect"

MACK'S POV

"Charlie... time to get up" I said softly

"Ugh.. I'm up" said Charlie and sat up, scratching his head & yawned

"Go take your shower" I said "breakfast is almost ready"

"Okay" said Charlie, grabbing his bag and headed upstairs as Gem & Meghan came down

"Morning Mack" said Gem "Did the boys get out on time?"

"Morning darlin" I said "Yep, I made them breakfast and they left at 5:45"

"Oh good" said Gem

"How was Evan this morning?" asked Meghan

"He was in a really good mood" I said "He said that he overslept, but he made it"

"Oh good" said Meghan and made a cup of tea as Gem made a cup of coffee tghen sat down "How did Charlie sleep?"

"Good... according to Louis, Charlie fell asleep around 12:30" I said "He thinks Charlie & Becca were talking to each other bc once Jake & Becca hit International Airspace is whenhe fell asleep"

"Oh wow" said Gem "is that what that electrical buzzing was?"

"Yeah" I said "pretty intense huh?"

"Yeah, it was... it took me a while to fall asleep" said Gem "once I realized it wasn't Louis, I crashed" as Charlie came downstairs "looking good Charlie.. very professional"

Charlie smiled "Thanks Gem... Louis said slacks look better than jeans" said Charlie

"Louis's right" I said "get yourself a cup of tea or coffee and have a seat, breakfast is almost ready"

"Oh wow, okay" said Charlie and poured a cup of coffee and sat down, putting milk & sugar in it and took a drink and sighed "wow.. now I see why Becca drinks this stuff, its really good" as I set plates at everyone's spot

"Dang Mack, you keep cooking like this and I'm gonna need to go on a diet" said Gem 

I chuckled "Sorry darlin, I love to cook and today is a very special day" I said "and nothing makes a day more special than strawberry waffles with blueberries" as Gem took a bite

"Oh my God" said Gem and closed her eyes "this is heaven... pure Heaven"

"I'm glad you like them" I chuckled as my phone buzzed "Its Mary... Pamela says she's giving up cooking bc I've ruined her with strawberry waffles"

"Maybe you should show her how to make a few things" said Gem "Ni would love that"

"I should" I said "You got any idea what the menu for Sunday is yet?"

"Nope... Jessie wont tell" said Gem "all I know is that the loosing team makes dinner"

"Oh that scheming little snot" I said "I'll get it out of her... last time she planned something like this, we ended up with burned Hot Dogs & Burgers... it was so bad we had to order pizza"

"That's not good" said Meghan as Pamela came thru the door

"Okay Mackdaddy, give me the recipe" said Pamela "Anne's going gaga for those waffles and Mom hasn't stopped moaning... Hell, even the kids are in on it"

"Aw, I'm sorry darlin" I said and gave her a hug "I'll write down the recipe for ya and show you how to make a few things that'll make Ni's toes curl"

"Oh thank you Mack" said Pamela and gave a low whistle "whoa Charlie, you look sharp & very professional"

"Thanks Pamela" said Charlie and took care of his plate & cup

"You're welcome" said Pamela "lets make you look more relaxed" Charlie came over to us and Pamela unbuttoned his collar and sleeves and rolled up the sleeves a couple of tijmes "there.. now you don't look so nervous"

"Are you sure?" asked Charlie

"Yep... Uncle Lou says when you feel nervous undo a button or two" said Pamela "if you look relaxed, you'll feel less nervous"

"Oh okay" said Charlie

"Even tho you're just going thru your training for now, always remember to smile, listen to what the customer is looking for and always ask questions.. okay?" said Pamela

"Yes ma'am" said Charlie

"Are you ready to go?" asked Pamela

"Um.. wallet, keys... Yep, I'm ready" said Charlie

"Then lets go so you aren't late" said Pamela

"Okay... see ya in a bit Mack" said Charlie

"Okay.. good luck and have fun" I said 

"Thanks, I will" said Charlie as they headed for the car

PAMELA'S POV

"Okay, buckle up" I said as I started the car

"All set" said Charlie as we pulled out of the driveway and headed into town

"Where is it?" I asked 

"Next to the tattoo place, just past the music shop" said Charlie and pointed "right there"

"Okay" OI said and pulled into the parking space.. I took out a piece of paper & a pen "here's Jessie's number, so call when you're done and keep this in your wallet till you get a phone"

"Okay" said Charlie and got out and went inside as I went to the tattoo parlor to check it out

"Hello... Is George working today?" I asked

"I'm George.. Can I help you?" said George

"I'm a friend of Harry's" I said "He says you're the best at tattoos"

"Yes ma'am" said George "are you looking for somethings detailed?"

"No, I need a four-leaf clover please" I said 

"Not a problem" said George "Where do you want it?"

"On my ankle" I said 

"Okay... have a seat" said George "Have you gotten a tattoo before?"

"Yes, I have 2 on my shoulder blades that I had don't 2 years ago" I said 

"The reason I ask, is bc I usually tell people how to keep the tat from getting infected while the skin heals" said George

"Okay go ahead" I said "a refresher couldn't hurt"

George chuckled and told me what he recommended that I use to take care of the tattoo as he worked. He was just finishing up when my phone rand, so I put it on speaker.

PAMELA: Yeah?

BECCA :Hey Pajama Girl.. I'm here

PAMELA: Hey Becks... Okay, hang tight and I'll be there in 20 minutes

BECCA: No I mean I'm at your house.. Jake drove me bc he said he needed to talk to someone named Mack

PAMELA: Oh okay, then I'll be there in 5 minutes... Do you need anything from the store?

BECCA: Yeah, just a few things and I need to get a gift for Mom

PAMELA: Okay see you in 5... wait... Did Jake park in the driveway? or next door?

BECCA: Next door, why?

PAMELA: Bc I'm driving Jessie's car so everyone parks next door

BECCA: Oh okay... see you in 5

PAMELA: Yup

and hung up "What do I owe you?" I asked

"$25" said George and handed him the money

"And this is for you" I said and gave him another $20

"Thank you ma'am" said George "Tell Harry, I wish him & his bride a long and happy life"

"I will" I said "Have a great day"

"You do the same ma'am" said George

I got in the car and headed for home. I pulled into the driveway as everyone came outside and I got out of the car

"Good God Damn" said Becca "That's Jessie's car?" and looked at Jessie "think you got one big enough?"

"I asked for a car that could seat 8" said Jessie "I figured a regular sized SUV, instead they sent me a tank... at least I got the color I wanted"

"Hey Becks" I said as we hugged

"Hey Pajama Girl" said Becca "whoa baby... Who's the hot tamale over there?"

I looked behind me "Oh, that's Mack" I said "Hey Mack.. Come meet Becca" as Mack, Jake, Gem & Meghan came over to us "Mack, this is Becca... Becca, this is Mack"

"Its nice to finally meet you Becca" said Mack

"Likewise" said Becca

"Becca, this is Gemma, Haz's sister and Meghan, Charlie's twin sister" IK said 

"Oh gosh... its nice to meet you both" said Becca "Where's Charlie?"

"He got a job yesterday and has some training to do" I said and looked at my phone "He'll be back in about 45 minutes or so"

"Oh okay" said Becca "so where's Dad & Pops?"

"They're with Haz & the guys for Haz's bachelor scavenger hunt thru London with the General" I said "tghey'll be back around 2"

"Well damn" said Becca "now I know why Mom & Dad are here on business... Grandpa only does scavenger hunts with Dad, Uncle Bo, Matt, Roger & Gary... I hope the guys are prepared bc when Grandpa conducts a scavenger hunt, he goes all out"

"They'll be fine" I said "Sarah's brother, Brian is the king of scavenger hunts, he'll give them tips on where to find things... I cant wait to see what they bring back"

"So what were you doing when I called?" asked Becca

"I was getting a new tattoo" I said and lifted my pant leg

"Ah okay" said Becca "What did you get this time?"

"A four-leaf clover with Ni's initials" I said 

"Wow.. that's a pretty serious tattoo" said Becca "Does Ni know?"

"No, he'll find out Sunday" I said as Jessie's phone rang

"Its Charlie" said Jessie "Hey Charlie... okay, Mack's on his way, wait out front and he'll be there in 5 minutes... okay" and hung up

"Who needs to get a bridal shower gift?" I asked

"I do" said Anne, Meghan & Jessie

"Okay... Becca, you go with them in Anne's car" I said "while Mack & I go get Charlie and pick up the flowers for the shower... we'll go to the store after the shower"

"Okay" said Becca "let me grab my purse"

"Mom will be here any minute... we're going to go get Izzie's gift" said Sarah

"I'll help Mary get ready while you're all out" said Gem "plus, someone needs to be here when the caterer gets here in case you're not back"


	120. Chapter 120

Chapter 120

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

"Okay Gem" I said as Becca came out and we all got in our cars and left. We pulled up to the store to get Charlie and headed to the hotel "How was it Charlie?"

Oh man, it was great" said Charlie "I even got to help some customers today"

"Wow, that's great" said Mack "Becca landed 45 minutes ago... Are you ready to give your special lady her flowers?"

"She's here?.. Already?" said Charlie "Oh God.. Do I look okay?"

"You look great Charlie, relax" I said as we pulled into the hotel parking lot, got out and went inside "before we go in the shop, Jessie wanted you to have this" and gave Charlie $200 dollars "it will be a week or two before you get paid, so Jessie wanted you to have some money"

"This is too much... I don't need all of this" said Charlie

"Shh, its okay Charlie" said Mack "just keep it for now.. Jessie will explain later"

"Um.. okay" said Charlie and put the money in his wallet as we went in the shop

"Hello Pamela" said Theresa

"Hey Theresa" I said "We need a few arrangements for a bridal shower/bachelorette party and 2 dozen white gardenias please"

"Alright... the arrangements are in the cooler to your left, why don't you have a look while I take care of the gardenias" said Theresa

"Okay" I said as we walked over to the cooler "What do you think Mack?"

"Jessie said a few bouquets, but I love these flowered mini Topiaries" said Mack "and we can use them in the yard for the reception tomorrow"

"Oh that's a great idea" I said "How many should we get?"

"Lets get 6 of them and 4 table-top bouquets" said Mack "Mary did say to surprise her"

I chuckled "Yes she did... you got it" I said as we hauling out the topiaries and then the table-toppers over to the counter "Can you tie a forest green ribbon around the box please"

"Sure... Do you want a message card with it?" asked Theresa

"Yes please" said Charlie "To Rebecca, the other half of my heart, Love Charlie"

"Is this the first time you've given a girl flowers?" asked Theresa and put the card in the box

"Yes ma'am" said Charlie "Gardenias are her favorite"

"I see" said Theresa and went to the cooler and took out a delicate white & pink rose and put it in the box "This rose means 'a first love that lasts forever' " and tied the ribbon around the box and gave it to Charlie

"What do we owe you?" asked Mack

"6 Topiaries, 4 table-toppers & 2 dozen Gardenias" said Theresa as she rang them up "$675 please"

"That's not bad" said Mack and gave her his credit card "How much were the Gardenias?... for future reference"

"$15 per dozen" said Theresa

"Really... back home they cost $50" said Mack

"The trick to saving on the cost, is bc all of the flowers come from my greenhouse" said Theresa

"That's amazing" said Mack

Theresa picked up the phone "Ben, can you, Tony & Mason come out front to help a client take her purchase out to her car please... Thanks" said Theresa and hung up

Mack was signing the credit slip when three huge guys came out of the backroom "We're ready Ms. Theresa, load us up" said Ben

"Okay" said Theresa and gave each man 2 topiaries "Thank you so much Ben"

"You're welcome Ms. Theresa" said Ben "Lead the way ma'am"

We headed for the car, opened the trunk and put the box of table-toppers & topiaries inside then secured them with bungie cords.

"Thanks guys" I said and gave them each $20 "You have a great day"

"You as well ma'am" said Ben and went back to work as we got in the car and headed home

We pulled into the driveway as a delivery truck pulled in behind us.

"Are you expecting a delivery Mack?" I said 

"Yes" said Mack "its for Anne"

"Ah okay" I said as we got out of the car "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I have an express delivery at this address for a Mr. Fitzsimmons" said the driver

"That's me" said Mack

"If you could sign the paperwork sir I'll get your package" said the driver and handed Mack his clipboard.. Mack was signing the papers as the driver brought a wooden box out from the back of the truck and gave it to Mack "Its a beautiful box.. What is it for?"

"Its for a very special Wedding dress" said Mack and opened it "Evie, you're the best" and closed it and gave the man $50 dollars "Thank you so much, you have a great day"

"You as well sir" said the driver and drove off

"Damian, we need your help and bring the guys with you please" I said as Damian and the boys appeared

"Hey Pamela, what's up?" asked Damian

"We need help unloading some flower arrangements for Mom's bridal shower" I said and opened the trunk

"Oh wow" said Davis "These are beautiful" as they started carrying them in the house

We got everything unloaded and set up as the caterer arrived to set up the luncheon. Charlie brought over the stgereo & CD"s and loaded it up with the classics, put it on shuffle and hit play as Gemma came in with the cake & sparkling cider.

"Wow.. this looks great" said Gemma "Did the package arrive yet?"

"Yep, its in my office" said Mack "Come see it"

We followed Mack into his office and opened the box to reveal the dress and veil.

"Oh Mack, its even more gorgeous than it is in the picture" said Gemma "Mom's gonna cry"

"I know... it was one of my first designs" said Mack "Anne will be the first bride to ever wear it"

"We're here" said Gran "Can we bring Mary in?"

Mack closed the box "Yeah.. make her close her eyes first" said Mack as we came out

"Oh crap, I need to get dressed" I said "be right back" and ran home to change

MARY'S POV

"Okay... Mack says close your eyes Mary" said Beth

"Okay" I said and closed my eyes as I wsas led into the house

"On 3, open your eyes darlin" said Mack "1.. 2.. 3" and opened my eyes

"Oh Mack" I said in awe "its beautiful and I love the flowers, they're perfect"

"Come have a seat while we wait for the rest of your guests" said Mack as Gem set out lunch plates, silverware & glasses "What would you like to drink Mary?... We have sweet tea, lemonade, ginger ale, sparkling cider, virgin margaritas & virgin strawberry daquiris"

"Ooo I'll nhaved a virgin margarita please" I said "so what do you use in place of the tequila?"

"Grapefruit juice" said Mack "I also use a little sugar around the edge of the glass instead of salt" and set a glass in front of me

I took a sip "Oh wow.. that's good" I said as everyone came in "Hannah, you made it" and gave her a hug "Have a seat.. How was your first week as a new Mom?"

"Its been amazing" said Hannah "What's that?"

"A non-alcoholic margarita" I said 

"Hannah, what can I get you to drink" said Mack "we have sweet tea, lemonade, ginger ale, sparkling cider, virgin margaritas & virgin strawberry daquiris"

"A strawberry daquiri please" said Hannah "Are you the bartender for today Mack?"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack and set Hannah's drink on the table "Mary, Haz said he'd call when they stop for lunch"

"Oh okay... Can you call Pamela and have her grab my phone, its on my dresser" I said 

"Yes ma'am" said Mack and pulled out his phone "Hey Pamela, can you bring Mary her phone?... its on her dresser... thanks darlin" and hung up "She's got it" as Becca, Anne & Jessie came thru the door

"Dang Pooh bear" said Jessie "Topiaries? Really?"

"Yes topiaries.. Aren't they beautiful?" said Mack "When I saw them, I knew that's what we needed... We spend so much time outside, we needed to bring the outdoors inside for today"

"They're gorgeous" said Jessie as Pamela came in

"Here's your phone Mom" said Pamela and set it down

"Thanks sweetie" I said as Pamedla walked over to Mack

"Where's Charlie?" asked Pamela

"He's in the dining room trying to calm down" said Mack

MACK'S POV

Pamela & I went in the dining room "Hey, are you okay?" asked Pamela

"Yeah, but my hands wont quit shaking" said Charlie "Is she here?"

"She's here, just breathe, slow & easy.. that's it" said Pamela softly "close your eyes and just relax & listen... You've been waiting for this moment your whole life... she's the other half of your heart and she's finally here.. your hands have quit shaking.. feel better?"

"Yeah.. thanks" said Charlie

"You're welcome" said Pamela "come on.. she's waiting to see you" and set the box of flowers on the table "you'll give these to her in a minute"

We walked out to the Livingroom, Pamela walked over to Becca

"Becca, he's here" said Pamela and took Becca's drink as she turned around

"Oh.. my.. God" said Becca slowly and walked over to Charlie, laid her hand on his chest, then hugged him "you're really here" as Charlie held her in his arms

"Yeah, I'm here" said Charlie softly "please don't cry, you're eyes will get all puffy"

"Yeah okay" chuckled Becca and wiped her eyes "I heard you got a job... How was it?"

"Yeah... It was great" said Charlie "I really like it"

"That's great" said Becca "My Nana says 'if you find a job you love, it'll never feel like work' "

"Hmm... she's right" said Charlie "How was your flight?"

"It was great... Jake is really nice and he let me be his co-pilot" said Becca "How's your head?"

"Better" said Charlie "at first, it felt like it was gonna explode, but Pamela said it was bc your plane had reached cruising level and it would pass eventually and it did"

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you about that" said Becca "I was so excited to get here, I completely forgot"

"That's okay" said Charlie "I got you something"

"Oh Charlie... you didn't have to do that" said Becca "You're here.. that's all I need"

"Well, I'll remember that for next time" said Charlie and went into the dining room to get the flowers and came back out "Welcome home" and kissed her cheek

"Oh Charlie" said Becca, sat down and carefully untied the ribbon & opened the box "oh my gosh... white gardenias" and held up the rose "and a single rose?"

"The lady at the shop said that this rose means 'a first love that will last forever' " said Charlie as Becca opened the message card

"To Rebecca, you're the other half of my heart.. Love, Charlie" said Becca and lifted a gardenia to smell it as a tear ran down her cheek.. Charlie knelt in front of her and wiped away the tear with his thumb "I love them... Thank you" and gently kissed his lips as he gently kissed her back, then touched their heads together

"You're welcome, my beautiful angel" said Charlie "now, I'm going to go change and hang out with Chelsea & Trudy while you ladies have your party... we have the whole day to sit & talk"

"Oh okay" said Becca as Charlie went upstairs with his bag

Becca took the ribbon and tied it around her ponytail, closed the box, put it in the dining room and came back out and sat down, completely speechless. Charlie came back down in jeans & a t-shirt and headed for the back door "Mack, call me if you need me" said Charlie

"I will" I said "Okay Ms. Sarah, how are the guys doing?"

"From what I can tell" said Sarah "Brian & Louis made a bet... whoever reaches the airport last, has to wear a dress to the Wedding"

"Oh no" said Pamela and caused everyone to start laughing

"Dear God don't let it be Haz" said Mary

"Don't worry Mary" said Gem "Louis wouldn't do that to Haz, he knows I'd kill him if he tried"

""Who is teamed up with Harry?" asked Anne

"Brian" said Sarah so far, they're in the lead and having a blast"

"Oh good" said Anne & Mary together and relaxed

"Looks like Grandpa underestimated Brian" said Becca and chuckled "I tell ya, Brian's good... Dad's impressed at how fast they've gone thru their list"

"That's your Dad?" asked Sarah

"Yep" said Becca "I'll introduce you if they come back here"

"So Becca.. How long will you be with the RAF?" asked Beth

"Four years" said Becca "till my enlistment is up then I'll go to University to get my master's degree in criminal law"

"Will you be doing that here as well?" asked Maura

"yes ma'am" said Becca "I have a bachelor's degree back home, but I need a master's degree to practice law here... at least, that's what my law professor told me"

"You don't need a master's degree" said Gem "you just need to rake the bar exam... I'll bring over my case law books and you can take the exam anytine you're ready... even while you're enlisted"

"Wow... Seriously?" said Becca

"Yep" said Gem "the only thing you need a master's degree for, is if you practice International Law bc they're tried in a tribunal"

"Wow okay.. Thanks Gemma" said Becca "man.. Professor Davies doesn't know crap about the law here, does he?"

"I guess not" said Pamela "maybe he should go back to school and learn something new"

"Yeah, no kidding" said Becca "Damned Old Fart... Do you know how long it took me to convince the entire family that I had to do this? 6 months and Mom & Dad weren't too keen on having to move here, bc Dad's job is 'need to know' and apparently, I don't"

"Dad just doesn't want to give up that nice corner office" said Pamela "or the primo coffee"

"I don't know... Dad will go anywhere for good coffee" said Becca "He's the only person I know, who buys coffee by the case... Mom had to buy 2 more coffee makers bc Dad drinks so much"

"Damn... How much is he drinking?" asked Pamela 

"At least 3 pots of coffee a day" said Becca

"That's not good" said Pamela "that much coffee can lead to Hypertension & High Blood Pressure"

"Yeah, I know" said Becca "Mom's been trying to get him to cut back, but all that did was make him twitchy & irritable"

"Okay ladies" I said "why don't y'all get something to eat while I finish putting together a little game for you to play" the ladies got up and went to the serving table

"Oh wow" said Mary "this looks amazing and I love these dishes"

"I saw them when I was getting everything for the house last weekend" said Gem "I just love the different colors"

"Where did you find them?" asked Maura

"At the department store in their home goods section" said Gem "they're called 'summer splash'.... KI've been wanting to go get a set for Louis & I, but he likes the ones we have, so I'll wait a while"

"Lets say Grace.. everyone join hands" said Mary "Jessie"

"Heavenly Father, bless this food with your love... Thank you for bringing Becca tpo us safely and bless Becca & Charlie as they start this new chapter in their love story... Thank you for this perfect day and help make Haz & Mary's Wedding just as perfect... In Jesus name, Amen" said Jessie

"Amen" said everyone

"Nicely done baby" said Pamela as Jessie's phone rang

"Thanks Momma... its Papa" said Jessie and put it on speaker

JESSIE: Hey Papa... what's up?

NIALL: Hey poppet, we were just sitting down for lunch and Haz wants you to say Grace... you're on speaker

JESSIE: Okay Papa.. everyone join hands... Heavenly Father, bless this food with your love... Thank you for this perfect day and help make Haz & Mary's Wedding just as perfect... Watch over my family and bring them home safe... In Jesus name, Amen

EVERYONE: Amen

HARRY: Thanks peanut

JESSIE: You're welcome Hazzabear… James Morris Burke, keep it up smartass and I'll tell Tim to make you walk home... Am I clear?

JIMMY: Yes ma'am... crystal

JESSIE: Good... now y'all enjoy your lunch as we'll see you in a while

NIALL: Okay poppet, you too

and hung up "What did Jimmy do?" I asked

"He was trying to get Louis to up the bet" said Jessie "I don't know what bug crawled up Jimmy's ass, but if he doesn't quit, I'm gonna have to punch him and I really don't want to"

"And here you thought Simon was going to be the troublemaker" said Beth

"Sounds like Jimmy needs a 'come to Jesus' " I said, pulled out my phone and put it on speaker

JIMMY: Um... Hey Pooh bear.. what's up?

MACK: What is wrong with you?

JIMMY: Um... nothing?

MACK: Seriously?... listen to me very, very carefully James Morris Burke... If Haz comes back with one hair out of place, I'll chuck this ring out in the middle of the lake and you'll live in Mary's garage permanently... Understood?

JIMMY: Yes sir

MACK: Swear it Jimmy

JIMMY: I promise.. no more trying to prank Haz

MACK: That's better.. now enjoy your luch and I'll see you soon

and hung up "Wow... that's one Hell of a 'come to Jesus' " said Becca

"Well that did it" said Sarah "Jimmy's apologized to Haz and Brian & Louis voided their bet... Jimmy had you on speaker"

"This is really good... What is it?" asked Hannah

"Baked Mostaccoli" said Jessie "Its my Grandma Maggie's recipe... I faxed it to the caterer last week while Momma & Papa were finalizing the Wedding details with Mr. Thompson"

"What else did you do that day?" asked Beth

"Um.. lets see" said Jessie and pulled out her phone "Mary's flowers... the cupcakes... the caterer... the bridal suite... yep, that's everything" and put her phone away

"The bridal suite?" said Mary "We don't need that sweetie"

"Yes you do" said Jessie "its part of the Wedding and its already set... one night alone with your husband and then you'll be off on your honeymoon 4 days later... deal with it Izzie"

"What do you mean by 'all set'?" asked Mary

"Rose petals, candles, chocolate covered strawberries, sparkling cider, champagne flutes, jacuzzi bubble bath, king size bed with white satin sheets" said Jessie "Need I go on?"

"Yes please" said Beth 

"Private pool, couples massage, honeymoon breakfast on the balcony" said Jessie "the total pre-honeymoon package.... Your car will be here at 7pm and will bring you back at 10am on Saturday"

"Whoa" said Pamela as Mary's phone rang

"Its Haz" said Mary "Hey Hazzabear… she's serious... I know, that's what I told her... I guess we have to, its all set.... okay, just a sec" and put it on speaker

MARY: Go ahead Haz

HARRY: Jessie... why?

JESSIE: Because Haz, its part of the Wedding and it your first night alone with your wife... It may be tradition to spend your most special day with friends & family, but your Wedding night is a sacred tradition that is just yours & Mary's to spend together alone.. okay?

HARRY: Wow.. okay... you really need to stop springing surprises on people

JESSIE: Aw come on Haz, I gotta have some fun in a house full of readers... besides, my surprises are the best around... You had to know this was coming

HARRY: Nope.. I had no clue

JESSIE: Really? bc Louis & everyone else figured it out

HARRY: Seriously? *Did you all know that Jessie booked the bridal suite for Mary & I?*

EVERYONE: Yep

HARRY: When were you going to tell me?

LOUIS: Tomorrow... as we pushed you both out the door

HARRY: Gee thanks Louis

LOUIS: No problem Haz

MARY: Did you all know?

EVERYONE: Yep

JESSIE: See?.. Even Anne knew

HARRY: MOM!!

ANNE: Sorry sweetie.. You need to learn to read better... just saying

HARRY: Oh.. we're gonna talk about this later Mom... I cant believe this, my own Mother, keeping secrets from me

JESSIE: Haz, Haz, Haz… there's a lot of things you don't know about your Mom... bye

and hung up "That was close" said Jessie "30 more seconds and he would've asked a question I couldn't answer without lying"

"Oh.. those men are sneaky Pete's" said Sarah "You're Dad is the biggest sneak of all Becca"

"Yeah... you gotta watch out for my Dad" said Becca "He loves to fish for Information when the headline sounds interesting... like your epic water fight on Sunday"

"Oh my God" said Mary "Were they trying to get Haz to find out some of our plans?"

"Yeah" said Becca "You want to mess them up a bit?"

"Oh Hell Yeah" said Jessie 

BECCA'S POV

"Okay... give me your phones, one at a time" I said "bc I'm going to text each guy one word and see what they do next"

"Oh, I like that" said Jessie "Marcus doesn't have a phone yet, so text Simon to give his phone to him.. he's not in the fight, he's our spy"

"Ah.. okay" I said and started typing "Hey Simon.. give your phone to Marcus and tell him to stand-by for an incoming message... send" Jessie's phone buzzed "He says okay... now I'm going to text Grandpa first"

TO: Pops  
FROM: Becca

Dear General and company  
bc you tried to get battle plans out of the Admiral, she has a message for you  
The Lieutenant

TO: Haz  
FROM: Mary

YOU

TO: Marcus  
FROM: Jessie

ARE

TO: Louis  
FROM: Gem

ALL

TO: Jimmy  
FROM: Mack

DEAD

TO: Ni  
FROM: Pamela

MEN

TO: Robin  
FROM: Anne

ON

TO: Liam

FROM: Beth

SUNDAY

"Now... we wait" I said and took a drink


	121. Chapter 121

Chapter 121

HARRY'S POV

Everyone's phone buzzed "What in the Hell?" I said "I just got a one word text from Mary"

"Dude.. We all got one" said Louis

"Let me see you phones" said Garrett as we all passed them over "The message says 'You are all dead men on Sunday' "

"I told you it wouldn't work" I said "Jessie reads thru the phone, now we're all in the doghouse... Its a good thing Jessie booked the bridal suite, bc I'm not going to live long enough to go on my honeymoon... Thanks Lou"

"Okay... who mentally squealed like a stuck pig on a barbed wire fence?" said Louis

"I'm not in this" said Simon "y'all are about to learn the most crucial lesson of your lives.... NEVER try to pull one over on Jessica Renee Foster-Aimsworth-Horan bc you will loose... every time"

"I want to know how Gran got my number" said Liam

"Gee Li, how do you think" said Louis "Mom, Pamela, Jessie, take your pick... she used Simon's phone to get a message to Marcus for God's sake... turn your brain on Li and think.. How do we get back in Jessie's good Graces?"

"Gee, I don't know.. how about quit trying to water-board her and play it like she does" said Liam "quietly observe her dumbass"

"I'm not talking about the water fight Liam" said Louis

"Neither am I Lou" said Liam "Get your finger out of your ear and think... What puts Jessie in a forgiving mood?"

"Flowers" I said 

"Bingo" said Liam "And I know for a fact that Tropicana Roses, Asian Lilies and Magnolias are her 3 favorite flowers"

"You cant get Magnolias outside of the U.S." said Kyle "so you need to think of another flower that she likes"

"Her favorite color is raspberry pink, right?" said Zayn "So get her the Asian Lilies and every raspberry pink flower you can find with a card that says 'Forgive Us' with your names on it... if that doesn't work, try begging"

"That could work" said Jimmy "Who's finished their list?"

"They're all done" said Ni

"Then unless there's something else we have to do, lets finish our lunch, get the flowers and go home" said Jimmy

"No, there's nothing else" said Garrett "Other than this little hiccup, did you all have a good time?"

"We had the best time" I said Thank you Garrett for putting this together"

"You're welcome Haz" said Garrett

"Men, raise your glass" said Marcus "To Garrett and his family, we Thank you for showing us London and for making Haz's last day as a bachelor a memorable one... Garrett, Bo, Kyle, Matt, Roger, Gary, we salute you"

"HERE, HERE!!" said everyone and clinked our glasses

MACK'S POV

"Hey Charlie!!" I yelled

"Yeah?" said Charlie

"Come have lunch" I said as he ran over to me "we have baked mostaccoli & bread sticks... just bc we're men, doesn't mean we have to starve"

"Okay Mack" chuckled Charlie and came in and washed his hands

"Hey Charlie, how are the girls?" asked Mary

"they're fine, they're playing in their pool" said Charlie and sat down "they were splashing around so much, I took my shoes off so they wouldn't get drenched and they hopped out, grabbed my shoes and took them in the pool, so now they're soaked"

"Oh no.. sorry about that Charlie" said Mary

"That's okay.. I've got them upside down on the trampoline draining" said Charlie

"How did your training go today, Charlie?" asked Maura

"It was great" said Charlie "Mr. Carlson has this way of doing inventory, that when you first look at it, it looks lkike a disorganized mess, but the more you look at it, you realize mr. Carlson has a severe case of OCD"

"And that made today great?" asked Meghan

"Nlo, what made today great, was Mr. Carlson let me help a customer with a huge purchase said Charlie "This guy was wanting a sound system for his 'man cave', whatever that is, any way, he bought the system along with 3 stereos like Louis got Jessie, a huge flat screen TV and a video surround sound system"

"Wow" said Pamela "That was a great day"

"Yeah.. and Mr. Carlson said, after the customer left, that he hopes that guy sound-proofed his house or flat, bc with all of that, his neighbors are gonna be mad" chuckled Charlie

"Oh gosh" chuckled Gemma

Wait till you see the sound system Louis bought for your place" said Charlie "its a wireless system that makes all of your CD's sound like you're sitting front row center at a concert... Louis says now you don't have to carry your CD player around the flat when you're cleaning or whatever"

"Oh wow" said Gem

"And what's really nice about a wireless sound system is that, lets say you want to take a bubble bath and relax with some music" said Charlie "you grab two speakers that are no bigger than this glass, take them to the bathroom, turn on your CD, light your candles and you're all set for the most relaxing bath ever"

"Oh wow" said Mary "now that sounds like Heaven"

"I agree" said Anne as one of the babies started fussing

"Okay, okay"" cooed Hannah and picked up Jordan "Shh, don't wake your sister.. Mommy's got you little man" and quieted down as Hannah grabbred a bottle

"Oh gosh.. he's so tiny" said Becca "What's his name?"

"Jordan Daniel" said Hannah as Stephanie started fussing

"Would you like me to get Stephanie, Hannah?" asked Pamela

"Yes please" said Hannah as Pamela picked up Stephanie

"Well hello little one" cooed Pamela "shh, its alight" and took the bottle Hannah gave her "here you go sweetie, and this is Stephanie Renee" at the mention of her name, she opened her eyes

"Oh wow.. her eyes are the same as yours PJ" said Becca "hi there little one" Stephanie stretched and grabbed Becca's finger and wouldn't let go "oh wow, has she got a grip and look at those long fingers.. she's going to play the piano one day, aren't ya sweetie"

"Haz said the same thing a few days ago" said Mary "Are they letting you sleep Hannah?"

"Yeah... Steven gets up with them when they wake up" said Hannah "and they're staying awake longer during the day, unless we have to go somewhere... the minute the car moves, they're asleep"

"Ah.. they're car babies" I said "Jessie was like that too... she could take a 3 hour nap, wake up and the minute you put her in the car, she'd be asleep with her teddy bear & ladybug pillow"

"Yep... I still have that pillow too" said Jessie "the colors are faded, but its the softest pillow ever.. Ms. Jenny made it"

"Mary" I said "Its time"

"Oh good" said Mary "last night, Anne announced that she & Robin are engaged"

"Congratulations Anne" said everyone

"And bc this shower is for me, we have a surprise" said Mary "for Anne"

"What?" as Anne as I came out of the dining room with the wooden dress box and set it on the coffee table

"Anne... I was told that you didn't have the Wedding that you wanted" I said "so after you made your announcement, Gemma came to me to help her pick out you dress"

"Oh gosh" said Anne

"This dress was one of my first designs and has never been worn.. till now" I said and lifted out the dress "why don't we go put it on"

"Come on Annie" said Mary and took her hand and led her upstairs

JESSIE'S POV

"How did Mack get that dress here so fast?" asked Gran 

"Mack called his assistant Evie and she sent it by express delivery" said Gem

a few minutes later...

"We're coming down" said Mack and we watched the stairs as Mack & Anne came down with Mary carrying the train

"Oh Mom" said Gem "You look gorgeous"

Charlie gave a low whistle "You look like the angels" said Charlie

"You think so?" said Anne as Charlie & Gem nodded

"Something's missing" said Momma "oh, I got it... Jessie, go to my room, in the top left dresser drawer and get the large blue velvet box for me please"

"Got it" I said and ran next door and up to Momma's room "top left dresser drawer.. large blue velvet box.... there it is" and opened it "Oh its perfect" and ran back over to the house "Here Momma"

"Thanks baby" said Momma "Becca can you hold Stephanie for a minute"

"Sure" said Becca as Momma laid the baby in her arms "hey there little one" as Momma walked over to Anne & Mack

"Anne... My Great-Grandma Mary gave these to my Mom on her Wedding fay" said Momma as she hooked the necklace "and as you recall, I was wearing these the night Niall proposed, so they must bring good luck, so I want you to wear these on your Wedding day" and hooked the bracelet as Mack put the earrings on Anne's earlobes and attached the veil

"Take a look" said Mack softly as Anne turned around and looked in the mirror "Now, you look like a Queen"

"Oh Mack" said Anne "its so beautiful"

"How does it feel?" asked Mack

"It feels like I'm not even wearing it" said Anne "Its almost perfect"

"Almost?" said Mack

"The train is a little too long" said Anne

"We can fix that" said Mack "Mary can you help me bustle the back please"

"Sure" said Mary as they started to bustle the back of the dress... Mack pulled the ribbons as Mary fluffed the skirt, then tied the ribbons in a bow

"There.. now how does it look?" asked Mack

"Oh, now its perfect" said Anne and smiled as she turned side ways "and it still feels the same as before"

"Excellent" said Mack "This is Gem & I's gift to you... all you have to do now is plan your Wedding, pick a date and say 'I do' "

"That seems to be a problem" said Anne "We cant decide on a date... we know we want a summer Wedding, but we don't want to have it too close to Gem & Louis's on July 15th"

"How about September 1st" I said "its still summer and its a month and a half after Gem & Louis's Wedding"

"It still feels too close" said Anne

"Mom, don't think about that" said Gem "it doesn't matter if its a day, a week or a month apart, this is your Wedding, so pick the date you want, its still going to be special"

"Are you sure sweetie?" asked Anne

"I'm positive" said Gem "Pick your date Mom"

"Then September 1st it is" said Anne and smiled

"Woohoo Wedding #5, here we come" I said.. that made everyone laugh

"Slow down sweetie" chuckled Anne "lets get Mack & Gem's Weddings done first, before you start on mine... okay?"

"Theirs is already done" I said "it just needs to be polished and locked down"

"What?" said Mack & Gem together, in total shock

"Surprise" I said and went upstairs and came back down with Grandpa's white tuxedo "and this is for you Pooh bear" and unzipped the bag "its a Mackenzie original"

"Oh care bear... William's suite" said Mack as his eyes filled with tears "I always loved this one"

I know" I said "I had Jimmy bring it from home for you to wear at your Wedding.... the bride always wears white Pooh bear.. even you"

"Okay" said Anne softly "lets get me out of this dress and get you in your suit, its your turn Mack"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack and wiped his eyes as they went upstairs

"Gran, lock the door" said Sarah "The guys are about to take off from London"

"Okay sweetie" said Gran and looked the door as I set out Mack's accessories

"Here comes the man of the hour" said Mary as Mack came downstairs in his suit

"Lord have mercy, sakes alive" said Gran and fanned herself

"Whoa baby" said Sarah

Charlie gave a low whistle "Mack, wow... you are rocking that suit" said Charlie

I picked up a small grey velvet box "Grandma Rosalind gave this to Grandpa Jameson on their wedding day and Pappie wore it on his Wedding day" I said and opened the box "Pappie loved this pocket watch.. it says 'Time waits for no one so cherish the time that's given' " and attached the watch, then grabbed the cufflinks "Gammie gave these to Pappie on their 50th Anniversary.. I had Jimmy get them engraved a while back and he has an identical set" and opened the box

"Oh care bear" said Mack as I hooked the cufflinks

"And this is my gift to you" I said "This is a handmade handkerchief that Ms. Jenny made for my Mom for her Wedding day and I want you to have it... Mom had it with her the day I was born" I kissed it, folded it and put it in Mack's suit pocket and gave him a hug "I Love You Pooh bear"

"I Love You too Care bear" said Mack and then looked in the mirror "Hmm" then removed his tie and unbuttoned the top & second button "There, that's better.. now I feel more relaxed"

"Oh wowzer" said Mary "yeah, definitely no tie"

Mack chuckled "Okay, I'll wear the suit without a tie, just for you darlin" said Mack "now, I'm going to change and then it'll be time for Mary to open her gifts while Charlie & I clean up"

"Okay" said Mary as I got out my camera and loaded it with film as Mack went upstairs to change

"Wow, that's a serioys looking camera" said Becca

"This is my everyday camera.. it takes the best pictures indoors... Uncle Simon got it for me when I was 7" I said 

Jessie did Haz & I's engagement photos and a family photo shoot with Haz, Gem, Anne & Robin last weekend" said Mary "They turned out so beautiful"

"Wow" said Becca "Do you take pictures all the time?"

"I used to" I said "now I just take them for special occasions... engagements, Weddings, family pictures, things like that" as Mack came downstairs and gathered up the gifts and set them on the table next to Mary

"Would you ladies like tea or decaf coffee with your cake" said Mack

"Tea please" said everyone

"Coming right up" said Mack and started the water as he & Charlie cleaned up

"What kind of cake is it?" asked Linda

"Red velvet with buttercreme frosting" said Gem "I tried to find one with cream cheese icing, but that needs to be a special order"

"Ah okay" said Linda

"This is from Mack & Jimmy" said Mary and opened the box, then slammed the lid down "Mack!!.. Seriously?"

"Live a little darlin" chuckled Mack

"Oh my God" said Mary "Its not the living part I'm concerned with, this will cause Haz to have a stroke"

"Oh it will not" chuckled Mack "that is for tomorrow night darlin.. have fun"

"You are so bad Mackenzie Fitzsimmons" said Mary

"But when I'm bad, I'm better" said Mack and winked

"Oh hush you flirt" chuckled Mary

"Let me see Mom" said Momma and took the box and opened it "Whoa" and lifted it from the box "Yep, this'll kill him... Did you have to get it in black?"

"I was going for white, but that was the only color in Mary's size" said Mack "Believe me, I looked all over Savannah.. you don't even want to know where I found that at"

"Mackenzie Walter Fitzsimmons" I said "You went to Ms. Zara's naughty hooker shop?"

"How do you know about Ms. Zara's shop?" asked Mack

"Oh please... Where do you think Mom got that slinky black leather witch's dress from?" I said

"Oh damn" said Mack "I forgot about that dress"

"This one is from Pamela" said Mary and opened the box "Oh Pamela, its gorgeous" and lifted out a floor length blue satin slip nightgown with spaghetti straps and sheer blue overlay

"That's for your honeymoon" said Momma and took a box from her bag "and this one is for Haz" and gave it to Mary "you can let him open it later"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary "This one is from Beth" and opened the box "Oh Beth, its beautiful" and took out a white satin & lace Wedding album "Oh thank you"

"You're welcome dear" said Gran

"This is from Becca" said Mary and opened the bag and removed the tissue paper "Oh wow... candles, aroma therapy bath salts... what are these?" and held up a sheer bag with different colored balls in it

"Those are bath bombs" said Becca "Think of them as alka-seltzers for your bath... drop one in your bathwater and it fizzes the water and makes your whole body tingle... they're amazing"

"Oh wow" said Mary "Thank you Becca"

"You're welcome Mom" said Becca "Those are to help you relax during your pregnancy"

"Pops could use some of those" said Momma

"I got Pops some too" said Becca "it was hard to find ones that didn't smell like flowers or fruit, but I found some he'll like"

"This one is from Gem" said Mary and opened the box "Oh Gem, its gorgeous" and took out a wite flowered cotton dress with white flats "Thank you"

"You're welcome" said Gem Its for your date nights with Haz on your honeymoon"

"Where are you two going Mom?" asked Becca

"Ireland" said Mary "Beth is letting us use her house for our honeymoon"

"Oh wow... How long are you going to be there?" asked Becca

"2 weeks" said Mary "This is from Linda & Sarah" and opened the box "Oh Linda, they're beautiful" and took out a pair of crystal champagne flutes with 'Bride' & 'Groom' etched on them along with their Wedding date "Thank you"

"You're welcome Mary" said Linda

"This one is from Hannah" said Mary and opened the box "Oh Hannah, its beautiful" and took out a crystal picture frame "when two souls meet, love grows and life begins... Thank you"

"You're welcome" said Hannah

"This one is from Maura" said Mary and opened the box "Oh my God... Maura... oh gosh" and took out a pair of picture frames "they're the most beautiful... How?"

"I asked Anne & Jessie for them" said Maura

"Oh Maura" said Mary and wiped her eyes "Thank you so much"

"You're welcome Mary" said Maura

"This is from Meghan" said Mary and opened the box "Oh Meghan, they're beautiful" and took a pair of colored crystal birds "What kind of birds are they?"

"They're lovebirds" said Meghan "they are the only bird that have a soulmate for life"

"Thank you" said Mary

"You're welcome" said Meghan

"This one is from Anne" said Mary and opened the box and took out a beautiful white, raspberry pink & blue quilt "Oh Anne.. Where did you find this?"

"Its Harry's" said Anne "My Mother made it after Des left... I found it when I moved.. Harry picked out every patch till it looked just right" and chuckled "it drove my Mother crazy till Harry told her about his dream and said 'Nana, she always wears blue, so it has to be her favorite color'... if you look at each patch, you'll see the pink ones are the same as the blue ones"

"Oh gosh" said Mary as she looked at it closely "I remember this quilt... Haz was so excited when it was finished and said it was for his wife... I had no idea he was talking about me... Thank you"

"You're welcome" said Anne "its finally where it belongs"

"And this one is from Jessie" said Mary and opened the box to reveal a set of unity candles and a jar with several bags of wax beads "Oh wow... What's the sand for?"

"Its not sand, they're wax beads" I said "Tomorrow at the reception, we're going to make a country candle for the center of the table, then you'll light it every year on you're anniversary"

"Oh wow" said Mary "Thank you Jessie"

"You're welcome" I said as Mack gathered up the gifts and took them into the office, then he & Charlie brought tea & cake to the table

"Get some tea and cake you two" said Mary as they got some desert and sat down

'Ladies raise your cups" said Gran "Jessie, you & Mack have made today one to remember, thank you... To Mack & Jessie.. salute"

"HERE, HERE!!" said everyone

"I'm glad y'all had a good time and it has been my honor to be your host for the day" said Mack and raised his cup "To the lady of the day... Tomorrow as you & Haz become man & wife, look to the ladies sitting at this table for strength, patience, understanding, Love and friendship... To Mary"

"HERE, HERE!!" said everyone

"Becca... Would you like to hold Jordan?" asked Hannah

"Oh, yes please" said Becca as Hannah laid him in her arms "Well hello there young man" Jordan gave Becca a huge smile and started babbling "why thank you.. you're a cutie pie... that's Charlie, we're soulmates... *chuckling* Jessie will tell you when you get older... oh okay" and put him on her shoulder and rubbed circles on his back till her burped, then switched him back to her arms "is that better?... you're welcome sweetie... okay, take a nap" and kissed his head as he closed his eyes "I cant get over how tiny they are" as Jordan grabbed her finger

"I know" said Hannah "Its hard to believe they're only 4 days old... they were born 2 weeks early"

"Oh gosh... How much did they weigh?" asked Becca

"Stephanie was 6 pounds and Jordan was 6 pounds 7 ounces" said Hannah "Dr. Carlisle said they're weight was great given that they're twins and were born early"

"My brother & I were born 3 weeks late" said Becca "I weighed 5 pounds 3 ounces and Jeremy weighed 6 pounds... He died the next day.. He had a hole in his heart"

"Oh... I'm so sorry for your loss" said Hannah

"Thanks" said Becca "I think that's why I never had any other siblings... I cant wait to be a Mom"

"How many children do you want to have Becca?" asked Maura

"Oh.. 5 or 6" said Becca "and I hope they're all girls... bc of me being the only girl born in a family full of men, it would be hilarious to see my Uncles & cousins figure out how to play dress up and have tea parties instead of football games and beer pong"

"Beer pong?" said Gem 

You take a bunch of plastic cups and try and get a coin in one of them" said Momma "If you miss, you have to chug a beer.. if you make it, you're safe"

"Ah.. so its a drinking game" said Gem 

"Yeah... Becca & I used to play it with Pepsi at school during final exams to keep from going crazy" said Momma

"It worked didn't it?" said Becca "and you got really good at it, which infuriated my cousins, remember?"

"Yeah... Burt & Maxwell still think I cheated when I made that trick shot" said Momma "and they saw me do it"

"They were so wasted, you could've said that you saw a polka-dotted pink elephant and they'd say ypou were hallucinating while they looked for it" said Becca "they were just jealous bc they knew they'd never make that shot and you still had a full beer"

"That's true" chuckled Momma "not to mention that they're lightweights... who gets shit-faced from 3 beers?"

"Burt & Maxwell... Uncle Bo... my Dad... Grandpa" said Becca "My Mom... Aunt Mimi... Trevor... Duncan... need I go on?"

"No... you made your point" said Momma

We heard barking in the backyard "What's pulled their chain?" I said and went to the kitchen window "Oh, its just Andrew and the boys" and came back to sit down "they're setting up the table and stuff for tomorrow"

"We should go help" said Mary

"Nope" I said "Andrew said this is their job and they said they have a special gift for you... they wouldn't tell me about it, so we'll leave them be... for now"

"Oh.. Okay then" said Mary "They do know they didn't have to get me a gift.. right?"

"Yes, they know" I said as there was a knock on the back door

"I'll get it" said Mack and went to the door "Hey Andrew.. Come in"

"Thanks" said Andrew and came inside "Mary.. Is it alright to put the patio furniture over here in the yard till after the reception?"

"Sure, go ahead" said Mary "and you can empty the dogs pool if you need to, its fine"

"Okay Thanks" said Andrew and took an envelope from his pocket "this is for you" gave it to Mary and left

Mary opened the letter and read it out loud...

My Dearest Mary,  
I had a visitor today who said that you're getting married tomorrow. I saw your Groom today, and can see that he loves you very much. I hope you'll be as happy as your Mother & I were... I Love You Cherry Blossom

Love always,  
Daddy

P.S.  
I cant wait to see you in your dress

Mary got up and went outside.

"No way" said Momma and picked up the letter "Does this mean what I think it means?"

Davis came to the door "Um, Jess?... Mary needs you, she's hyperventilating" said Davis

"Aw crap... Come on Pooh bear" I said as we went outside and I knelt in the grass "Shh Izzie.. look at me, that's it, now just breathe, slow & easy.. that's it, slow your heart rate, atta girl, there you go"

"He's going to be here" said Mary "My Daddy's gonna be here... for my Wedding" as tears ran down her cheeks

"I told you he would be.. didn't I?" I said 

"No.. literally" said Mary "God is letting him come here... for me"

"Seriously?" I said and looked at Andrew, he nodded "Oh Izzie, that's wonderful... Why are you crying?"

"Because I'm so happy" cried Mary "I don't care if its only for a couple of hours... I get to see my Daddy again"

"Oh Izzie" I said and held her as she cried "Shh.. I know, I know... Mack, help me get Izzie in the house"

"Come on darlin" said Mack softly and picked Mary up bridal style "that's it, just let Pooh bear take care of you" and carried her in the house

"Will Mary be alright?" asked Collin

"She'll be fine" I said "it was just a bit of a shock is all"

"Oh okay" said Collin "Come on guys, we need to get back to work so that its done by dinner" and I went back in the house

"I'm sorry Mack" cried Mary

"Shh.. its alright darlin" said Mack softly "These are happy tears and those are the best ones in the whole world... take a drink of tea and just breathe normal... you're getting married in a little over 25 hours and you Daddy is going to be here to give you away... it doesn't get any better than that" I sat down and closed my eyes

"Is my Mom coming too?" asked Mary

"No" I said and opened my eyes "She's afraid that she wont want to leave when its time to go, but she'll be watching"

"Mom's always been that way" said Mary "She was worried about me bc I was so close to my due date with Liam.. she didn't want to go sailing that day, but I told her to go and that we'd see them in a few days... Do you think she knew?"

"I don't know Izzie" I said "she doesn't like to remember that memory"

"What was Grandma like?" asked Momma

"She was quiet and hated being the center of attention" said Mary "She loved to cook, she could do crossword puzzles in her head, she loved to write and Halloween was her absolute favorite holiday ever... She would dress up as the wicked witch from the Wizard of Oz and she had this huge cast iron witch's cauldron and every year, Daddy would bring it out to the front yard, build a fire and fill it up full of apple cider and Mom would be out there stirring it & cackling and gave out hot apple cider and pumpkin spice doughnuts to the parents while Daddy took me out trick or treating" and smiled "that was her idea of fun"

"Oh wow" said Mack "Do you have pictures of her dressed up?"

"Yeah, in my family photo album... Nana took them every year" said Mary "from when I was a year old till I was 12... Nana died 3 weeks before my 13th birthday... I stopped going out on Halloween after that"

"You should do that on Halloween Mary" said Gem "You would be a hit around here"

"Oh... I cant" said Mary "I wouldn't even know where to find a witch's cauldron like Mom had and my garage isn't big enough to store it"

"How big was Grandma's?" asked Momma

"It was as big around as the baby pool and was about 3 ft. high, at least" said Mary

"Holy shit that's huge" said Becca "How did your Dad move it?"

"Daddy would rent a forklift" said Mary "We had an old pole barn he stored it in"

I pulled out my phone and looked it up "Would you do it if I could find one half the size?" I asked

"Hell yeah" said Mary

"Okay" I said "Momma... I need my credit card please"

"Um.. Okay baby" said Momma and got it out of her purse and gave it to me

I put in my shipping information, phone number and credit card and pressed send "Okay, its done" I said and gave my card back to Momma "it'll be here by October 1st... I wont need my card again till then Momma, I need to find out if I can get apple cider around here or if I have to order it online"

"Okay baby just let me know" said Momma and put it back in her wallet "How much was it?"

"With shipping, it came to $925 even" I said "which isn't bad considering shipping rates... its 1.5 ft. high and 2ft. in diameter and comes with a cauldron stand, which is perfect and we can store it in the garage with no problems"

"You weren't kidding about how fast she works PJ" said Becca "She's good"

"Looks like I'll be making you the ultimate witch's costume Mary" said Mack "This is gonna be fun" and went upstairs and came back with his sketch pad and pencil "Okay.. Halloween is 3 months away, so it needs to be loose enough that you can breathe and isn't constricting around your belly... not too long, sleeves, high collar, ruffles at the wrists, circa early 1700's... I'm thinking black crepe material with black cotton petticoats... Does it get cold here in October?"

"Yeah, but if she's standing by the fire, she should be fine with a wool cape, like the pilgrims wore" I said 

"Oh that's perfect" said Mack "No wait.. how about a 'little red ridding hood' style wool cape?.. that way it'll give her more of a 'Snow White' old lady look"

"Oh, I like that" said Sarah "Izzie already has blond hair so it'll look gray in the glow of the fire"

"Okay" said Mack "How does this look Mary?" and showed her the sketch

"It looks too fancy for a witch" said Mary "think more along the lines of the Amish - very plain, high collar, no ruffles, keep the cape, make the dress in black wool with a frayed hem & wrists and put a few patches on the skirt"

"Ahh I get what you mean" said Mack "so instead of a dress, make it a blouse & skirt"

"Yeah.. in wool" said Mary "you can line it with black cotton so it isn't so itchy, but yeah, that makes a better witch's costume"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack

"Now I need green tinted Halloween make-up, black lipstick, long red fake nails and red & black striped knee socks and I'll be all set" said Mary

"Black lipstick?" said Gem

"To make my teeth look gray and rotten" said Mary "bad witches don't have white teeth Gem"

"Ah, okay" said Gem "You're gonna look creepy Mary"

"Would you like an apple my pretty?" said Mary in her best witches voice

"Ooo Izzie" said Sarah "don't do that till Halloween... I've got goosebumps" and rubbed her arms

"Sorry petal" said Mary "I was just trying it out"

"Mack?" said Davis "We're ready for the topiaries and table toppers"

"Okay, come on in" said Mack

"Come on guys" said Davis as they came in and started gathering up the topiaries and took them outside, then came back in for the table flowers "Here, put this on Mary when we give the signal" and handed Mack a blue satin scarf "that way it stays a surprise"

"You got it" said Mack as they went back outside "this is so exciting... I cant wait to see what they've done"

"I cant tell" said Sarah "I'm being blocked by all of them"

"Well whatever they're doing, Chelsea & Trudy are sure quiet" I said 

"What is that smell?" asked Meghan

"I don't know, but it smells incredible" said Charlie "What time is it?"

I looked at my phone "Its 2 o'clock" I said as Mary's phone rang

MARY: Hey Hazzabear

HARRY: Hey princess, we just landed... Are you and everyone still over with Mack?

MARY: Yeah, we're still here... why?

HARRY: Bc I'm being blindfolded till we get there.. on Davis's orders so I'm just making sure this isn't one of Jimmy's pranks

MARY: Oh... no, I have one too on Davis's orders, so you can relax 

HARRY: Okay good... I'll see you in a bit then... I Love You princess

MARY: I Love You too Hazzabear… see you soon

and hung up "Now I feel nervous" said Mary "What are they up to Jessie?"

"I'm not telling" I said "you'll see, besides this was their idea, not mine, I just gave them the funds and Haz's truck"

"You let them use Haz's truck?" said Mary "Davis may know how to drive, but he hasn't had a driver's license in 40 years Jessie... what if he had an accident?"

"Izzie, calm down.. Davis has a valid driver's license" I said "Garrett made sure he had one so relax... I wouldn't have let him use it if he didn't, trust me" as a horn sounded "that must be the signal" and looked at the driveway "Yep, the boys are home"

"Okay Mary, just relax and lets get ready to go see your surprise" said Mack and put the blindfold around Mary's eyes

"Oh God... Okay" said Mary as the guys brought in a blindfolded Haz and Davis came thru the back door

"Is the happy couple ready?" asked Davis

"Ready" said Haz & Mary

"Okay, Liam & Louis, if you could lead your Mom out to the gate and Anne & Gem, if you could lead Haz out the rest of us will follow" said Davis "and I ask that no one comment till the bride & groom remove their blindfolds please... Ladies first" as Davis held the door

"Okay Mom, carefully step down" said Liam "that's it, one more step.. and you're safe" and headed for the gate "wait here for Haz"

"Okay" said Mary

"Okay Haz, carefully step down... next step" said Gem "now we're heading over to Mary at the gate.... stay right here Haz"

"Okay" said Haz

"Announcing the presence of our Bride & Groom" said Davis "May they enter the sanctuary sir?"

"Do they come voluntarily?" said Andrew

"Yes sir" said Haz & Mary

"Then you may remove your blindfolds and enter" said Andrew

Haz & Mary took off their blindfolds and saw a sheer white curtain

"Welcome to the land of dreams" said Davis and pulled the curtain aside to allow Haz & Mary to go thru the gate and into the yard

"Oh Haz" said Mary and took his hand as they walked into the yard

"Wow... this is beautiful" said Haz as we followed them thru the gate and into the yard


	122. Chapter 122

Chapter 122

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

The backyard was enclosed in a sheer white tent, there was an arbor draped with yellow roses at the back door with a topiary on either side, and a gazebo draped with yellow roses & the remaining topiaries. The tent sparkled with faerie lights, the table was set with a white table cloth & the table toppers and the chairs had white chair covers tied with white satin ribbons.

"Holy cow" said Louis "How did you get a gazebo back here?"

"We're angels... How do you think we got it back here" said Davis "We floated it thru the field, over the fence and set it in place, then we put up the tent... Duh" as the guys came out of the house carrying boxes.. 3 blue & 3 pink

"Mary, Haz" said Andrew "This is our way of saying 'Thank you' for making us a part of your family and these are our gifts to you.. the blue ones are for Mary and the pink ones are for Haz" and handed the boxes to them

"Now if each team will please give their backpack to the designated person when I call your name, we can put the finishing touches in place" said Davis "Haz & Brian give yours to Andrew... Ni & Marcus to Collin... Evan & Simon to Damian... Liam & Jimmy to Stuart... Louis & Robin to Me... and Tom & Zayn to Damian & Collin"

"Please.. have a seat" said Stuart as they got busy adding the trinkets and different items from London to the arbor, gazebo & table

"What is that wonderful smell?" said Mary

"Shrimp Gumbo" said Stuart "it was a tradition in our family, that the day before a Wedding, my Daddy would make a big pot of Shrimp Gumbo and we'd share stories of the Bride & Groom over dinner"

"Isn't Gumbo spicy?" said Becca

"Yes it is.. usually" said Stuart "but the guys don't handle that kind of spicy well, so I serve it with a bottle of hot sauce so that you can add the spicy to your own dish"

"Ah okay" said Becca

"Where are the girls?" I asked

"We didn't want them to get hurt, so Andrew put them down for a nap" said Stuart

"Oh okay' I said "Izzie, do you want me to get Haz's gift from Momma?"

"Yes please sweetie" said Mary "Actually Jessie, I'll come with you.. I want to show Haz the gifts from Maura & Anne"

"Okay" I said as we went back over to the house and had just grabbed the gifts when Mack came in "What's up Pooh bear?"

"I'm going to put the rest of Mary's gifts in her room" said Mack "Do you mind Mary?"

"No, I don't mind" said Mary

"Leave the gifts from Me & Linda on the coffee table" I said "We'll need them for tomorrow"

"Okay care bear" said Mack "What was Linda's gift?"

"The Bride & Groom Champagne flutes" I said ""Ah okay" said Mack "Do you want me to wake up the girls?"

Yes please" I said as we headed back out in the yard "Haz, this is from Momma" and handed him the box and sat down

"Thanks peanut" said Haz and opened the box "Oh wow" and lifted out a set of navy blue satin pajamas

"Those are for your honeymoon" said Momma

Thanks Pamela" said Haz 

"You're welcome" said Momma

"This is from Damian" said Mary and opened the box "Oh Damian, its beautiful... Did you make this?"

"Yes ma'am" said Damian "it polished rosewood"

"A full house is a happy house where love grows and spreads like wildflowers in life's precious garden" said Mary and walked over and kissed his cheek "Thank you Damian"

"You're welcome Mary" said Damian as Mary sat back down

"This is from Andrew" said Haz and opened the box and took out several books "poetry.. Flowers A to Z.. and a cookbook '101 dishes of Love'... wow, Thanks Andrew"

"You're welcome Haz" said Andrew

"This is from Collin & Stuart" said Mary and opened the box "Oh wow... peppermint tea, a coffee cup, a romance novel... oh my God... and marzipan candied fruit... I love it" and got up and kissed their cheeks "Thank you"

"You're welcome Mary" said Collin & Stuart in unison as she sat back down

"This is from Davis & Damian" said Haz and opened the box and took out a picture frame "Oh wow... How did you get this picture?"

"Jessie took it" said Davis "we wanted a special picture of you & Mary that didn't look professional, so she ordered it and we picked it up when we found the right frame"

"Its perfect... Thank you" said Haz

"This is from Andrew & Davis" said Mary and untied the ribbon and opened the box, inside were a lot of letters "What's all this?"

"Open the yellow one" said Davis

"Okay" said Mary and picked up the yellow envelope, opened it and read it aloud...

Dear Mary,  
On your Wedding day, put away the past and embrace your future. We had our time, now it is you & Harry's time.

Dear Harry,  
As you may have guessed, Mary is a rare jewel with a big heart, and there are a few things that you should know... she hates liver & onions and loves chicken & dumplings.. when you find her sitting in the dark, light a candle.. don't let her drive in the winter time.. and don't forget to tell her how beautiful she is, bc there will be times when she doesn't think she is.  
I wish you many blessings in this life and beyond... All my sincerest Love,   
John

"Oh gosh" said Mary and picked up another envelope and opened it

Dear Mary & Harry,  
As you begin your lives together, always remember to say 'I Love You', never to go to bed angry, never miss an opportunity to dance, make love often, laugh like children and live every minute to its fullest.

Love always & forever,  
Gwen Wallace

Mary wiped her eyes as Haz picked up a letter and read it aloud...

Dear Harry & Mary,   
Today is your last day as two people, for tomorrow, you'll become one, in love & in life.  
You will face life's challenges separately, but always remember to lean on each other as doubts & fears meet you on life's most precious journey, don't let them pull you apart, hold on tight and remember your vows 'For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness & in health, to Love & to cherish, till death us do part'

May life bring you nothing but happiness and many, many blessings.  
All my Love,  
Catherine Foster

Everyone took a letter and read them aloud.. Momma was the last one to read her letter

Dearest Mary & Harry,  
Tomorrow the Universe welcomes your love & life together with open arms. Embrace each moment it gives and weave them into the bonds of your marriage. Teach them to your children as they grow in the sunshine of your love.  
This life is a fragile thread that grows stronger over time with Love, compassion, understanding, trust & Faith. May your lives be blessed in all ways possible, I Love You both more than words can convey.

Love always & forever,  
Mary Wallace-Williams

Everyone put their letter back in the box as Haz opened his last box and took out 2 letters and handed them to Anne & Gem to read.

Dear Harry,   
I wish I could be there on your Wedding day to tell you this in person, but this will have to do. I am so proud of the man you've become and am so happy that you found your Mary, she's stunning. I wish you both so much Love, happiness and an abundance of blessings.

Love always,  
Your Nana

Dear Harry,  
In this life, one thing is certain, life is better when you're in Love and loved in return. Children are proof that Love is unconditional and should never be taken for granted. As men, we get our ability to Love from our first love, our Mother's.   
They show us trust, Love, understanding, and give us our Faith in ourselves and in knowing that our one true love is out there waiting... and now your waiting is over. May God bless and keep you all the days of your life.

Sincerely yours,  
Jason Patrick Wallace  
esquire

"Who is Jason Wallace?" asked Haz

"My Grandpa" said Mary and wiped her eyes "You would've loved him... He could take a block of wood and make the most beautiful carved animals & flowers you've ever seen" Mary took the letters and tied them together with the ribbon from her box as Haz closed his last box.

"Haz… there's something else in that box" said Stuart

"There is?" said Haz and removed the lid and moved the tissue paper "Oh wow" and lifted out a pair of birds set inside a cage shaped like a heart "Its gorgeous... what kind of birds are they?"

"According to Jason, they're lovebirds" said Collin "He's been working on that for a very long time"

"Oh wow" said Gran "look at the detail... this is a work of art" Mary went inside and came back out with an identical heart shaped cage with birds in it

"Grandpa made this the day you were born" said Mary and showed Haz the date etched on the bottom "At first, I thought he made it for Pamela, then he told me it was for a special young man that I would meet one day and that I was supposed to give it to him" and took a piece of paper out of the cage and read it

To Whom it may concern,  
Life is a delicately carved cage... it absorbs everything that's thrown at us to keep us safe, like the birds inside this one.   
Love keeps us warm, like a fire on a cold winter night... it brings loved ones together to share in its glow.  
Happiness takes many shapes and is sometimes elusive... its not until we slow down that it welcomes us back with open arms like an old friend.

In time, you will understand that there will be people and events in your life that will try and break your resolve... Let Mary be the cage that keeps your heart safe.. Show her the world and what true unconditional Love looks like. What makes you happy? is it a word? a flower? a song? a person? Find what makes you happy and make it take flight for true happiness can not be given to you, it needs to be found and only you can do that.

I know that you will become a fine young man, worthy of everything that Life, Love & Happiness have to give. I hope this letter finds you well.. My Mary has kept this safe for you.

Sincerely,  
Jason P. Wallace  
esquire

"Oh wow.. a matched set" said Anne "now they're where they belong"

Haz & Mary set them in the middle of the table.

"Izzie... Steen, Jordan & Sister Grace are here" said Sarah "I'll go let them in"

"Oh.. Thank you petal" said Mary as Sarah went inside and came back out with the others

"Wow.. this looks amazing" said Steven as he walked over to Hannah " Hey darlin.. Did you have a good time today?" and kissed her head as he sat down

"Oh yes, we had a wonderful time" said Hannah "Steven, this is Becca, Garrett's grand-daughter... Becca, this is my husband Steven"

"Its nice to meet you" said Becca and shook his hand

"Same as well" said Steven

"Hey... your Daddy's here, are you going to sleep all day?" said Becca softly as Jordan opened his eyes "that's better.. lets go see your Daddy" and walked over to Steven and laid Jordan in his arms "now be sociable and don't go to sleep for a while.. okay?" Jordan babbled, then smiled at Steven as Becca sat back down

"Sister Grace?" said Mary "I almost didn't recognize you"

"Oh.. I'm sorry Mary" said Grace "We received a huge delivery today and of course, today was our monthly floor to the rafters cleaning of the rectory, so Sister Ellie suggested that we wear civilian attire for today... I lost track of the time and didn't have time to change"

"That's alright" said Mary "Have a seat... Is that our senior prom assignments?"

"Yes it is and I must say, I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out who to give tasks to" said Grace "Ms. Jessie forgot to tell me how many people we had to help"

"Oh gosh... I'm so sorry" I said "This is our group of helpers... each couple or person has a color and list of items... those that don't have a list, are free to donate their time and Mack has offered to help make your vision a reality"

"Oh gosh" said Grace and opened her book "um.. why do we start with a set up team and a clean up crew"

"That would be us ma'am" said Damian "the 5 of us do all of the set up and the clean up"

"Oh... Are you sure?" asked Grace

"Yes ma'am" said Davis "that's what we do"

"Alright.. you names please?" said Grace

"Andrew, Collin, Damian, Davis & Stuart ma'am" said Andrew

"How many residents will be attending?" asked Mary

"Seventy-five" said Grace "We have been having problems with the van, so unless we can get it fixed, only those will be able to attend"

"Davis & I are going to see if we can fix it on Monday Sister" said Louis "we should know pretty quick what's wrong with it"

"Its an old bucket of bolts is what it is" said Grace "the man who ran the home before the courts gave it to us, never fixed it or made any repairs to the facility and everywhere we look for assistance, wants a fortune that we just don't have"

Marcus nudged me and whispered in my ear "Find out what they need done.. I'll help them" whispered Marcus

"Are you sure?" I whispered.. Marcus nodded "Okay.... Sister, what all needs to be done?"

"Everything... we've been trying to raise the money to build a new facility, but time is against us in that area, bc things need to be repaired faster than we can get the money" said Grace

"What if you had the money?" I asked "Where would you build it?"

"Where we are currently" said Grace "The church has some houses that we can move the residents to while the construction is going on... why do you ask?"

I looked at Marcus "Tell her" I said 

"Sister... if you want to rebuild the home, I'll pay for it" said Marcus "and I wont take 'no' for an answer, so what do you say?"

"Oh sweet blessed Jesus" said Grace "um.. I need to talk to Father Donnelly first.... Can we let you know by Monday?"

"That's fine, do what you need to" said Marcus "and if you need me, I'm always here or call Mary & Jessie if you want me to come to the rectory"

"Oh alright.. thank you... what's your name?" asked Grace

"Marcus Smith ma'am" said Marcus "I'm Jessie's fiancé"

"No way" said Becca & Charlie, Becca looked at Momma "Seriously?"

"Becca, I'll explain later" said Momma "I promise"

"You bet your sweet ass tyou'll explain" said Becca "She's just a baby for Christ's sake"

"Becca" I said "I promise, we'll explain later *Sister Grace doesn't know about me.. please calm down*"

"Yeah.. okay" said Becca "For now"

"Fiancé?" said Grace

"Yes ma'am" I said and held up my hand "but not until I'm 16... we're soulmates"

"Ah.. well blessed be" said Grace "Congratulations"

"Thank you Sister" said Marcus

"You know about soulmates?" asked Charlie

"Of course" said Grace "Father Donnelly & I are soulmates, but we are married to our Faith instead of each other... when we retire from the church, we'll get married"

"Wow" said Charlie "Jessie.. you forgot to mention that part"

"Lets save that part for another time Charlie" I chuckled 

"Yeah okay" said Charlie "why does it feel like we're out of the loop here?"

"Bc we are" said Becca "And you got some splaining to do chica"

"Une a memento pore fa vour" I said 

"Si Senorita" said Becca

"Um.. in English please" said Haz

"I'll let you borrow my books Haz" I chuckled "You'll learn faster"

"Um... okay peanut" said Haz

"Okay, you two... Can we get back to work on the prom please" sakid Mack

"Okay Pooh bear" I said "Where were we Sister?"

"Oh.. um.. the decoration committee" said Grace

"That would be Anne, Robin, Maura, Beth, Louis, Gemma, Marcus, Liam, Zayn, Jimmy, Mack, Pamela, Niall, Harry, Mary, Simon and Me" I said "They're working with a budget and their lists and anything that costs more than their budget, I'm taking care of"

"Do you have a sample list I can see?" asked Grace

"Sure" I said and pulled out my phone and brought up the list "This is the main list and then I broke it up between each couple or person" and handed it to Grace to look over

"Ah okay... its very detailed" said Grace "so you're going with the Rainbow theme... Correct?"

"Yes ma'am" I said "I have a caterer who will be in touch with you in a week or so to plan out the menu and a DJ from the Manchester Hotel that will be playing big band music from the 20's, 30's, & 40's for the prom, so there will be dancing if the residents choose to"

"Oh wow.. okay" said Graced "We need a photographer and that's it"

"I'll do that Sister" said Simon

"Oh wonderful... your name?" said Grace

"Simon Burke" said Simon

"Thank you Simon... well I'll go let Father Donnelly know that we're on track and discuss Marcus's offer" said Grace "We'll be here at 2 o'clock to set up for the reception Mary"

"Okay Sister" said Mary "Drive safe"

"Oh... I almost forgot" said Grace and opened her purse and took out 2 small boxes "These are for you & Harry from Ellie"

"Oh, she didn't have to" said Mary

"I know, but she said someone named William wanted her to give them to you" said Grace as Haz & Mary opened the boxes

"Oh.. they're matching rosaries" said Mack "When a Bride & Groom are given a rosary as a Wedding gift, its a good luck token for many blessings thru out your marriage"

"They're beautiful" said Mary "Can you tell her we said Thank you"

"Of course dear" said Grace

"I'll walk you out Sister" said Andrew

"Thank you Andrew" said Grace as they went in the house, then Andrew came back out

"Pamela Jane Williams, you better start talking" said Becca "and I'll know if you're blowing sunshine up my ass"

"Yes, Jessie & Marcus are engaged... Yes, Ni & I know, he asked us for permission... and no, she is not pregnant" said Momma "Jesus Becca, why do you always have to go there"

"BC that is the only sane reason I can think of as to why in God's name you would allow Jessie to get married... She's 10 years old for fuck's sake" said Becca

"Oh Jesus H. Christ... untwist your boxers and get a grip Rebecca Alexandra Johansen" said Momma "There are other reasons beyond being pregnant"

"Name one" said Becca "Other than they're soulmates"

Momma took a deep breath and closed her eyes, holding up one finger, then slowly opened her eyes 

"Bc Jessie is a reincarnated soul" said Momma "She & Marcus met and fell in Love more times that you realize and THAT is why they're engaged"

"Holy shits & giggles" said Becca "How many times?"

"How many times what?" said Momma

"How many times has she been reincarnated?" asked Becca

"17 deaths, 18 births" said Momma "and she remembers all of them... Does that suffice as a good enough reason?"

"Sweet Jesus, Mary & Joseph" said Becca and crossed herself "Forgive me Jessie for going bat-shit crazy"

"Its alright.. Mack went bat-shit a few days ago when he found out Marcus & I share a bedroom" I said 

"Oh dear God" said Becca and crossed herself two more times "Okay, no more talking about it, I can feel gray hairs growing and I'll be damned if I'm going to go gray before I'm 45"

"Momma... Does Becca know?" I asked

Momma chuckled "Does Becca know what?" said Becca "What don't I know?"

"Apparently not baby" said Momma "Why don't you tell her the 4-1-1"

"Becca, have you noticed anything different since you & Charlie met this afternoon?" I asked "bc I have"

"No... why? what's different?" asked Becca

"Calm down Becca" said Charlie "your heart's racing"

"So is yours Charlie" I said "when you two met, Becca's heart kind of flip-flopped and so did yours, then when she kissed you, they started beating in sync"

"Whoa... why did that happen?" asked Becca

" Bc when two soulmates meet, they are no longer two separate hearts.. they become synchronized symbolizing two hearts beating as one" I said "now having explained that, when two soulmates are of different ages like you two are, time slows down for you and speeds up for Charlie to help him mentally mature... so when you said that you could feel gray hairs growing, its not possible"

"You mean my biological time clock is slowing down?" said Becca

"Yep" I said 

"So I have to go thru puberty all over again?" asked Becca

"No... I said that it slows down, not reverses" I said 

"Oh thank God... it was rough the first time around" said Becca

"No.. instead of hitting menopause at what? 40-45?" I said 

"Yeah, but its more like 45-50" said Mary

"Ah Okay... any way, you wont hit it till you're about 55-60" I said 

"Are you kidding me?" said Becca

"Hey, at least yours slowed down" I said "Mary's went in reverse 30 years... you got off easy girlfriend"

"Holy shit" said Becca "this is too much... sorry Mom, but I need a beer" and went in the house

"Ew gross" said Charlie

"Oh shit" I said and grabbed Charlie's hand and dragged him into the house "Becca you need to stop drinking that... its okay Charlie, just relax and let it happen" as Charlie puked in the sink

"What's wrong with Charlie?" asked Becca

"He's drunk thru osmosis" I said "He's never had alcohol before and your connection is really intense right now"

"Oh crap... I'm Sorry Charlie" said Becca

"That's … alright" panted Charlie "I didn't... know either"

"Is everything okay munchkin?" asked Louis

"Yeah.. I got Charlie in here in time" I said 

"Oh God" groaned Charlie "I feel like shit"

"You're alright Charlie" said Louis "that'll pass in a minute... rinse your mouth with water and I'll get you a pain killer and a ginger ale"

"Okay" said Charlie and did as he was told while Louis got the medicine & ginger ale.

"Here, take this and just take a couple of sips of the ginger ale at a time or you'll get sick again" said Louis

Okay, Thanks Louis" said Charlie "um... Can Becca & I have a minute alone please"

"Sure" I said "Come on Louis, lets give them some privacy"

"Okay munchkin" said Louis as we went back outside

"Are they okay?" asked Mary

"Yeah, they're fine... Charlie got sick & Becca wont be drinking any more beer" I said "they need to talk, so we gave them some privacy"

"Poor kid" said Zayn "Why is their connection so strong?"

"Bc this is the first time Charlie's been in Love" I said "each person has a different experience when they meet their soulmate.. for some, its as natural as breathing, so the connection gets stronger over time... If y'all remember the first time you fell in Love, or what you thought was Love at the time, is how Charlie is feeling now, so everything Becca does or feels, Charlie is feeling x10 and vice versa"

"Oh wow" said Liam "oso as they become more comfortable around each other, their connection will become less intense.. right?"

"Correct" I said 

"Why did it take Haz & I longer to sync up?" asked Mary

"Bc when you were grieving, Haz blocked you, bc it made him sad" I said "when you finally met, you left for a month so Haz had time to remember and figure things out before you came back.. then Haz gave you time to figure out how to love again... and here we are"

"Ah... so that's the mental maturity you were talking about" said Louis

"Yeah and Charlie's picking that up pretty quick too" I said as Becca & Charlie came back out "Feel better?"

"I'm getting there" said Charlie "My head feels better, but my stomach still feels a little off"

"That's bc its empty" I said "you'll feel better after dinner"

"Oh okay" said Charlie "Mary, show Haz Maura & Anne's gifts"

"Oh gosh.. I forgot" said Mary and opened Maura's gift "Haz look at these" and took lout the ;picture frames

"Oh wow... How old are we?" asked Haz

"We're about a year old" said Mary

"Amazing... you had brown hair and look at those curls" said Haz "When did it turn blond?"

"When I was 2" said Mary "we went to Florida and the sun & sdalt water bleached it and it just stayed blond and the curls just relaxed... I miss those curls"

"Can I see your picture Mom" said Becca

"Sure" said Mary and passed the picture over

"Oh wow... you had curls like PJ's" said Becca "I can get your curls back for you, if you want me to"

"You can?" said Mary in shock

"Sure I can... How do you think PJ has managed to keep hers?" said Becca "it takes about 5 minutes or so and I can do it while we wait for dinner to be ready.. if you want me to"

"Oh yes please" said Mary

"Okay, now once its done you can not use a brush or comb, they'll pull the curls out, just use your fingers, okay?" said Becca "and no rubber bands"

"Yes ma'am" said Mary 

"Just relax... show Haz Anne's gift" said Becca and rubbed her hands together and closed her eyes and started massaging Mary's head and hair... slowly, Mary's hair started to curl

Mary opened the box "Oh.. my quilt.. I thought I lost it" said Haz "Where did you find it?"

"It was wrapped in tissue paper with the Christmas ornaments" said Anne "Robin found it when we were organizing the Christmas boxes for storage" Haz got up and hugged Anne tight

"Thank you Mommy" said Haz and kissed her cheek

"You're welcome my sweet baby boy" said Anne and kissed his hair "now, its tradition that the Groom not see the Bride before the Wedding, so do you want to stay with us tonight?"

"No... we want to have breakfast together and relax before we have to start getting ready" said Haz "but thank you for the offer"

"Alright then" said Anne "go sit with your Bride"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz and went and sat down

As Becca worked on Mary's hair, the curls became more & more curly. A nfew minutes later, Becca stopped massaging Mary's hair and opened her eyes.

"There, all done" said Becca and fluffed Mary's hair "now its perfect" and reached into her ;purse and pulled out a make-up mirror "take a look Mom" and gave it to Mary

"Oh wowzers" said Mary "How did you do this?"

"Electrical Regeneration and lots of concentration & focus" said Becca and sat down

"Whoa... your eyes lost their color" said Sarah

"Yeah, that happens... it'll come back in a few minutes" said Becca "when I rub my hands together, it causes a low electrical current to my hands, so when I massaged your head & hair, it stimulated the nerves, sending blood to the hair follical which rejuvenated your curls... if you notice them starting to relax, let me know and I'll redo them"

"Oh wow... Thank you Becca" said Mary "How long has it been since you did Pamela's hair?"

"When was the last time I did your hair PJ?" asked Becca "its a little fuzzy"

"Um... about 4 years ago, I think?" said Momma "just before we went to your house for Christmas"

"Oh yeah... we went snowmobiling down Dead Man's Hill and you took out Mrs. Bell's mailbox when you hit the icy pavement" said Becca

"Hey, at least it was her mailbox and not her front porch" said Momma "you'd think I killed her yappy little poodle the way she was crying"

"That's bc it wasn't the first time someone took out that damn thing" said Becca

"Then maybe she should put one on her porch, like everyone else does" said Momma "or better still, move to a different house with a fenced in yard and that dog needs a muzzle"

"Oh leave razzle alone" said Becca "he cant see any way, that's why he barks so much... once he knows you aren't gonna kill him, he's really sweet"

"Oh whatever, that dog never liked me" said Momma "and I grew up with Charlie... Hell, even Sampson loves me"

"That's bc you wrestle with him" said Becca "no one wrestles with Sampson bc he scares them"

"What breed is Sampson?" asked Haz

"He's part Saint Bernard and part Great Dane" said Becca and pulled out her phone "That's Sampson" and showed Haz

"Holy shit.. He's huge" said Haz "He makes Duchess look tiny... show Jessie"

"Who's Duchess?" asked Becca and showed me the picture

"Holy crapola" I said "Duchess was my dog.. she was a Great Dane" and pulled out my phone "she died a week ago" and showed Becca

"Oh she's gorgeous" said Becca "I'm sorry for your loss... How old was she?" 

"She was 3" I said "there was a break in next door and she got tasered by a cop.. she died in my arms"

"Damn" said Becca "I'd have shoved that taser up his ass and pulled the trigger... Dumbass"

"Yeah well he got fired, so he wont be killing anyone else's pet" I said "or any other animals"

"That you know of" said Becca "if there's one thing I've learned in my classes, its that once a person has killed, whether its an animal or another person, they'll do it again bc the rush they felt is like a drug, making them want to find the next rush"

"Seriously?" said Jordan 

"Yeah... didn't you take criminal psychology in the academy?" asked Becca

"Yeah, but the instructor's didn't go in depth" said Jordan "Boss, if Becca's right, we got a big problem... Has anyone seen Wexler or Kirby since they got canned?"

"I saw Kirby a few days ago at Internal Affairs" said Steven "but I haven't seen Wexler since he & Kirby cleared out their lockers"

"How deep of a background check does the academy do on its applicant's?" asked Becca

"They don't" said Steven "I wish they did bc it would weed out the bad eggs"

"That's not good" said Momma "Haz, did the guys come back with Garrett?"

"Yeah, we dropped them off at the Hotel" said Haz

"Okay" said Momma and pulled out her phone "I'm gonna get you some help... Boss, you may want to call your boss and tell him about Jordan's suspicions and to go to the station, I'm calling Garrett & the boys to meet him there" and put it on speaker

GARRETT: Captain?

PAMELA: General sir, we've got a possible code blue sir

KYLE: What's the problem PJ?

PAMELA: I just found out that the police academy doesn't do background checks and that one of the cops that killed Jessie's dog last week hasn't been seen since he got fired

JORDAN: This is Detective Jordan Baxter.... I think one of the cops is responsible for a murder and double arson that occurred a few days ago, but I have no proof... Can you help?

KYLE: You got it... What are the two cop's names?

JORDAN: Joe Wexler and Dan Kirby

KYLE: I need access to their personnel files, everything from when they started at the academy till they got fired... citizen complaints, misconduct reports, fit reps, the works

STEVEN: Garrett, the Commissioner will meet you at the station, you can use my office.. call when you get there and I'll give you my access code for the computer

GARRETT: Will do... General out

PAMELA: Peace out sir

and hung up "They'll have news in about an hour" said Momma

"What in the Hell is Dad talking about?" said Becca "He's an Insurance Analyst for Christ's sake... He cant even work the DVR, let alone do a deep background check"

"Becca... Seriously?" said Momma "for someone who has been able to read since birth, did it ever occur to you to do a deep dive into your Dad's brain?"

"Oh sweet fucking Jesus.. He's in the company... isn't he?" said Becca "they live for deep dives"

"Yeah... Garrett let it slip a couple of days ago" said Momma "I'm guessing that he's telling your Dad that you know" as Becca pulled out her phone

KYLE: Lieutenant

BECCA: Don't you dare Lieutenant me, Kyle James Johansen... When you're done, ALL OF YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTTS OVER HERE OR I'M COMING THERE AND BREAKING OFF A COMBAT BOOT OFF IN YOUR ASS... AM I CLEAR!!

KYLE: Oh shit... Yes ma'am, Lieutenant ma'am

and hung up "Damned Men.. oh, they piss me off" said Becca and closed her eyes, counted to 10 and slowed her breathing

"You need to stay calm" said Momma

"Oh, I'm calm" said Becca and opened her eyes "I may not stay calm, but I'm calm for now... He's had 15 years to tell me and his reason for not had better be a good lone or he'll be going home with a concussion and need surgery to remove my boots from his ass"

"Fair enough" said Momma

"Fair enough?" said Louis "Have you gone mental Pamela?... She's talking about causing severe bodily injury to her Father"

"Yes, I'm aware Lou" said Momma "and no, I haven't gone mental... Since I met Becca, she & Kyle have had several of these confrontations and not once have they severely hurt or injured each other"

"Our threats are our way of talking in code to each other, so that no one knows what we're talking about" said Becca "besides, there's no way in Hell I'm attending Mom's Wedding with a black eye or worse"

"Oh okay" said Louis

"Mary, your hair is gorgeous" said Gem

"Thanks Gem" said Mary and smiled "Can you do this to everyone's hair?"

"No, just those that have naturally curly hair" said Becca "I wish I could bc I'd do mine instead of needing to get it done every 6 months... so PJ, what time are we running in the morning? you owe me for blowing up my run yesterday"

"Oh damn... 6am and bring your yoga mat" said Momma "We'll do that at the track... will you be joining us Mack? Jessie?"

"Yep" said Mack & I and pulled out our phones to set our alarms

"I'll be right back" said Mack "I need to go see if Mary's dress is dry"

"Okay Pooh bear" I said as he left

"You call him Pooh bear?" said Becca

"Yeah.. when I was little, Mack & I used to watch Winnie the Pooh cartoons... Pooh bear is his favorite character" I said 

"Ah, okay" said Becca as Mack came back

"Its almost dry, so I can press it in the morning" said Mack

"How does it look?" asked Mary 

"It looks brand new darlin, just relax" said Mack

"Okay" sighed Mary

"Ladies & Gentlemen, dinner is served" said Damian as the guys came out with trays loaded with bowls of gumbo and glasses of sparkling cider & ginger ale... Davis came out with the dogs food bowls

"Chelsea, Trudy dinner time, come on girls" said Davis as they came running "Ah, ah, ah no jumping... good job, here you go... eat it all up and then you can go play... I brought out the wasabi sauce for ya boss, the hot sauce has tomato juice in it"

"Thanks Davis" said Marcus

"Everyone join hands" said Mary "Jessie"

"Heavenly Father, bless this food with all of the Love that went into making it... Thank you for watching over Becca and allowing her to be with us today... Thank you for all of the Wedding blessings that you have bestowed on Haz & Mary and for the most precious gift that you've given to Mary... In Jesus name, Amen" I said 

"Amen" said everyone

"What gift Mom?" asked Louis & Liam

"Um.. God is letting my Dad come to the Wedding" said Mary "its only for a couple of hours, but I get to se him again"

"Oh Mom" said Zayn and looked at Liam "Li.. we need to let him walk Mom down the aisle"

"I agree babe" said Liam "Mom... Zayn & I are going to let Grandpa walk you down the aisle and give you away tomorrow.. okay?"

"Okay Liam" said Mary and got up and hugged them both "my beautiful sweet boys... Thank you"

"You're welcome Mom" said Liam & Zayn and kissed her cheek

Evan cleared his throat "I'll be back in a bit" said Evan and went in the house

"Jordan.. Is Evan alright?" asked Mary

"Its hard for him to see how you & Anne are with your sons" said Jordan 

"Would you like me or Anne to talk to him?" asked Mary

"Oh could you?" asked Jordan

"Of course I can" said Mary "as I said.. anything you two need, just ask" and kissed Jordan's head "relax.. everything will be fine"

"Yes ma'am" said Jordan


	123. Chapter 123

Chapter 123

MARY'S POV

I went in the house and found Evan crying in the kitchen "Are you okay sweetie?" I said softly

"Its not fair" cried Evan "why does everyone else get a Mother who loves them and not me.... Why didn't she love me?" and turned around to look at me

"Oh sweetie" I said and hugged him "Shh... I think it was difficult for her to love you bc no one loved her, except you... I think it made her desperate"

"Is that why she did that to me?" said Evan "bc I loved her?"

"Oh sweetie, no" I said "bc no one loved her, it broke her mind.. you did nothing wrong" I wiped away Evan's years "my sweet boy... don't ever stop loving the people in your life... Love is what heals us when we are hurting"

"I wish you were my Mom" said Evan "you've been so nice to me and whenever I come here it feels like home"

"Evan, we're family now and you have all of us, including Anne, Maura & Beth" I said "If you want to call us all 'Mom' that's okay, and if not, that's okay too, its your choice sweetie"

"You mean it? I can call you Mom?" said Evan

"Of course I mean it" I said "you silly sweet boy" and kissed his head as we hugged

"Thanks Mom" said Evan 

"You're welcome sweetie" I said "now lets go eat dinner before it gets cold.. okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said Evan as we went back out to the yard and sat down

"What did we miss?" I said 

"Pamela was telling us about how you tried to show her how to make strawberry jam in a pressure cooker" said Ni

"No, she grabbed the wrong pot" I said "I said 'grab the stock pot, its next to the pressure cooker' she never listens... so instead of making strawberry jam, John, Liam, Zayn, Louis & I had to clean the strawberry guck off the ceiling, walls, cabinets, counters & floor while Pamela went to the store for more strawberries & pectin"

"Why would you use a stock pot?" asked Pamela

"Bc sweetie, it has a pour spout which makes it easier & less messy putting the jam in the jars" I said 

"Oh" said Pamela

"Oh.. so I'm not the only one who destroyed a kitchen.. Am I?" said Jessie "The truth comes out eventually Momma"

"No, you're not the only one baby" said Pamela

"YES!!… I have been vindicated" said Jessie "and it took 5 people to clean up her mess Jimbo.. beat that one ya doofus"

"She has a point doofus" said Simon

"Oh bite me Simon... geez" said Jimmy

"Stuart, this Gumbo is incredible" said Becca

"Thank you Becca" said Stuart "Have you had it before?"

"Yeah, but not like this" said Becca "My Aunt Mimi makes a crawfish boil to die for"

"Oh really... Where in Louisiana is she from?" asked Stuart

"She grew up in the quarter" said Becca "her Daddy owned a jute joint down in Jefferson Parrish near the bi-water"

"I know that area, what was it called?" asked Stuart

"Tremaine's" said Becca "best place for Gambling in Louisiana... black jack, poker, roulette and the best moonshine south of Mississippi"

"Sorry Charlie, but I think Ms. Becca has just stolen my heart" said Stuart

"That's okay Stuart" said Charlie "but I think Stacey may have something to say about that.. just saying"

"Oh snap... good one Charlie" said Jessie "He got ya there Stuart" as the boys atarted chuckling

"Tooshay Charlie" said Stuart

"Stacey?" said Becca "You got a cupcake back home while you're here flirting with me?" and crossed her arms "you sir, are a scoundrel of the first order"

"Oh damn" said Damian and almost choked on his food "careful Stu before she punches your ticket"

"Or Stacey does" said Davis

"I'm just kidding Stuart" said Becca "so Louis.. I heard you're finally getting married"

"Yep" said Louis

"Congratulations" said Becca "Tell me you finally learned to cook.. or are you still living on cold pizza & ramen noodles?"

"Thanks" said Louis "and yes, I know how to cook, Jessie taught me and believe it or not, I really like it"

"Well its about time" said Becca and opened her purse "These are for you.. Nana Kaye wrote down some of her recipes if you ever learned how to cook" and handed an envelope to Louis

"Oh wow" said Louis and opened it and took out a stack of recipe cards "Damn... pot roast, collard greens, red beans & rice... oh no way.. she gave me her recipe for tiramisu?" and looked at Becca

"Of course" said Becca "in our family, you're not a true cook till you can make tiramisu and we ALL know how to make it... even Pamela"

"Momma... you know how to make tiramisu?" asked Jessie

"Yes, I know how to make it" said Pamela "why?"

"Bc its only my #1, ultimate all-time favorite dessert... EVER" said Jessie "Ms. Jenny is the only person I know who can make it, from scratch and have it turn out smooth as silk" and crossed herself "sorry Mom, but I'd give up the Charger to learn how to make tiramisu"

"Are you serious?" said Davis

"Davis... Have you ever had tiramisu?" asked Jessie

"No" said Davis

"Okay, how can I describe it without causing Papa to have a mental stroke" said Jessie and thought "Ooo… no wait, that wont do" and thought some more "Oh Hell, sorry Papa.... its an orgasm in a cake"

Ni choked and started coughing "Niall breathe, just breathe" laughed Pamela "Jessie, that wasn't very nice"

"Jessie's right" said Becca "its that good"

"Oh my Gawd" said Mack and looked at Jimmy "your Momma can make that?"

"Yeah.. Why do you think Momma & Daddy got married?" said Jimmy "Daddy says any woman who can make that, is a Goddess... Who am I to argue with that?"

"And just so y'all know now, I want tiramisu every year for my birthday" said Jessie

"When is your birthday?" asked Becca

"January 1st" said Jessie "Its Marcus's too, but he can have whatever he wants, the tiramisu is mine"

"Hey" said Marcus 

"Hey is for horses my love" said Jessie "when it comes to tiramisu, I don't share.. sorry sweet cheeks, get your own"

"You are such a diva care bear" said Mack

"You're damn straight I'm a diva" said Jessie "and if I didn't love Ms. Jenny so much, I would've taken out Jimmy & Simon a long time ago and saved her from drinking & going prematurely gray, so you're welcome"

"Okay you two" chuckled Stuart "why doesn't someone share a story about Haz"

"Okay" said Gem "My friend Janiessa & I were studying for an exam when Haz showed up at my dorm. It seemed he had lost his keys and Mom was at work, so we gathered up or books and stuff and drove him home bc I had the emergency set of keys"

"Oh God" said Haz

"So we get home and come to find out, he didn't loose his keys, he left them in the door and it was unlocked" said Gem "so we go inside and figure we'll wait till Mom got home, then head back to school. So Haz is bouncing off the walls, bored as Hell, so Janiessa reaches in her bag and pulls out a book and says 'here kid, read this'.. Haz says 'Thanks' and goes to sit down and read" Gem started laughing "well after a while, we decide to take a break and Haz is gone.. we looked all over the house and couldn't find him. I was sitting on the stairs trying to figure out how to tell Mom Haz was gone when I heard him talking, so I got up and listened and found him in his closet on the phone. His face was beet red & his hair was all wet with sweat, so I said 'who are you talking to bug?'... he drops the phone & throws the book at me and yells 'THAT BOOK IS A PERVERSION ON SOCIETY AND YOUR PROFESSOR SHOULD BURN IN HELL FOR MAKING YOU READ IT' "

"What was the book?" asked Jessie

"The Kama Sutra" said Gem

"Oh dear God" said Beth "How old was Haz?"

"I was 11" said Haz "I had no clue what I was reading, so I called Mom and then Gem and that She-Devil Janiessa scared the shit out of me... Mom's yelling on the phone, She-Devil is laughing her ass off and Gem ma is smacking She-Devil over the head with the book saying 'how could you do that, he's just a baby' "

"Any way, Mom came home, so I apologized and went back to school" said Gem "the next day, Mom calls me, and says it was the worst thing she's ever had to do, but she had 'the talk' with Haz and then he knew what it was he had been reading"

"No way" said Ni "How much of it did you read before you called Anne?"

"The whole thing, it only had 287 pages in it" said Haz "and 75% of it was pictures, so you figure it out"

"Damn... talk about corrupting a minor" said Jessie

"You know the book?" asked Mack in shock

"Yes, I know the book and no, I'm not telling you how I know about the book Pooh bear, so don't ask" said Jessie and shuddered

Mack & Jimmy looked at each other "David" they said in unison

"Let it go Mack" said Jessie slowly "not one more syllable" and took her bowl in the house

"Louis, tell one about Mom" said Pamela "I'm gonna go calm her down" as Pamela stood up, we heard music playing from the piano

"Pamela" I said "leave her be for a while... She'll be fine"

"Okay Mom" said Pamela and sat back down as we listened to Jessie play

"I don't recognize the song she's playing" said Becca

"Its one that she wrote" said Sarah 

"Its beautiful" said Becca "How long has she been taking lessons?"

"She hasn't had lessons" said Mack "She's been playing since she was 3... mostly, she plays the songs that are in her head or she'll play a song she's heard on the radio or from a CD... she cant read music, but if she hears it played, she can play it perfectly, without mistakes"

"Amazing" said Becca as the song changed "now this song I know.. its the Cannon in D, PJ's favorite"

"This is the first time she's played without being asked" said Pamela

"She doesn't want to blow up and ruin the perfect day we've had" said Sarah "She's calming down now" as the song changed to Moon River... then the music stopped "Here she..." Sarah stopped talking and covered her ears

"OW!! MOTHER FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!!! OW, OW, OW … GRANDPA!!!" yelled Jessie as Liam & I ran in the house

"Are you okay princess?" asked Liam

"No... I tripped and smacked my head on the coffee table" said Jessie "I need to get to the kitchen, but I think I'm bleeding"

"Okay princess" said Liam and picked her up and carried her in the kitchen and set her in a chair "move your hand and let me see" as Jessie moved her hand "yep, its bleeding, but not bad.. let me get a wet rag so I can see how bad the cut is"

"Okay" said Jessie

"What did you trip on?" asked Liam as he came back with the rag and started cleaning the cut

"The leg of the piano" said Jessie "I went to start walking, thinking I was clear, and started to fall, so I rolled so that KI would land on Izzie's gifts and smacked my head on the corner"

"Ahh... well its a tiny cut, not even half an inch" said Liam "and its already stopped bleeding"

"Oh good" said Jessie and kicked off her shoes, walked over to the freezer, grabbed an ice pack and went outside

"Are you okay baby?" asked Pamela

"Yeah... I tripped and smacked my head on the corner of the coffee table" said Jessie "sorry Papa... sorry everyone"

"That's alright poppet, at least you're okay" said Ni

"So much for not blowing up" said Jessie and put her head in her arms

"Hey" I said softly "that was an accident, it wasn't directed at anyone.. look at me sweetie" Jessie lifted her head, she had tears running down her face "no tears young lady... you helped make today absolutely perfect and tomorrow will be even more so... you haven't ruined anything.. you hear me?" as I wiped away her tears and kissed her cheek, Jessie nodded

"Yes ma'am" said Jessie

"The first time I saw Mary, she reminded me of my Gran" said Ni "She was wearing light blue dress pants, a white blouse with blue flowers on it, a white sweater, she had her hair in a bun and she was barefoot"

"Ni... the first time we met, was when Anne got sick" I said 

"That was when we were properly introduced" said Ni "I had seen you before then"

"Oh... Where?" I asked

"At the church... you were planting flowers and bushes at the front and sat down, rolled up your pant legs, stood up, climbed into the back of the truck and up onto the roof and stood there looking at the flower beds" said NI "it was like you were trying to get the picture of it in your head to match reality, so I sat down in the grass and watched you work" Ni chuckled "and then, instead of getting down the same way you got up, you jumped off the roof of the truck, landed in the grass, planted a few more bushes, climbed back up - you did that about 6 times, jumped down and would plant more flowers and stuff... When you were done, you got in the truck and I heard 'Hotel California' blasting and you were singing right along with it"

"Oh gosh" I said and covered my face

"I went home, looked up the song and got hooked on the Eagles that day" said Ni "so thank you Mary"

"Wow... You're welcome Ni" I said 

"I remember that day" said Haz "I was heading over to Danny Thompson's house to help him with his homework and heard that song playing when I passed the church, but when I looked at the truck, all I saw was a pair of legs hanging out the window, moving with the music... I just laughed and continued walking.. I never saw Mary"

"Oh God" I said chuckling "I had dropped my phone and it went under the gas pedal, so I laid down to get it and just never sat back up"

"I see" said Haz "well I had that song stuck in my head for a week along with the vision of your gorgeous legs"

"Oh, so you love my legs, not me... Is that what you're saying?" I teased

"Yeah basically" smiled Haz and whispered in my ear "I Love everything about you princess" and kissed my neck "I always have"

"I Love You too Haz" I said as we kissed

"Everyone raise your glass" said Tom "Today we went our separate ways for one goal.. to have our moment with Haz & Mary. Now we come together, once we were friends and acquaintances and have become a family. Tomorrow Haz & Mary will say their vows and begin their adventure as they prepare to welcome their babies into this world. Haz, Mary, as you have welcomed us into your family, we welcome you into ours... May your life together be filled with Love, Laughter, and oh so many babies & blessings... To Haz & Mary"

"HERE, HERE!!" cheered everyone as the babies started babbling

"Well its about time you two joined the party" cooed Hannah as she picked them up "What's that?... okay little ones... Can you help me honey, they want to be with Haz & Mary"

"Of course darlin" said Steven "I'll take Jordan" as Hannah laid the baby in Steven's arms then they stood up and brought them over to us

Steven gave Jordan to Haz and I got Stephanie "If you read them, you can hear what they're saying" said Hannah

"Oh okay" said Haz "Hey little man, did you have a nice nap?... you did?.. was she pretty in her dress?... an angel? wow... she's my Mommy... she is pretty, isn't she?... married means we'll be together forever... no little one, you cant marry us... bc you'll meet your soulmate one day and then you two will get married... yes, there are a lot of people here... that's Evan, he's Uncle Jordan's soulmate... yes, sometimes, Liam & Zayn are soulmates too... yes, they're going to have 3 babies.. I know, that is pretty cool, isn't it?... *chuckles* slow down little one, you don't have to ask every question all at once, just relax... sure you can... I see.. Hannah could you hand me a bottle, Jordan says he's hungry and cant relax"

"Alright" chuckled Hannah and got a bottle from her bag "Here you go Haz"

"Thanks" said Haz and took the bottle and fed Jordan "Here you go... slow down little man, you'll get a sore tummy... that's it, just relax... yes, you can close your eyes" as Jordan closed his eyes, Stephanie started babbling

"What's that?" I said and chuckled "Yes, he is cute isn't he?... his eyes are green... yes, I like that color too... sure sweetie, you can ask me anything, what's on your mind... why do you think your Daddy is sad?... Ah, well be patient sweetie, your Daddy will learn to read soon and then you can tell him yourself... I promise"

"Steven... you want me to show you?" asked Louis "its really easy"

"Yes please" said Steven

"Okay... go inside your mind" said Louis "that's it, you see that door to your left?" Steven nodded "its a sliding door, so push it open... I know, it'll quiet down in a minute... now concentrate, not so hard, just relax... find Hannah's thoughts, you got it, now male sure the door is secured so that it doesn't close and come on back"

"Oh wow" said Steven "this is amazing... is this what you hear all the time?"

"Yeah... its pretty cool, huh?" said Louis

"Yeah... why are some thoughts really far away?" asked Steven "they're like a low humming sound"

"Bc those thoughts are of people that you don't know" said Sarah "the ones you do know, will be as clear as we're talking"

"Ahh.. I see what you mean" said Steven

"Be careful Steven" said Jessie "if you read too much at first, you'll get a headache, so go easy till you get used to it"

"Yes ma'am" said Steven

"See? I told you" I said, that made Stephanie smile "now remember what your Aunt Jessie said and go easy on your Daddy, he's still new at this, okay?... sure you can, lets go see your Daddy" and walked over to Steven "Stephanie has a lot to tell you, so just listen and talk to her normally" and laid her in his arms, then sat down

"Hey little one" said Steven "I missed you too, did you have fun today?... wow, was Anne pretty in her dress?... a princess? I wish I could've seen that... yes darlin, one day you will have a dress just like her, I promise" Steven wiped his eyes "no darlin, I'm not sad, these are happy tears bc now I can hear you... oh, I Love You too sweetie" and kissed her head "You are just as beautiful as your Mommy.... Mommy's prettier?.. you think so?... well then it must be true, you wouldn't tell Daddy a fib, would you?... okay then... are you ready for your dinner?... okay darlin"

Hush a bye, don't you cry  
Go to sleep, my little baby  
When you wake you shall have  
All the pretty little ponies

In your bed, momma said  
Baby's riding off to dreamland  
One by one they've begun  
Dance and prance for little baby

Blacks and bays, dapples and grays  
Running in the night  
When you wake you shall have  
All the pretty little ponies

Can you see the little ponies  
Dance before your eyes?  
All the pretty little ponies  
Will be there when you arise

Can you see the little ponies  
Shining before your eyes?  
All the pretty little ponies  
Gonna be there when you arise

Hush a bye, don't you cry  
Go to sleep, my little baby  
When you wake you shall have  
All the pretty little ponies

Stephanie snuggled deeper into Steven's arms and went to sleep "That works every time" said Hannah and kissed Stephanie's head "its like she cant sleep unless you sing to her... Daddy's little girl"

"I think Jordan fell asleep too" said Haz "he's gone quiet" and took the bottle out of Jordan's mouth.. Jordan snuggled deeper into Haz's arms and put his thumb in his mouth "yep, he's out" chuckled Haz

"Is he sucking his thumb again?" said Hannah

"Yeah... well, no, its in his mouth, but he's not sucking on it" said Haz "Its more like its holding his mouth open so that he can breathe"

"When he sleeps, does he snore?" I asked

"Yeah, except when he puts his thumb in his mouth, then he doesn't" said Hannah "sometimes it sounds like he's choking"

"Liam used to have the same problem" I said "When his mouth is completely closed, it makes it hard for him to swallow & breathe... He'll outgrow that when his teeth come in, for now, let him use his thumb or a pacifier, if he'll take it, to hold his mouth open.. He'll sleep better"

"Oh okay" said Hannah and relaxed "What should we do if he's still sucking his thumb after his teeth come in?"

"If that happens, wait till he's asleep and dip his thumbs in vinegar" I said "He wont like the taste and he'll stop... if that doesn't work, use salt water"

"Use the salt water" said Liam "Vinegar makes them taste like pickles... I love pickles"

"Okay, salt water it is" chuckled Hannah

"See darlin? I told you he was fine" said Steven softly "They'll tell us if they don't feel well and we'll take them to the doctor if we have to" and kissed Hannah's cheek "Relax, you're doing everything right darlin, I swear"

"I'm trying" said Hannah "I'll feel better after they have their first wellness check up next week, I promise"

"Okay darlin" said Steven

"It seems the twins aren't the only ones sleeping" said Sarah and pointed at Jessie

"Poor kid" said Steven "Has she been sleeping okay?"

"Yeah, she's actually sleeping pretty soundly since Ni & Pamela got home" said Marcus "She went running with Mack & Pamela and did 30 miles and was in a great mood and had an awesome rehearsal yesterday"

"Its the antibiotics she's on.. they make her a little tired" said Zayn "She has to take them twice a day"

"Why is she on antibiotics?" asked Becca

"She has a bad yeast infection" said Marcus "She woke up Monday in pain and had a fever of 104, so Haz, Mary, Damian & I took her to the hospital bc she passed out 3 times... The doctor ran tests and said that her potassium was really high and that's why this one was so bad"

"Damn.. no wonder she fell asleep" said Becca "wait... this one? She's had them before?"

"Yeah... When her fever broke, she called her doctor back in Georgia for her medical history" said Marcus "According to him, she was hospitalized at ages 2, 6 & 8 for yeast infections that got out of control... Doc Matthews said Jessie has a high tolerance for certain types if pain, so it became a game of 20 questions to figure out was wrong with her"

"Damn... Are you sure this kid wasn't raised by Rambo?" said Becca

"Yes, I'm sure" chuckled Pamela "Its not uncommon to have a high pain threshold, ya know, look at you... You're the only person I know that can have her tonsils taken out and be out running 10 miles 5 hours later, like all it was, was a paper cut... Were you raised by Rambo?"

"Good point" said Becca


	124. Chapter 124

Chapter 124

MARY'S POV (Continued)

"Hey little man, what's wrong?... okay" said Haz and put Jordan on his shoulder and rubbed circles on his back till he burped "Oh good job Jordan, do you feel better?... Do you want the rest of your bottle?.... okay, princess can you fold our quilt a little higher on my lap? Jordan wants to look around"

"Okay" I said and folded our quilt a little more and laid on Haz's lap "There you go Haz"

"Thanks" said Haz and set Jordan upright, facing the table and held him tight up against his body "There you go little man... you're welcome" Jordan looked at Steven and smiled, then started babbling

"Hey... I missed you too, did you have a nice nap?... yeah, I heard you telling Haz… I don't know how buddy" said Steven

"Look at Jordan" said Jessie, sleepily "and close you eyes while you read him and you'll see what he wants to show you"

"Oh okay" said Steven and closed his eyes "Oh wow" and opened his eyes "Anne did look like an angel, didn't she?... Anne is going to marry Robin" Jordan frowned "Oh, I know buddy, all the pretty ones are taken, but you'll find a girl as pretty as all of these ladies here one day, I promise... That's for your Uncle Jordan to explain when you get older... bc that's how things work, you're just a little guy right now, so just be patient, okay?.... I Love You too little man... I cant get over how great this feels to be able to hear what they're saying"

"Its pretty cool isn't it" said Haz "Mary & I heard our babies last night and they sounded like they were laughing, even though Zayn's book says their brains aren't formed yet"

"When we found out, we started talking to them" said Hannah "We would tell them about our day, what we did, people we talked to, things like that... it helps you bond with the babies if they can hear your voice, so when they're born, its not so scary when they hear you or others talking"

"Oh okay" said Haz 

"I cant wait till we have our babies" said Zayn "Now that the nursery is ready, I'm so excited, I want them now"

"Would you like to hold Stephanie?" asked Steven

"Oh yes please" said Zayn as Steven came over and laid her in his arms "Oh Li, look at her, she's an angel" Stephanie opened her eyes & Yawned "well hello there little princess... I'm Zayn and this is Liam... Mary is our Mommy... yes, she is a nice lady... yes, we are soulmates... yes, we're married... no princess, I didn't wear a dress, I wore a very nice suit... we'll talk about that another time... yes princess, I promise... I sing sometimes, but I'm better at telling stories... fairy tales, those are stories about princesses & castles... okay princess"

"Oh, Zayn tells the best stories" said Sarah

"Thank you Sarah" said Zayn 

"You're welcome" said Sarah

"Lets see.. Ah okay.... There was a little princess, just like you, and she lived in a big Castle with her Mommy & Daddy, who were the King & Queen and she would run & play in the flower garden everyday." said Zayn "One day, she woke up and it was raining, so she couldn't go outside and that made her sad. The King saw how sad the princes was, so he decided to invite all of the children from town to the Castle, so that she could run & play and be happy again.

"The King sent all of his carriages into town, but when they came back, only one child came with them. The King & Queen wee told the girl had no family.. Well, when the princess heard that, she looked at the King & Queen 'Can she live with us and be my sister?' asked the princess 'Lets see what she wants first, okay?' said The King 'Okay Daddy' said the princess.

"They went to the parlor and found the girl looking out the window. She was wearing a beautiful dress that looked like a rainbow. When the princess saw it, guess what... the princess smiled bc she was wearing the same dress. 'I love your dress' said the princess 'I'm Sophia, what's your name?' 'My name is Michelle' said the girl 'I love your dress too.. we look like sisters' 'we do, don't we.. um.. would you like to live here and be my sister.. forever?' asked Sophia. Michelle was so surprised, she couldn't speak so she nodded her head 'yes' and they hugged 'I have a sister and a family' said Michelle 'Can we go get some of my things from my house?' asked Michelle 'Of course we can' said the Queen 'Why don't you two go play for now' 'Okay Mommy' said the girls and ran off holding hands and laughing.

"The played dress up, had tea parties, and when the rain stopped, they went outside and played hide & seek out in the garden. They had laid down in the grass watching the clouds float by, when a rainbow appeared 'Rainbows make wishes come true' said Michelle 'I wished for a family and it came true'.. 'I wished for a sister' said Sophia 'when is your birthday?'.. 'May 14th' said Michelle 'when is yours?'.. 'May 14th' said Sophia 'we're twins.. lets go tell Mommy & Daddy'. They got up and ran into the Castle 'Mommy, Daddy... Guess what?'..'What sweetie?' asked the Queen 'Michelle & I have the same birthday.. we're twins' said Sophia 'isn't that amazing?'.. 'Yes it is' said the King 'why don't we have lunch and then we'll go get Michelle's things, alright?'.. 'Okay Daddy' said Sophia.

They said Grace and while they ate, the girls told them about all of the fun thedy had and about the rainbow they had seen, then they went to Michelle's house, packed her clothes & things and went back to the Castle.. later that night, after the girls had their bath, they said their prayers, got in bed, and fell asleep holding hands.... and they lived happily ever after.. the end'

"What do you think?.... you're welcome princess, I'm glad you liked it" said Zayn "Are you ready for your dinner now?... if you don't eat, its gonna take you longer to grow up and be a big girl... wjy don't you drink a little bit, please?.. for me?... thank you sweetie" Hannah handed a bottle to Zayn "lets try for half a bottle, okay?... if you fall asleep, that's okay" and fed Stephanie

"Best story yet Pops" said Becca

"Thanks Becca" said Zayn

"I'll be right back" said Louis and went in the house, then came back out with a box tied with a pink ribbon and gave it to Jessie "These are for you munchkin"

"For me?" said Jessie and untied the ribbon and opened the box "Oh my gosh.. they're beautiful" and opened the card "To Jessie.. Forgive us.. Love the guys, Kyle, Matt, Roger, Gary, Bo & Garrett" and smelled the flowers "You're forgiven... don't do it again"

"Yes ma'am" said the guys

"Does this mean we're not gonna die on Sunday?" asked Brian

"Oh, you're still going to die on Sunday.. figuratively speaking" said Beth "Who will die first, is still up for debate"

"That's cold Gran" said Ni

"May be so Niall" said Beth "but someone needs to make dinner and it wont be us"

"Speaking of dinner on Sunday" said Mack "What's on the menu care bear?"

"I'm gonna make macaroni salad the night before, but I haven't decided on the main course yet" said Jessie "Any suggestions Pooh bear?.. It needs to be fairly easy to make cuz Papa & Jimmy burn water and Simon lives on take out"

"Hey, I can cook, I just choose not to" said Simon "Momma made sure I knew how so I wouldn't starve while in College"

"Mac & Cheese & ramen noodles doesn't count Simon" said Jessie "anyone can make that"

"Okay smartass" said Simon "What's your signature dish? and don't say pizza bc anyone can make that"

"Eggplant Parmesan with Risotto & a Greek salad" said Jessie "beat that old man"

"Grilled Lemon Pepper Tilapia over wild rice, served with a Lobster Bisque & Asian slaw" said Simon 

"Wow, I'm impressed" said Jessie "but when was the last time you made it?"

"Last month for Momma's birthday" said Simon "You?"

"Gammie & Pappie's 50th Anniversary" said Jessie "You were there.. remember?"

"Oh yeah... sorry NeeNee" said Simon "I thought they had a caterer?"

"They did.. I sent them the recipe so that they got it right" said Jessie "Just like I did for Mary's shower... I may not have made it that day, bur I wasn't about to let some third-rate hack mess up Gammie & Pappie's big day"

"Ahh, okay" said Simon "but you have made it before, right?"

"Yes.. Pappie gave up meat for lent the year before and I made it every Sunday for 6 weeks" said Jessie

"How old were you when you started cooking Jessie?" asked Becca

"I was 6... at first, I was only allowed to help bc I couldn't reach the stove" said Jessie "Grandma would set me on the counter and teach me how to cook... when my Dad & I moved here, I would put the coffee table in front of the stove and stand on it to cook, when he wasn't drunk... I didn't cook when he was drinking bc he got mean"

"Oh.. I'm sorry" said Becca

"That's okay, he's gone and I get to cook whenever I want" said Jessie "I got to teach Louis how to cook, I've put on & maintained a healthy weight, I've grown 10 inches in 2 weeks and I'm happy... Who could ask for more?"

"Wow.. that's great Jessie" said Becca "Its great to feel loved again.. isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is" said Jessie "its like Christmas & the 4th of July all rolled into one.. there's nothing else like it... every day has been a gift" and took a deep breath and wiped her eyes "All of the things I've done since I came here, I've done for others, so that they could see and feel how much they are loved... my methods may be a bit over the top, but its the only way I know how... Go big or go home"

"Well you keep at it Jessie" said Becca "Knock their socks off every chance you get bc those are the memories they'll cherish forever"

"Yes ma'am" said Jessie "Which reminds me... I'll be right back" and ran next door and came back with two suitcases "now ladies, before I open these, let me say, that not everyone will be able to have their favorite color... Okay?"

"Okay" said the ladies as Jessie opened the bags

"Pooh bear, I'm gonna need your help with these bc I'm not sure which style will look best on everyone" said Jessie

"Okay care bear" said Mack

"Jimmy, which ones came from Gammie's closet?" asked Jessie

"The ones with the white ribbon on the zipper" said Jimmy

"Oh okay" said Jessie "and the shoes & accessories are in each bag?"

"Yes ma'am, I double checked" said Jimmy

"Excellent" said Jessie "Okay, this one is for Beth and this one is mine" and laid a dress bag over her chair and gave the other one to Betrh

"What is this for dear?" asked Beth

"Its for the Prom" said Jessie "we're hosting it.. remember?"

"Oh gosh" said Beth as she unzipped the bag "Oh Jessie... its gorgeous" and revealed a navy blue lace gown

"That was Gannie's favorite dress" said Jessie "I thought you should have it"

"Is this Spanish lace?" asked Beth

"No, this lace came from Ireland" said Mack "That's why it was Maggie's favorite"

"I would be honored to wear this Jessie" said Beth

"Good... bc its yours" said Jessie "Gammie says 'every woman should have a dress that reminds her of home' and Ireland felt like her home"

"Now all of these dresses are yours to keep, along with the accessories" said Jessie as she & Mack went thru the dresses "Mack, make sure Momma gets the red dress & Becca gets the yellow one please"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack "Give the green one to Maura, the purple one to Anne, the tangerine one to Gem and the iridescent one to Mary... these 3 are for Hannah, Linda & Meghan"

"Okay" said Jessie and handed them out "Which one is the tangerine?.. there's 3 of them"

"There's three of them?" said Mack "Dammit Catherine... I told her not to do that.. each dress needed its own bag so that it stayed relatively wrinkle free"

"Well, its the only bag that has more than one dress in it" said Jessie "so she did listen for the most part... damn.. why are they so heavy?" and opened the bag "Oh my God... they're stuffed with boxes Pooh bear"

"Oh no... not again" said Pamela "Okay, we need to check these dresses ladies.. Catherine tends to hide things in them"

"Jimmy go get the bag from the study" said Simon

"On it" said Jimmy and ran in the house and came back out with a duffle bag

"Momma stop" said Jessie "Whatever is in them let everyone keep... I'm tired of all this and Mom's damn secrets... If there's any letters or papers, I'll take those, but I don't want anything else"

"Are you sure baby?" asked Pamela

"I'm positive... I don't want it" said Jessie 

"Okay baby" said Pamela "lets check them any way ladies"

"Mack give Gem her dress bag... I'll take the other dresses" said Jessie "and go thru them... this family has more damn secrets than the Pyramids in Egypt" and messed up her hair

"Okay care bear" said Mack "just breathe"

"Holy shit" said Becca "um Jessie?.. Are you sure you want us to keep all of this? bc there's a lot here"

"Yep.. keep it" said Jessie "My Mom had 3 hat boxes, 2 tackle boxes, 3 tubes with fishing poles and a duffle bag with 2 sets of hip waders in it full of God damn secrets that I kept for 2 years... then I find out last week that my Grandpa had the Fort fucking Knox of secrets.. I am so done with all of this bullshit... sorry Papa... I already settled the estate, so whatever else I find, I don't want it"

"I'm sorry Doodlebug" said Jimmy "I thought they were heavy bc of the shoes & accessories... I never thought to check the dresses"

"Its not your fault Jimmy" said Jessie "Mom & Grandpa started this mess, I'm just tired of all of it... enough is enough"

"Oh my God" said Hannah & Anne as Garrett and his family came thru the door

"What's all of this?" asked Garrett

"A shitstorm" said Pamela "Jessie's family secrets are out of control"

"Marcus can you help Hannah please" said Jessie "Jimmy help Anne... Mack give these boxes to Evan & Jordan... Andrew, take these boxes and give them to each of you... Charlie take this box and give these two to Liam & Zayn... Robin take this box and give these to Haz, Louis & Papa please... there, that's all of them... Mack, these two are for you & Jimmy" as Jessie opened the other dress bags and went thru them 

"Oh my God" said Evan "its full of money... I cant take this Jessie, its too much" Jessie got up and went to Evan

"Hey.. take it and use it as an emergency fund" said Jessie softly " or buy things you need, redecorate your house, buy a new car or go back to school... its yours, I don't need it"

"Are you sure?" asked Evan 

"Absolutely" said Jessie "I have more than enough money... Money may not buy happiness, but it sure helps you relax while you find it... Find what makes you happy Evan, you've earned that right" Evan hugged Jessie

"Thank you" said Evan softly

"You're welcome" said Jessie and kissed Evan's cheek 

"Jessie... There's a letter with your name on it" said Becca

"Thanks Becca" said Jessie and opened the letter and read it aloud

Dear Jessica,  
I hope you never find this letter, but if you have, let me explain before you judge me too harshly. In these bags is the money from the sale of my stock options. Don't you dare be mad at James, he doesn't know about this, no one does, except Simon. I had more stock options under another name.. Angela Cowell, Simon's Aunt. This money is outside of my estate, so do whatever you want with it, just don't let your Father know about it.

Love,  
Mommy

P.S.  
Simon has the rest in a trust for whoever needs it. Call Edgar Walker in Michigan, he's a friend of the family.

"Simon Cowell-Burke" said Jessie as her eyes turned black

"Jessie.. calm down" said Simon

"You son of a bitch... You knew about this?" said Jessie "start talking or so help me, I'll shove Momma's taser up your ass... NOW SIMON"

"Yes, I knew about the money... Catherine made me swear on the family bible not to sat a word till you found it or until you needed it... whichever came first" said Simon "She had me ask Aunt Angie to purchase the stock in her name when we dated, before she met David... Catherine gave my Aunt the letter and said that if anything ever happened, to sell the stock and put the money and letter in the dress bags bc she knew that you would never get rid of them, so the money would be safe and that if you did, the money would go with them"

"How much did she get from the stock?" asked Jessie 

"$500 Million" said Simon "each box has $250,000 dollars and there's 30 boxes... there's still 6 left Jessie"

"I've got them" said Jessie and gave a box to Tom and a box to Steven "These are going to the church" and opened the last garment bag "Oh sweet Jesus, Mary & Joseph" and crossed herself

"What is it baby?" asked Pamela

"There's more than 30 boxes... there's 50" said Jessie

"What?" said Simon and walked over to Jessie "These boxes are different from the ones Angie & I had, I swear"

"Okay Simon, calm down.. I believe yoju" said Jessie and messed up her hair again "Marcus can you get me 2 pain killers, a juice and another ice pack please.. I'm getting a migraine"

"Sure angel" said Marcus and went in the house, then came back out with the items and gave tghem to Jessie 

"Thanks" said Jessie and took the pills, put the ice pack on her head, closed her eyes and didn't move

"Jessie?.. Are you alright?" asked Garrett and sat down next to her

"Nope" said Jessie and ripped open a box "God damn family secrets" and kept ripping open boxes "I am so sick of all of these secrets" and started crying

"Shh... I know its hard to deal with all of this" said Garrett and set Jessie in his lap and held her as she cried

"Its.. not.. fair" cried Jessie "why are they.. putting.. me thru all this?"

"I don't know sweetie" said Garrett softly "Shh.. don't talk sweetie, just let it out.. that's it" after a while, Jessie stopped crying, but Garrett didn't move

"Is she okay Dad?" asked Kyle

"Yeah, she just cried herself to sleep" said Garrett "What happened Pamela?"


	125. Chapter 125

Chapter 125

MARY'S POV (Continued)

"Its a long story, but since Jessie came here, she's been uncovering the Foster family secrets" said Pamela "it seems her Mother & Grandfather kept a lot of secrets and every time a secret is uncovered, its revealed that someone outside of the family knew about it and did say anything"

"Simon, how did Catherine know Edgar Walker?" I asked

"He's my Uncle" said Simon "Catherine had me contact him after David put William in the hospital... He helped Jimmy liquidate William & Catherine's assets and put Jessie's inheritance in a trust... after they died, the trust was put in escrow till Jimmy got the call that David was dead, then Edgar gave it to Jimmy and he put it in an account here for Jessie"

"Did Catherine know we were related?" I asked

"Not that I'm aware of" said Simon "if she found out after she & David were married, she never said anything to me about it... may be that was a secret that William & Maggie kept to themselves so that David wouldn't find you and hurt your family to get to the money"

"Mary, if anyone knows anything about who knew what, it would be Edgar" said Jimmy "He recorded every meeting he had with William, Maggie & Catherine"

"How do you know?" asked Simon

"Nathaniel told me" said Jimmhy "Mary knows who I'm talking about" and pulled out my phone

EDGAR: Hello?

MARY: Edgar, its Mary

EDGAR: Mary.. What can I do for you ma'am?

MARY: I was told ro ask you, did Catherine Foster know we were related?

EDGAR: No, she didn't know, but William & Maggie knew... after David & Catherine were married, they realized that David was after Catherine's money and that's when Simon contacted me, at Catherine's request to help William & Maggie secure little Jessica's inheritance. At our first meeting, William & Maggie insisted that all of our meetings and any I had with Catherine be recorded, so that if anything happened, the recordings could be turned over to the authorities, but they never mentioned you or your family after that bc David had put William in the hospital, so I turned over the recordings to Agent Monroe at the FBI field office in Georgia... I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you before Mary, but as long as David was a threat to Ms. Jessica & your family, I had to stay quiet

MARY: That's okay Edgar... its just that Ms. Jessica isn't handling the family secrets very well and its starting to take a toll on her

EDGAR: Ms. Jessica is with you?

MARY: "Yes, she has been for almost 3 weeks... Didn't Jimmy tell you?

EDGAR: No... He just said that David had died and that Ms. Jessica needed her inheritance transferred to an account in England... I'm going to shoot that boy, I swear... At least Ms. Jessica is safe and with family, I've been worried sick and Jimmy hasn't returned any of my phone calls

MARY: I'll make sure he calls you, and you have my address here, so if you feel the need to come see Jessica before Pamela's Wedding, please do so... I know she would like to see you and maybe ask you some questions for her own peace of mind

EDGAR: Thank you Mary, I'll check my schedule and see what I can move around... Tell Ms. Jessica to not take the family secrets too hard and I'll do my best to come see her as soon as possible

MARY: I will... Thank you Edgar and try and have a good day, I'll talk to you soon

EDGAR: Yes ma'am... Goodnight Mary

and hung up "Ooo Jimmy's a dead man" said Sarah "way to screw the pooch there Jimbo"

"Amen Sarah" said Simon "Damn Jimmy, your screw up is making me look like an angel... How could you not tell Edgar Jessie was with family?.. And not returning his calls?.. Big mistake Jimbo"

"Oh kiss my ass Simon" said Jimmy and pulled out his phone "Tessa, has Mr. Walker tried to call me?... How many times has he called?... Tessa? Is your phone broken?... No, bc I'm talking to you on your phone, right?... Tessa... Tessa, calm down darlin... I know... SHE DID WHAT?... sorry Tessa... Next time Suzanne tells you not to bother me, you call me any way, okay darlin?... Okay, okay, Tessa?... Who signs your paycheck?.. that's right, I do so you feel free to tall Suzanne she can kiss your lily white ass, okay?... That's my girl, now transfer me to Suzanne's office please, thank you... communist bitch... Suzanne, how are ya darlin?... Mhm... Mhm... Mhm... Suzanne?... you're fired, clean out your desk and go home" and hung up

"Jimmy!!" said Mack as Jimmy held up his finger and dialed another number

"Mr. Jameson.. its James Burke... I need you to escort Ms. Parker out of the building... yes, don't let her take any files, take her keys & lock her office... give the keys to Tessa after she leaves and don't allow her back in the building unless I call you first" said Jimmy "Thank you Mr. Jameson... you too sir" and hung up "What?"

"Was that really necessary?" asked Mack

"Yes it was" said Jimmy "that... woman... has been a pain in my ass for 5 years.... she told MY ASSISTANT that she wasn't allowed to call me, and then she moved her fat ass into MY OFFICE"

"Oh" said Mack "I see"

""Now, I have to call Edgar and kiss his ass and pray that when he shows up here, he wont shoot my ass" said Jimmy "Why does this shit always fuck up my weekend and never at the beginning of the week"

"Bc you're a Corporate Lawyer" said Mack "if you wanted fun, shit-free weekends, you should've been an accountant, like Edgar"

":Pooh bear, Edgar isn't an accountant" said Jimmy "He's an Estate Lawyer"

"So close up the office and move it & Tessa here" said Mack "Its not like the idea hasn't crossed your mind at least 30 times a day"

"Bc I'm thinking of quitting Corporate Law" said Jimmy "I just want to get this mess with William & Catherine settled first... once Jessie's requests regarding the Estate is done, then I can focus on the Office"

"Who is Nathaniel?" asked Simon

"Simon... that's another secret" I said "Wait till Monday and let Jessie tell you.. Okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said Simon

"Um.. Mary?" said Charlie

"Yeah?" I said 

"I don't mean to interrupt" said Charlie

"That's okay Charlie" I said "What's on your mind sweetie?"

"I know Jessie wants us to keep what's in these boxes" said Charlie "and I don't want to seem ungrateful, but it doesn't feel right to keep it, so can you help me give it back to her without hurting her feelings, please"

"Oh Charlie" I said and knelt in front of him "you don't have to keep it.. but I think you should"

"Why?" asked Charlie

"Bc it can help you plan for your future" I said "put it in a bank account for when you go to College, or use it to buy your first home after you get married... you may not want it now, but you may feel differently later"

"Mom's right Charlie" said Louis "planning for your future is a good use for this money... lets me ask you this... What kind of job do you want to have when you're 21?"

"I'd like to be a Vet.. like Robin" said Charlie

"Then put this money in a bank account bc Medical School is expensive" said Louis "let it gain interest, add half of your paychecks to it each week, and by the time you finish College & Medical School, you'll have enough money to open your own Vet Clinic... and if while in College, you decide you don't want to be a Vet, you'll have enough money to open whatever kind of business you want... Okay?"

"Okay" said Charlie "and I don't have to use it, at all, if I don't want to... rkight?"

"Right" said Louis

"Okay" said Charlie

"Jimmy, call Edgar tomorrow" I said "lets see what's in these other boxes"

"Yes ma'am" said Jimmy as we sat down and started opening the boxes "This one has legal papers & stuff" as Jimmy looked thru it "Holy shit... Catherine, what did you do" he whispered

"What is it Jimmy?" I asked

"It seems Catherine did her own background check on David" said Jimmy as he looked thru the papers "She has bank records, surveillance photos, tax records, several drivers Licenses & passports... Who in the Hell was this guy?"

"That's not good" I said "How many passports & licenses are there?"

"10 of each" said Jimmy "Each license has a passport with the same name"

"Give me the licenses and we'll put then in order of their expiration and see if we cant get theis puzzle to make sense" I said 

"Mary, let us do that" said Garrett "We can get it done in 5 minutes... you & Jimmy work on the other boxes"

"Okay Garrett" I said 

"Mack can you come get Jessie, I don't want to wake her up" said Garrett

"Sure" said Mack and lifted Jessie out of Garrett's arms "I'll lay her on the clouch Mary"

"Okay Mack" I said as he went inside

"I tell ya one thing" said Garrett "Catherine did one Hell of a great job... She did more than justr a standard background check, she went deep diving on everyone of these licenese as if she was doing a family tree"

"Well whoever this guy was, he kept excellent bank records & tax returns" said Kyle "I've got records going back to 1985"

"Holy fucking shit" said one of the guys

"What is it Roger?" asked Garrett

"I've got an un-redacted Interpol file" said Roger "On a David O'Malley from 1985... He was a gun runner & explosives expert for the IRA... no wonder he had so many aliases.. He was a wanted man"

"How in the Hell did Catherine get an Interpol file?" asked Jimmy as Roger pulled out a laptop

"What was Catherine's maiden name?" asked Roger

"Foster" I said

"Nope" said Roger

"Try Cowell or Burke" I said 

"Nothing on those either" said Roger

"Try Fitzsimmons or Walker" I said 

"Bingo... I have a Catherine Walker" said Roger "Is this her?" and turned the laptop around

"Yeah, that's Jessie's Mother, Catherine Foster" said Jimmy

"It says here, Ms. Catherine worked for Interpol from September 1985 till December 1998... What she did exactly has been redacted, but that explains how she got the unredacted file" said Roger "She has friends high up in the Intelligence food chain... I'm starting to see why Jessie had a meltdown, this is a whopper of a secret"

"That explains all of the secrets" said Jessie I'll bet she has more bank accounts under 'Walker' here too"

"Are you okay sweetie?" I asked

"Yeah, my headache is gone" said Jessie "Jimmy call Agent Monroe on MOnday and have her come here, I've figured out why Pappie had that arsenal... y'all ain't as quiet as ya tried to be"

"Okay Doodlebug" said Jimmy "sorry we woke you up"

"That's okay Jimbo" said Jessie "Garrett, I'm sorry for my meltdown.. Thank you for trying to help"

"You're welcome Jessie" said Garrett "don't apologize, sometimes a good cry is all that is needed to put things into focus and relieve stress... don't ever apologize forn needing to cry"

"Yes sir" said Jessie and ;picked up the 4 boxes and walked over and gave 2 boxes to Steven and gave 2 boxes to Tom "KI want you both to have these and start College funds for Sarah, Brian & the twins... please"

"Thank you Jessie" said Tom

"Thank you Jessie" said Steven "What ablout the money for the church?"

"You're welcome... Oh, I've got that covered" said Jessie and smiled as she came back over and sat down "So, Kyle.. the CIA, huh?"

"Aw damn it Dad" said Kyle

"Hey go easy on him" said Jessie "its not his fault you're the only one he trusts over there to bury Marcus's history" as she picked up a box "besides, the last time I checked, its Becca you should be worried about bc 1) you didn't tell her, 2) you've been here 45 minutes and still haven't given her a proper hello and 3) you haven't updated the Chief as to what you found"

"Yeah Kyle" said Pamela "look who's in the doghouse now bc its not Garrett"

"Yeah Kyle" said Matt, Roger & Gary in unison "OORAH" and did a 3-way high-5

Kyle got up and walked over to Becca "Hey honey.. How's my girl?" said Kyle and gave Becca a hug "Its good to see you"

"Hey Dad, I'm good, its good to see you too" said Becca and spun Kyle into a head lock "What is the rule about keeping secrets from me? Huh?"

"Oh shit" said Louis "remind me to never piss her off"

"Don't keep secrets unless you're willing to accept the consequences from the fallout" said Kyle "I'm sorry honey, I really am... Forgive me?"

Becca let him go "You're forgiven" said Becca "Do it again and I'll take away your coffee, coffee makers and credit card.. got it?"

"Yes ma'am" said Kyle

"Daddy, this is Charlie... Charlie, this is my Dad, Kyle" said Becca

"Charlie, its nice to meet you" said Kyle and shook his hand

"Its nice to meet you sir" said Charlie and looked at Becca "Does he know?"

"Yeah, he knows.. relax" said Becca

"Oh okay" said Charlie ""Sir, this is my sister Meghan and my older brother Evan... Meghan & I are twins"

"Evan, Meghan, its nice to meet you" said Kyle

"Nice to meet you as well" said Meghan 

"Nice to meet you sir" said Evan and shook Kyle's hand

"So you're the young man Becca has told me about" said Kyle

"Yes sir" said Charlie "I'm aware there's a big age difference between Rebecca & KI, and I haven't quite figured things out yet, but I would like your permission to date Rebecca"

"Well, thank you for asking Charlie" said Kyle "you have my permission"

"You're welcome and Thank you sir" said Charlie and smiled at Becca

"You're welcome" said Kyle

"What does your dress look like jellybean?" asked Sarah

Jessie got up and went to her chair, unzipped her dress bag and took out a white satin & lace dress.. Brian gave a low whistle.

"Now that is a dress" said Brian "Early 1300's style, satin & lace, empire waist, flowy sleeves, square neckline, timeless elegance and very vintage"

"Damn.. he's good" said Mack

"I know a vintage style when I see it" said Brian "My Grandma taught me well, huh?"

"Yes she did" said Mack

"I cant wait to see Mom in her dress" said Brian "What color is this?"

"Its Indigo... its a bluish-purple" said Mack

"Wow... its beautiful" said Brian

"Did y'all find your box of accessories?" asked Jessie

"Oh gosh" said Hannah and pulled out a large flat black velvet box and opened it "Oh my God.. they're stunning"

"Oh wow" said Beth "Are these Sapphires?"

"Yep... each dress has a matching or corresponding color necklace, earrings, bracelet & ring" said Jessie

"What are these?" IK asked as Jessie came over to me

"Those are Opals" said Jessie "3 carats, surrounded by 18 quarter carat diamonds, set in 24K White Gold"

"Oh wow" I said

"What are these?" asked Gem as Jessie walked over

"Tiger's Eye" said Jessie "4 carats, surrounded by 14- 1/2 carat diamonds, set in 24K Gold" said Jessie as everyone opened their box

"Holy wow" said Becca and sat down "These are gorgeous"

"4 carat Canary Diamonds, surrounded by 7- 1 carat diamonds, set in Sterling Silver" said Jessie "Momma has Rubies, Maura has Emeralds, Anne has Amethysts, Linda & Gran have Sapphires, Meghan has Rose Quartz... and Hannah has Blue Diamonds"

"These are diamonds?" asked Hannah

"Yes... depending on the region, diamonds come in 4 colors" said Jessie "white, yellow, blue & brown, also known as chocolate diamonds.. A diamond starts out as a chunk of coal... when it comes in contact with extreme heat and pressure, a diamond is formed.... the heat content & location of the diamond will determine the color of the stone"

"Amazing" said Garrett

"Damn... she's smart" said Matt

"Thanks" said Jessie and walked over to the duffle bag "I know Gemology" and took out a satin purse and looked inside "These little purses have either gemstones or diamonds in them... this one has diamonds ranging in size from 1/8th of a carat to 3 carats and there are, rough guess, about 500 stones in this purse... current market value for this little purse, is $15 Million U.S.D"

"Holy shit" said Matt "How many are in there?"

"300" said Jessie "The price of each purse varies, bc gemstones have their own value based on where they came from... Diamonds, however, go up in value when they are part of a private collection... if you flood the market, the value goes down... another thing about diamonds, is that every country deals in diamonds... you can sell diamonds to any broker in groups of 12 and be paid about $84,000 roughly... think of diamonds as a Universal ATM"

"God Damn" said Matt

"Are you serious?" asked Charlie

"Yep... now do you see why I don't need the money?" said Jessie "My Grandpa, as it turns out, purchased a lot of these little purses, so once I decide what to do with them, either keep them, or sell them, I've got enough, I don't need any more"

"Um.. Why did you have Pamela... you know" said Charlie

"Bc 1) it will be a couple of weeks till you get your first paycheck" said Jessie "and 2) I want you & Becca to be able to go out on dates and have fun, make memories together, find out what each of you like to do for fun, go out on picnics to the park or the lake, go to a movie or out to dinner, whatever, just have fun"

"Oh okay" said Charlie "now I get it... Thanks Jessie"

"You're welcome Charlie" said Jessie "and if you need help setting something up something special, let Me, Mack or Louis know"

"Oh cool... I will" said Charlie and smiled

"Now there's a smile I like to see" said Meghan "The ones that make your eyes sparkle"

"I know I've been a pain in the ass lately and I'm really sorry Turtledove.. I miss you, come home.. please?" said Charlie "I promise, If I screw up again, I'll let you give me a black eye & a fat lip, just come home"

"Okay scooter" chuckled Meghan "I'll come home... on 1 condition"

"Anything, you name it, you got it" said Charlie

"From now on, you stay out of my room, if I'm not in there" said Meghan "Understood?"

"Yes ma'am" said Charlie "I will, I promise"

"Then I had better go pack" said Meghan and gathered up her things

"Would you like some help Meghan?" asked Gem

"No thanks Gemma" said Meghan "I didn't bring that much"

"Okay sweetie.. I'll walk with you" said Gem and gathered up her dress bag "I'll be right back babe"

"Okay honey" said Louis as they walked next door "Nicely done Charlie"

"Thanks" said Charlie and relaxed as he rubbed his jaw ""KI'd like to know how she learned to throw a right hook"

"I showed her" said Evan "You remember when she had that problem with Kirk Meyers last year?"

"Oh yeah" said Charlie "that guy is a jackass"

"Well after you got suspended, she asked me to show her bc you weren't there" said Evan

"Good job Evan" said Charlie

"What happened last year?" asked Davis

"Kirk was bullying Meghan bc she got better grades than he did" said Charlie "He would follow her around in the halls calling her names, knocking her books out of her arms, and hit her constantly... He had her cornered in the hallway and was hitting her really bad, so I beat the crap out of him and bc no one said anything, except me & Meghan that he started it, I got suspended for a week and couldn't go near the school, so I would wait near by and walk her home"

"Thank you for telling me Charlie" said Davis as Meghan & Gem came back with Meghan's suitcase

"Mack, Pamela, thank you for letting me stay here" said Meghan "I appreciated it"

"You're welcome darlin" said Mack and gave her a hug "our door is always open and you come see me if you ever want to talk.. okay?"

"Okay, I will" said Meghan and kissed Mack's cheek "and I want that recipe for strawberry waffles mister"

"Yes ma'am" chuckled Mack

"You made them strawberry waffles?" said Jimmy "You know those are my favorite"


	126. Chapter 126

Chapter 126

MARY'S POV (Continued)

"Yes, I know, and you & the boys can have them tomorrow" said Mack "The rest of us will be having breakfast crepes"

"Aw come on Pooh bear" whined Jimmy "don't make me choose"

"No one's making you choose lovebug" said Mack "do you want to save the waffles for another time or not?"

"Ooo yeah.. lets have them Sunday morning" said Jimmy

"Okay, breakfast crepes it is then" said Mack

"What's in a breakfast crepe?" I asked

"Usually fruit & Yogurt" said Mack "the ones we're having will be kind of like a breakfast burrito, but with bacon, fried potatoes, eggs & country gravy"

"Holy cow" said Louis "Are you trying to give us all high cholesterol?"

Mmm.. Nope" said Mack "I can make you a fruit & yogurt one, but you'll be hungry in an hour.. its your call Louis"

"Yeah okay... just leave off the gravy" said Louis "I'm not a fan of it"

"I can do that" said Mack "Jessie, why don't we do campfire dinners on Sunday?"

"Oh that sounds perfect" said Jessie "We can go get it all on Saturday morning" and pulled out her phone and started typing "Okay, I've got hot dogs & chicken for lunch, the campfire packets for dinner and s'mores for dessert... How does that sound Pooh bear?"

"Sounds good care bear" said Mack "they do have grills at the lake, right Haz?"

"Yep and bonfire pits" said Haz "I'm going to the hardware store Saturday morning to get the logs"

"Excellent" said Mack ""And Saturday night, while I'm putting the macaroni salad together, y'all can start filling up the water balloons" said Jessie "We've got 2400 balloons to fill by noon Sunday"

'Holy shit" said Becca "think you got enough?"

"Yep.. we would've had 2500, but we used a package last Friday when we ambushed the guys with perfume bombs" said Jessie "we also have 8 mega super soaker squirt guns too... its gonna be epic"

"Is she serious?" said Becca abd looked at Pamela

"Yep" said Pamela "I've got another 10 cases of balloons up in my room that she had me bring back from Georgia last weekend"

"God Damn" said Becca

"What's in a perfume bomb?" asked Kyle

"Perfume, flour, water & dish soap" said Jessie "Gran, Gem & Anne each sacrificed a bottle of perfume to make them... We hit Marcus with 60 balloons, then we hit Haz, Papa, Louis, Liam, Zayn & Jimmy with the other 40... it was a total victory" and gave Pa,ela a high-5 "they had to take showers & do laundry that night"

"Yeah... I still haven't gotten the perfume smell out of my tennis shoes" said Louis "I had to buy a new pair"

"Next time you wash them Lou, use a little baking soda" said Mack "It'll neutralize the perfume"

"Huh.. Thanks Mack" said Louis

"You're welcome" said Mack "next time, if there a possibility of an ambush, leave your shoes in the house"

"Yeah, I'll remember that" chuckled Louis "I'll also remember to avoid Sarah and her sling shot"

"Here's everything we found on Wexler & Kirby" said Kyle and gave a folder to Steven "The I.A. report on them , in regards to the killing of Jessie's dog is in there too... Kirby came up clean, but Wexler had a juvenile arrest record that was sealed... You're boss called a Judge and had it unsealed" and gave Steven a second file

"Thanks Kyle" said Steven and opened the first file"Kirby's been cleared and reinstated... it was Wexler's taser that killed Duchess" and opened the other file "Wexler had countless arrests for assault, grand theft auto... here's something.. he was at 15 for.... Holy Mary, Mother of God" Jordan walked over to Steven and looked at the file 

"Sweet Jesus" said Jordan "He set his neighbor's dog on fire... He said that the dog was barking too much... Boss, he never should've been able to become a cop"

"Yeah.. I know" said Steven and pulled out his phone "Did you show this to the Commissioner?"

"Yeah.. He had us run your candidates list too" said Kyle "they all came up clean" and put his phone away "The Commissioner's staff and Internal Affairs are doing a complete overhaul of the academy's application and we got in touch with Interpol & Scotland Yard and they're going to send some people on Monday to do background checks on the entire department... I don't know who you inherited this mess from, but they botched the job.. big time"

"Yeah, I'm beginning to see that" said Steven "I've been trying to organize this mess all week... The former Chief had this job for 2 years and let a lot of things slide by"

"How many Officers & Detectives do you think we'll loose?" asked Jordan

"None I hope, but if we do, I pray no more than 10 or we're going to be stretched pretty thin" said Steven

"The Commissioner & the Internal Affairs Chief are looking for Wexler" said Garrett "they paid Kirby a visit, and seeing as he's been cleared, your boos reinstated him, so he's telling them where to start looking for Wexler" and looked at Jessie "Kirby is a good guy Jessie, he just got the wrong partner.. don't be angry sweetie, he deserves a second chance"

"I'm not angry, if he didn't do it, then he deserves to have his job back" said Jessie "Wexler, on the other hand, better pray I don't see him, I may just have to put him in the hospital, just for the Hell of it"

"Then lets pray that doesn't happen" said Louis

"Hey PJ.. Do you have that Hawaiian print dress I let you borrow for graduation?" said Becca "I couldn't find it when I was packing for California"

"Probably.. lets go look" said Pamela "I'll be right back sunshine"

"Okay poppet" said Ni as they went inside

PAMELA'S POV

Becca laid on the bed as I looked in the closet for her dress "I cant get over how hot Charlie is" said Becca "guys his age shouldn't look that good in a pair of jeans"

"I thought your Dad was gonna choke when Charlie asked if he could date you" I chuckled "Yep, found it"

"Thanks... yeah I know" said Becca "I thought it was sweet... Did you see the look on my Uncle's faces? I thought Gary was going to stroke out" and started laughing

"What do you expect? They never had kids, so they have no clue how to react" I said 

"Grandpa didn't tell you?"said Becca "Aunt Mimi's pregnant, she's due in November with twins"

"Oh wow... How is Matt handling that?" I asked

"So far, he's okay, but they don't know what they're having bc Mimi doesn't want to know" said Becca "Grandpa wants Jessie to see if she can tell, but he doesn't want to impose""

"Well lets go ask her" I said "I want to see Matt pass out from shock"

"Yeah, lets" chuckled Becca as we went back outside "I cant believe you didn't tell PJ Grandpa"

"Huh?.. oh yeah, sorry Pamela" said Garrett as I walked over and whispered in Jessie's ear

"Oh cool" said Jessie "Congratulations Matt"

"Oh.. Thanks Jessie" said Matt

"So who wants to know thw gender of Matt & Mimi's twins?" asked Jessie "If y'all want to know, this is one secret y'all can keep from her"

"Yes please" said Matt "I've been dying to know for months"

"Okay" chuckled Jessie "You can call her and I can read & listen or Garrett & I can find out long distance... Which one do you want me to do?"

"I can call her" said Matt "She had a doctor's appointment today, so I have to call her any way" and pulled out his phone

"Put it on speaker.. its easier for me to read" said Jessie "y'all need to be quiet"

"Okay" said Matt as Jessie closed her eyes

MIMI: Hey honey... How was London?

MATT: Hey sweetie... it was great... How did your appointment go?

MIMI: It went great.. the babies are healthy, my blood pressure came down and I'm being held hostage by Suzy & Gayle... they wont tell me where we're going *Oh be quiet little Momma*

MATT: I know where you're going, but its a special surprise, so I'm not telling

MIMI: You are so mean.. you know I hate special surprises Mattie, why do you do this to me... If I weren't 5 months pregnant, I'd kick your hiney for this

MATT: *chuckling* You can kick my hiney for Christmas sweetie, I promise

MIMI: Yeah okay... I gotta go, I'm being blindfolded... I Love You Masttie

MATT: I Love You too Mimzie… Have fun

and hung up "Well?" said Matt as Jessie opened her eyes

"Y'all get ready to catch him" said Jessie "You're having girls" Matt passed out

"YES!!" yelled Garrett "pay up boys" as Kyle, Roger & Gary each put $20 dollars in Garrett's hand "it has been a pleasure doing business with you gentlemen

Becca went in the hojuse and came out with a bottle of water and poured it on Matt's face.. that woke him up "Welcome back Uncle Matt" said Becca

"Oh my God.. Girls? Both of them?" asked Matt "Are you sure?"

"Yep, I'm sure" said Jessie "Congratulations"

"Oh Thank God" sighed Matt and relaxed "The streak has been broken"

"Its about damn time" said Becca "I Love you guys, but its time for the Women in this family to start outnumbering the Men"

"Amen Sister" I said and smacked our hands together

"Y'all better learn how to play dress up and have tea parties" said Jessie "and start buying Barbie dolls and princess movies too" as Matt's phone rang

"Its Mimi" said Matt and put it on speaker

MATT: Yes?

MIMI: *crying* Oh Mattie.. you brought Momma & Daddy here for a baby shower>

MATT: Yes I did... Surprise

MIMI: I have a surprise too

MATT: You do?

MIMI: We're having Girls... Surprise *cheering & screaming* *Congratulations*

MATT: I thought you didn't want to know?

MIMI: I didn't, but I had a really strange dream last night... I dreamed the babies had no faces.. Mom said that's bc I didn't know if they were boys or girls

MATT: Sweetie, why didn't you call me?

MIMI: bc I had Suzy & Gayle with me.. we ended up having a late night ice cream party

MATT: If that happens again when I'm not home, will you call me please

MIMI: Yes sir... *laughing* I have to go, Daddy's trying to diaper a baby doll... He's so out of practice *Daddy, you cant do that, its a baby, not a pin cushion*

MATT: Okay sweetie... Have fun and I'll see you soon.. I Love You Mimzie

MIMI: Okay honey.. I'll see you soon... I Love You too Mattie

and hung up "Phase I is a success" said Matt and gave Garrett a high-5

"I knew it would be" said Garrett "and Phase II will be ready when she gets home"

"What's Phase II?" asked Becca 

"Finishing the nursery" said Matt "We were in the middle of putting the crib and stuff together when Dad called and told us to get to London for the scavenger hunt"

"So who's finishing the nursery?" asked Becca

"Burt, Trevor, Duncan & Max" said Garrett as his phone rang

GARRETT: Hello?

DUNCAN: Hey Pops.. its all done... Does Uncle Matt need anything else done around here? We really don't want to go to the baby thing

GARRETT: You could clean the garage, clean the basement, do yard work or all three

DUNCAN: Aw come on Pops, we just did that 3 days ago at Aunt Lydia & Uncle Bo's place

GARRETT: Then go to the baby shower and help your Mother & Aunts haul everything back to Matt & Mimi's house

DUNCAN: Ugh.. Fine *shut up Duncan and quit being a pussy, ya jackass* Oh kiss my ass Max or I'll tell Trini where you were last night.. yeah, I thought so... Okay Pops, we'll head to the Hotel

GARRETT: Good choice boys.. Have fun & be nice or Matt will have you four on KP duty till Mimi has the babies

DUNCAN: Yes sir...We'll talk soon sir

GARRETT: Yes we will... bye

DUNCAN: Bye sir


	127. Chapter 127

Chapter 127

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

and hung up "I'll be right back Momma" said Jessie and went to the gazebo "Chelsea, Trudy, come on pretty babies, its time for bed... hey, come on sleepyheads" they yawned and slowly followed Jessie into the house

"Were they in there this whole time?" asked Becca

"Yeah... its new so they were checking it out" I said as Jessie came back out "Are they all settled baby?"

"Yep and they were snoring before I left" said Jessie 

"Thank you Jessie" said Matt

"You're welcome" said Jessie and went to the duffle bag and started opening purses and set 2 aside, then started counting some of the money "Jimmy can you put this away and bring me the blue bag that's hanging on the storage pantry door please" said Jessie

"Sure Doodlebug" said Jimmy and took the duffle bag in the house, then came out with the other bag "Here Jess"

"Thanks" said Jessie and put the money in the bag "Give this to Gran" and walked over to Matt with the satin purses "these are for you... you can keep them or sell them, but they come with 1 stipulation"

"Okay" said Matt

"When you get back home, take some of these and have a pair of earrings & a pendant necklace made and give them to your wife the day your beautiful babies are born" said Jessie "Okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said Matt "Thank you"

"You're welcome" said Jessie and give Matt a hug 

"You are a very special young lady" said Matt

Thanks" said Jessie "I want you to meet my Godbabies"

"Oh wow, Okay" said Matt as Pops & Haz brought the babies over to them. Jessie took Jordan and Pops laid Stephanie in Matt's arms

"This is Jordan Daniel Rothsdale and that is Stephanie Renee Rothsdale" said Jessie "They're 4 days old"

"Oh wow... they're so beautiful and so tiny" said Matt softly as Stephanie opened her eyes and smiled at Matt "Holy cow, she has the same eye color as PJ"

"No way" said Kyle, Roger & Gary in unison and came closer to see

"I always thought that was a rare thing" said Roger

"No, its a Scottish thing" I said "Women of Scottish descent have purple eyes instead of brown"

"Oh wow" said Roger as Stephanie started babbling

"If you read her when she babbles, you can hear what she's saying" said Jessie

"Oh wow" said Matt "What was that?... yes we do look alike, we're brothers... This is Kyle, Roger & Gary... I'm Matt... its nice to meet you Stephanie, you're very pretty... you're welcome"

Jordan opened his eyes and started babbling "Yes, I know there is a lot of new people, isn't there... remember Becca?... this is her Daddy, her Uncles and her Grandpa.. okay" said Jessie and sat Jordan upright in her lap and held him against her so that he could see the group "There, is that better?... you're welcome sweetie" Jordan smiled and started bouncing & babbling, which made everyone start laughing as Steven's phone rang

"Hello?" said Steven "Thank you sir... yes sir, we're on our way" and hung up "The boss found Wexler and needs us to come to the station.. He wants you to interrogate him and I'll go as your back-up so that he cooperates"

"Damn.. the boss works fast" said Jordan "Thanks boss" and looked at Evan "I gotta go, but I'll see you at the Wedding.. okay?"

"Okay" said Evan as Jordan kissed his hand "Drive safe.. both of you"

"Yes sir" said Steven & Jordan 

"I'll be home in a couple of hours darlin" said Steven and kissed Hannah "I Love You"

"I Love You too... Be safe" said Hannah

"Yes ma'am" said Steven "Stuart, thank you for dinner.. it was amazing"

"You're welcome Steven" said Stuart

"Haz. Mary, we'll see you tomorrow" said Steven and kissed Mary's cheek and shook Haz's hand

"See you tomorrow Chief" said Haz 

"Give him Hell Jordan" I said 

"Yes ma'am" chuckled Jordan

"I'll walk you out" said Louis as they went in the house.. I pulled out my phone to check the time

"What time is it PJ?" asked Becca

"Its 10 o'clock" I said "17 hours and counting Mom"

"Oh gosh" said Mom as Lou came back out and sat down "now I'm nervous"

"Relax Mom" said Louis "We have a few things to set up in the morning, so all you & Haz have to do is sit back, relax and say 'I do"... easy peasy"

"What's left to do?" asked Davis

"We need to set up a small table out front for the Unity candle, set up the keyboard on the front porch and set the table" said Jessie "oh.. we also need the stereo brought back over and the small table we us out front, needs to be brought back out here so that we can set the country candle on it"

"Country Candle?" said Damian

"Yeah... you take a large canning jar and add a wick & wax beads" said Jessie "the parents of the Bride & Groom pour the first layer, their family pour the second, then Haz & Mary will add their layer and the rest of us will add ours then Haz & Mary will light it and it'll stay lit till they leave at 7.... then every year on their Anniversary, they'll light it" said Jessie

"Oh that's so cool" said Davis "What color is the candle going to be?"

"Lots of colors... that's the best part" said Jessie "The first layer will be pink & blue, then a light purple, then white and then the colors of the rainbow"

"Oh wow" said Haz "Where did you come with this idea?"

"I found it on Pinterest" said Jessie "under 'Wedding ideas'... they use colored sand, but I loved the idea of a country candle bc they're more personal... the rainbow is when you first saw Mary, the white is your new beginning as a couple, the light purple is your family, and the pink & blue is the foundation that Anne and your parents laid in order for you to get here.. your Love, Faith & Future"

"Oh Jessie" said Mom "Its going to be beautiful... Thank you"

"You're welcome Izzie" said Jessie "I've always loved homemade candles bc you can personalize them and everyone loves candles, so they make awesome gifts... What's really cool, is you find candle kits at any craft store and you would be amazed at what you can put in a candle... ask Mack"

"Yeah... Jessie made us a Christmas candle when she was 5, with candy canes, green glitter and white peppermint scented wax" said Mack "then she glued a wooden snowman & cotton balls to the lid to complete the Winter theme... it was perfect and I still have it"

"Its gifts like that, that mean the most" said Anne "I have every Christmas card, every Mother's Day class project and every Valentine's Heart that Gemma & Harry made when they were little"

"I remember this one time, Haz & I were out getting Mom a birthday present and Haz couldn't find the right wrapping paper" said Gem "so we went home and he got out a roll of Christmas paper, cut it to the size he needed, and got out his markers, paints & stickers and decorated the back-side of the paper with rainbows, flowers, birds & hearts and when it was perfect, he waited till it was dry and wrapped her present... Mom was crying so much, it took her 10 minutes to open it bc she didnt want to rip it"

"And I still have it too" said Anne "I know its just paper, but it was just too pretty to get rid of, so I carefully folded it and put it in Harry's baby book where its safe"

"I cant believe you still have all of that Mom" said Haz

"Its the memories sweetie" said Anne "Its what parents do, you'll see when your babies get older... all of the drawings you'll hang on the refrigerator, the Father's Dady & Mother's Day cards they'll make.. all of it"

"Science fair awards, sports trophies, school photos, countless family photos on vacation, class trips" said Kyle "lots of sleep-overs & pajama parties, when they learn to drive, when they graduate... it never ends"

"The countless number of stray dogs & cats they'll bring home" said Garrett and chuckled "begging 'please Daddy, he needs a home.. isn't it cute?'... How mant times did Becca spring that one on you Kyle?"

"Oh God.. at least 30 times a day since she was 5 years old" said Kyle "and these three were no help"

"Hey, I took in 5 of those dogs Kyle, and they all had great lives" said Roger "I would've take a few of the cats too, if Tammy wasn't allergic to them"

"Yeah.. we all took in an animal or 3, so be grateful you only had to raise one dog you jerk" said Gary

"Yeah" said Matt "and don't forget, Mom & Dad took in Sampson when Becca brought him home from that free pet adoption fair at the park when she was 8 and he was still a puppy... remember how many couches they went thru before he outgrew the chewing phase?... you got off easy there Ky""

"Oh shut up Mattie" said Kyle "call me that again, and I'll kick your ass"

"Ah, Ah, Ah, I'm holding a princess here" said Matt "Be nice.. Ky"

"Okay boys" I said and lifted Stephanie out of Matt's arms "If you two are gonna fight, take it out to the field.. I'm not going to allow these babies see two grown-ass old men act like a couple of toddlers and destroy this yard... Understood?"

"Yes ma'am" said Kyle & Matt

"We're not that old PJ" said Matt

"Excuse me?" I said "You're almost 45... you're gonna be 63 when your babies graduate from high school and 67 when they graduate College... so shut up old man"

"Holy shit" said Louis "How old are your wives?"

"Kara & Mimi are in their 30's" said Matt

"Tammy & Maria are almost 30" said Gary

"Oh okay" said Louis

"Is Mimi going to be able to fly here for the Wedding?" I asked

"Yeah, she'll be here next week" said Matt "We're renting an apartment till the babies are born bc she didn't want to miss your Wedding... we'll fly back then"

"So you got married when Becca's Mom was 16?" said Louis

"Yeah.. IK was 23" said Kyle "Matt & Mimi got married 15 years ago... she was 23, he was 30"

"Oh wow" said Ni as Kyle's phone rang

"Hey Kiki" said Kyle "Okay, just a sec sweetie" and put it on speaker

KYLE: Go ahead sweetie

KARA: Um... Are you sitting down?

KYLE: No, but I can be, is it that bad?

KARA: Its not bad per se, but you need to sit down honeybee

KYLE: *sitting down* Okay, tell me Kiki, you're starting to scare me

KARA: I'm pregnant, 2 months... and this time its a doozie honeybee

KYLE: Oh my God... A doozie? How big of a doozie?

KARA: Papa be ready to catch him please

GARRETT: I've got him sweetie, let it rip

KARA: 4 doozies honeybee... due Mid-February

*Kyle passed out*

GARRETT: He's out cold sweetie... 4? Are you sure?

KARA: Yeah, I'm sure Papa... I went to the doctor for my 6-month check up... surprise.... I had to call Mom bc I was too emotional to drive home & to the airport.. I'm waiting for my flight.. I would've flown with Mom in a couple of days, but I need Kyle bc I'm scared shitless right now

GARRETT: That's alright sweetie, you be scared all you want, just breathe... We're in Holmes Chapel with Pamela & her family, so you need to change your destination so that you land agt the Manchester Airport

KARA: Oh crap.. its too late Papa, they're calling my flight

GARRETT: Okay sweetie, Are you landing at Heathrow?

KARA: Yeah, I'll be there between noon and 3

GARRETT: Okay, look for Matt sweetie & fly safe

KARA: Okay Papa... see you soon

and hung up ""Oh my God" said Becca slowly as tears ran down her face "Mom's pregnant with 4 babies... Holy shits & giggles" then looked at Kyle "Poor Daddy" and poured water on his face.. that woke him up

"Tell me that was a dream" said Kyle and started crying "Oh God.. 4 babies? Seriously?.. Dad..."

"Shh.. its alright Kyle" said Garrett "just breathe, slow & easy"

"How is this possible Dad?" cried Kyle "We've been so careful and what if it happens again?"

"Shh... its alright Daddy" said Becca "This is good news.. I've been waiting for this my whole life and Mom has the best doctor in the world, just relax and be happy"

"Timothy" said Jessie "Oh for God's sake, give Jake the phone and go take a bubble bath... Hey Jake... yeah, I know its after 10 and I'm sorry, but Becca needs a huge favor... Her Mom is flying here and didnt realize her Dad wasn't in London... Can you fly to London with Becca's Uncle Matt, pick her up and fly her here?... between noon & 3 tomorrow... Thanks Jake, you're a rock star.... Have a good night.. bye" and hung up "Matt, Jake will meet you at the Manchester Airport at 9am, fly you to London to pick up Kara and fly you both back... No Momma, you cant fly Betsy to London and back.. if tomorrow wasn't Haz & Mary's Wedding, I'd say 'go for it', but it is and your ass is staying right here... sorry Papa"

"Okay baby" I said "Becca's right Kyle, you need to relax... look at Mom, she lost a baby before I was born and now she & Haz are going to have twins in April"

"Mary!.. You're pregnant?" said Kyle

"Yes, so is Zayn" said Mom "He & Liam are due at the end of March with triplets"

"Oh wow" said Kyle "Congratulations, both of you"

"Thank you" said Mom & Pops

"Jessie says we're both having all girls" said Pops

"Really.. oh wow" said Kyle and looked at Jessie "How is it that you can tell this soon?"

"Girls talk more than boys" said Jessie "I read them.. its not hard, well for me any way... when I close my eyes and listen, their thoughts become easier to read"

"I see" said Kyle "So is that how you knew Matt & Mimi were having girls before she told him?"

"Yep" said Jessie "I've only had one false read and that was the day Izzie took the pregnancy test and found out she was pregnant... 4 days later, she & Haz found out they were having twins"

"Yeah.. Jessie said that we were only having one baby" said Mom "My doctor almost missed the other baby too bc their hearts are beating in sync"

"Oh wow" said Matt "How far along are you Mary?"

"Two weeks" said Mom "Zayn is 7 weeks along"

"I don't mean to be rude or insensitive, but how is it possible for Zayn to be pregnant?" asked Gary

"Zayn was a twin" said Jessie "When his sister didn't make it, part of her were absorbed into Zayn, that's how he's able to get pregnant"

"Whoa, no way" said Roger & Gary in unison

"Have you had any morning sickness yet?" asked Matt

"No, not yet" said Pops "Jessie has been making sure I follow the rules and helping me avoid certain foods, sugar, salt & caffeine, but I had a cup of decaf coffee this morning and it was so good... I miss coffee... and chocolate"

"Yeah its keeping up with his cravings that's been the hard part bc he's all over the place" said Jessie "last week it was bacon & grape jelly on toast and this week its yogurt covered raisins, crackers & ginger ale... Then he & Liam went grocery shopping, and now there's peanut butter, pretzel rods & marshmallow fluff in the pantry, and not just any peanut butter, it has Nutella in it"

"But it so good Jess" said Pops "haven't you ever had a Nutella & peanut butter sandwich with marshmallow fluff in-between?"

"Um.. no and I don't plan on it either" said Jessie "I don't like Nutella, it stinks and I don't like Hazel nuts" and shuddered as her alarm went off "Time for my meds.. be right back" and went in the house, then came back out with Jordan & a juice "Do you want to hold him Marcus?"

"Sure angel" said Marcus as Jessie laid Jordan in his arms "Oh wow.. for being a few days old, he sure has vivid dreams"

"Yeah I know... I've been listening to him for half an hour" said Jessie "my brain is turning to tapioca so I'm gonna go put on some pajama pants and recenter for a bit"

"Okay angel" said Marcus as Jessie went in the house and came back outg a few minutes later, went in the gazebo and did a headstand and closed her eyes

"There she goes" said Ni "I was wondering how long she was going to go before she did that"

"She should've done that this morning, but she slept thru her alarm" said Mom "When she finally got up, she hit the shower and hasn't stopped except for the two times she fell asleep"

"Poor angel" said Marcus "That was my fault, I woke her up this morning when the alarm she set for me went off this morning... I dropped her phone and it hit her head and she couldn't go back to sleep right away"

"Oh man" I said "oh.. How was your first plane ride?"

"It was amazing... Ni, show Pamela the pictures of the plane" said Marcus "wait till you see it"

"Oh yeah" said Ni and pulled out his phone "it was Catherine's plane.. its painted a dusty pink and Catherine painted & designed the interior" and showed me

"Oh wow" I said as I flipped thru the pictures "Holy cow, its a forest"

"Yeah, and the baggage compartment's are in the seats" said Ni "Jimmy said that it took Catherine 6 months to paint the inside... Tim calls it Dusty"

"I asked Tim if he & Jake can fly us on our honeymoon in Dusty and he said 'sure' " said Haz

"Oh wow" said Mom as Haz showed her the pictures "Its gorgeous"

"Its too girlie for my liking" said Jimmy "Don't get me wrong, its very Zen, but if I want Zen, I'll take one of Simon's Zanax"

"I thought it was Heaven" said Pops "but I'm big on Nature, so I was totally blissed out"

"How long has it been Haz?" asked Ni

"45 minutes" said Haz

"Where in London did you guys go?" asked Gem

"We went to the West End" said Brian "We found the best vintage shop... Haz & I had our list done in like, 20 minutes.. that's a new record... so while everyone else was running around, Kyle took us to see Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and we went to a Starbuck's for an iced coffee... it was the best"

"Oh wow" said Gem

"Oh Mary" said Brain "I saw this and thought of you" and brought a small white box over to Mom

Mom opened the box "Oh Brian, its beautiful" said Mom and took out a silver locket painted with white, pink, blue & purple flowers and a butterfly "Thank you" and kissed his cheek

"You're welcome" said Brian "The shop owner said these are Morning Glory's and they attract butterflies"

"I cant wait to put the babies pictures in it" said Mom

"Well boys, we had better get back to the hotel" said Garrett

"Yes sir" said the guys

"Dad, why don't we go pick up your backs from the Hotel and and you can all stay at my place" said Matt "I've got 5 bedrooms and its fully stocked"

"Okay" said Garrett "Thanks Matt"

"You're welcome Dad" said Matt "Roger & Gary can bunk together"

"Oh Gee, Thanks Matt" said Roger "Like I didn't have to listen to him snore enough growing up"

"I don't snore" said Gary

"Yes you do" said Kyle, Matt, Roger, Bo & Garrett in unison

"If one person says you snore, its an opinion" said Becca "If two people say it, it could be true... but when 3 or more say you snore, then guess what? You snore.... and you snore really bad Uncle Gary, just saying"

"Maria's never said anything" said Gary

"That's bc she wears earplugs" said Roger "Why should she have to suffer... you seriously need to get your nose fixed, you'd sleep better"

"If you hadn't broke his nose when you two were 7, he wouldn't have this problem Roger" said Matt

"Hey, its not my fault, he started it, I told him not to touch Dad's tools, and if you remember, I had a damn concussion bc he threw a wrench and hit me in the head.. I was defending myself" said Roger "so bite me Mattie"

There was a loud whistle "HEY.. I'M TRYING TO RESET MY BRAIN.. KEEP IT DOWN" yelled Jessie "Don't make me come over there and hurt y'all" and closed her eyes

"Damn... I forgot she was over there" said Roger "How long has she been like that?"

"1 hour and 38 minutes" said Haz "She's almost done"

"Holy shit" said the boys as they watched her... A few minutes later, Jessie came out of her headstand and rejoined us

"How does you head feel baby?" I asked

"Better... I can think again" said Jessie "Y'all need to calm down.. and you two" and looked at Roger & Gary "need couple's therapy cuz y'all got some serious anger issues.. y'all should've been separated at birth" and rolled her eyes "Oh good God y'all, grow up"

"Jessie's right boys" said Garrett "Roger can bunk with me and Gary will bunk with Bo and tomorrow the two of you can talk & apologize... not another word"

"Yes sir" said Roger & Gary... they said their good-byes and Ni walked them out


	128. Chapter 128

Chapter 128

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

"We had better go too" said Hannah "these two need a bath before bed"

"Would you like us to follow you home Hannah?" asked Dad "We can help you unload the babies so that you don't have that much to carry"

"Oh, no Thanks Liam" said Hannah "there's not that much, but thank you for the offer"

"You're welcome" said Dad as Hannah put the babies in the carrier and repacked her dress & boxes. She said her good*byes and lifted the dress bag

"Oh gosh" said Hannah "on second thought, yes Liam, I would love some help.. I didn't realize just how heavy this bag actually is"

"Yes ma'am" chuckled Dad "Come on babe, I'll help Hannah and you get Mom's keys"

"Okay babe" said Pops "Mom, where are your keys?"

"They're on the table by the door sweetie" said Mom "Drive safe please"

"Yes ma'am.. Always" said Dad & Pops as they walked Hannah out

"Here Mary, let me take these up to your room" said Mack 

"Oh.. Thank you Mack" said Mom "just set them on our bed sweetie"

"Alright darlin" said Mack and went inside

"I cant get over how great today was" said Mom "and Stuart, dinner was incredible.. Thank you"

"You're very welcome Mary, it was my pleasure" said Stuart

"I can see this becoming a new family tradition" said Louis "I like the idea of sharing stories of the Bride & Groom... What's on the menu for tomorrow Mom?"

"Cheddar broccoli soup, baked chicked with wild rice and green bean casarole & sweet tea" said Mom

"Oh wow" said Louis "that sounds like a pretty heavy meal Mom"

"Well we wont be having lunch or dinner, so I figure it should be, so we aren't starving at 7 o'clock" said Mom

"Oh okay" said Louis "Is Mack still in the house?"

"Yeah, he took the rest of the gifts inside" said Mom "but he should've been back out by now"

"I'll go see what's keeping him" said Charlie and went inside

CHARLIE'S POV

I went upstairs and found Mack "What are you doing Mack?" I asked

"I'm packing Haz & Mary's suitcase for tomorrow and putting away a few gifts, so they don't have to before bed" said Mack

"Well hurry up" I said "you've been running around all day, lets sit and relax for a bit"

"Okay, I'll be down in a minute" said Mack

"Okay" I said and went back outside "He said he'll be down in a minute... He's packing your bag for tomorrow and putting a few gifts away, so that you don't have to before you go to bed"

"That man" said Mary and went to the door "MACKENZIE WALTER FITZSIMMONS, IF YOU PUT THAT GIFT FROM YOU & JIMMY IN THAT BAG, I'M GONNA SMACK YOU"

"Oh darlin, I didnt" said Mack "I put the blue one from Pamela in your bag.. just relax darlin, I wouldnt do that to you"

"You better not have Mack" said Mary

"I packed your bathing suits, the nightgown & pajamas from Pamela, a change of clothes, and the toiletries that Jessie has packed for you" said Mack "So just relax and sit down darlin, Pooh bear's on it"

"What did you get her Pooh bear?" asked Jimmy

"A black satin & lace teddy" said Mack "you'd think, by the way she reacted, that it was see-thru"

"Oh really" said Haz and looked at Mary "What's wrong with that princess?"

"There's nothing wrong with it" said Mary "I've just never worn something like that before"

"Ahh I see" said Haz "well I think you should bring it with us"

"Seriously?" said Mary in shock

"Sure.. why not?" said Haz "I bet you'll look gorgeous in it and, just so you know, I've seen worse in Gem's dresser"

"Harry!!" said Gem 

"Oh be quiet Gemmie" said Haz "next time you need something from your dresser, be specific and no one will see those things"

"Oh do tell" said Louis and grinned "Tnis I gotta hear"

"You just wait" said Gem "I'm gonna get you for this Haz"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" said Haz and rolled his eyes "not if I get you first Gemmie"

"Hold it" said Mack "Gem has worse than that?"

"Yep" said Haz "as Jessie says 'there's not enough bleach on the planet to make me unsee those things' "

"Its always the quiet ones" said Mack

"Yes, I have some things" said Gem "Doesn't everyone?"

"Well yes, but it depends on where you got them from" said Pamela 

"Victoria's Secret" said Gem "You?"

"Yeah, I've ordered things from there before" said Pamela 

"And from Spencer's, Lover's Lane" said Becca "and lets not forget that one Fetish website"

"No, No, No... that was strictly for the leather cat suit I got for Halloween last year" said Pamela "I wouldn't be caught dead in some of that shit, no way... I'm not the one that bought the leather corset.. Am I?"

"No, I bought the leather bra" said Becca "bc it went with my costume... you cant be Princess Leiha from Return of the Jedi without it"

"Like I said... its always the quiet ones" chuckled Mack "Lets see the photos ladies" as Becca pulled out her phone

"It took us and hour and two bottles of baby powder to get PJ into her costume" said Becca and showed Mack

"Holy shit... How high are those heels?" said Mack 

"12-inch thigh-high leather boots" said Becca and showed Ni

"Oh God" said Ni and crossed himself "you actually wore that out in public?"

"Yeah... twice" said Pamela "Once to a Campus Halloween party and then to a Comicon for Batman... I got best costume for Catwoman.. I have it upstairs.... If Mom dresses up as the Wicked Witch for Halloween, maybe I'll dress up as Catwoman.. but I'll need a Batman"

"Nope" said Ni "No way am I wearing a latex rubber suit"

"Oh weell.. I guess Catwoman will have to stay in her box then" said Pamela

"I'm dressing up as James Bond" said Ni as Liam & Zayn came thru the door and sat down

"They're home & settled" said Liam "Steven called before we left, saying he was onn his way home"

"Oh good" said Mary as Evan's phone buzzed

"Its Jordan" said Evan "Wexler confessed to killing the owner of the bridal shop and for causing the explosion... He says he has to book him and write up his report, then he'll meet us back at our house... If that's okay with you two"

"Sure" I said "I don't have problem with that"

"Yeah, me either" said Meghan 

"Wow.. okay" said Evan and sent a reply text "I told him to text before he leaves to that way we have time to visit before we have to go"

"Okay" I said and held Becca's hand "lets see your picture"

"Okay" said Becca and scrolled thru her photos and showed me the picture "Oh wow" then showed Mack

"Oh wow... you are seriously rocking the slave look" said Mack

"I can pull off anything if I have time to work on it" said Becca "the costume took 6 months and my hair took 12 hours bc I had to have extensions put in... it hurt like Hell getting them taken out a week later... I'm never going thru that again... EVER"

"You had hair extensions put in?" asked Mack "Why?"

"Bc Leiha's hair is down to her butt and mine isn't" said Becca

"Oh darlin.. you could've gotten a wig" said Mack "Trust me, I've worn them before.. you don't ever get hair extensions... show her Jimmy" Jimmy took out his phone and showed Becca

"Damn.. you wore the heels too?" said Becca

"Yep... you cant pull of thagt dress without them" said Mack "but see what I mean about the wig?... there's no way in Hell I was gonna dye my hair Platinum Blonde"

"Yeah, I see what you mean" said Becca "I've never dyed my hair, this is what 4 weeks in California did to it... I've been thinking of dying it back, but I really don't want to ruin mty hair"

"What color was it?" asked Mack

"A little darker than you & Haz's" said Becca 

"Oh gosh" said Mack "You need to have a rinse put in... its not permanent, and it will bring your original color back gradually"

"Will it ruin my hair?" asked Becca 

"No, it wont ruin it" said Mack "My Mother gets them done all the time to hide her gray hair"

"Oh okay" said Becca 

"We better go home honey" said Linda and laid her hand on Tom's arm "You're exhausted"

"Okay darling" said Tom

"Tom, if you want to leave your car here till tomorrow, that's alright" said Mary

"Thank you Mary" said Tom and yawned "Oh gosh, sorry about that"

"That's okay, you've had a long day" said Mary

"Mom, don't forget to bring my dress over for Saturday" said Sarah

"I wont sweetie" said Linda "Do you have your dress for tomorrow?"

"Yeah and Jessie hung it up for me" said Sarah

"Okay good" said Linda

"See you tomorrow Bry" said Sarah and gave him a hug

"See you tomorrow baby girl" said Brian and kissed Sarah's cheek "See ya Haz"

"See ya Brian" said Haz and smacked a high-5

"Don't forget you & Dad's backpacks" said Sarah

"Oh yeah" said Brian and grabbed them "Thanks for reminding me"

"You're welcome" said Sarah 

"I'll walk you out" said Ni "be right back poppet"

"Okay sunshine" said Pamela as they went inside

"Why does Becca call you PJ?" I asked

"Bc when we met, that was the name I used" said Pamela "I didn't like my name growing up"

"Ahh okay" I said "When did you start going by Pamela?"

"When I met Niall" said Pamela "He said my name and the way he said it, he made it sound beautiful"

"Oh wow" I said 

"Speaking of school, I got an email from Josie" said Pamela

"How is she?" asked Becca 

"Not good... Mike was in a bike accident.. He's in a coma" said Pamela

"Oh no" said Becca and crossed herself "What happened?"

"Josie said that Mike was riding his dirt bike on their practice track and went up the big hill" said Pamela "I guess when he landed he flipped over the handle bars and the bike landed on top of him... they found him 3 hours later.. he's at the U of M Medical Center"

"Oh God" said Becca and pulled out her phone "Shit.. she sent me one too... I've been so busy, I haven't had time to check my emails... She says her Mom is a mess and hasn't eaten or slept in 3 days, at least not voluntarily any way... apparently she passed out, so they put her on an I.V., but she refuses to leave Mike's room... Josie called her Uncle and he performed the last rites over him, so now they're just waiting for her Dad to show up... Damn, it doesn't look good PJ"

"Yeah, I know" said Pamela "Mike was supposed to start his Seminary Studies next week"

"He was going to become a priest?" said Mack 

"Yeah... Mike was a Theology Major at the University of Notre Dame" said Becca "We met him when Josie, PJ & I graduated... He would've been an awesome priest"

Jessie went in the house and came out with a small candle "Okay everyone, lets stand in a circle and join hands" said Jessie and lit the candle "Heavenly Father, we offer this prayer for Mike Newton... We ask that you watch over him & his family in their hour of need... We ask for your loving mercy to help Mike heal his mind, body, heart & soul, which he has so graciously given to you.... In the name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit... In Jesus name... AMEN"

"Amen" said everyone as Jessie crossed herself and blew out the candle

"Now, we wait" said Jessie and sat down

"That was very nice Jessie" said Becca "Thank you"

"You're welcome" said Jessie

"Its time to go home" said Evan "Jordan just texted that he's on his way... What tinme do you need to be at the store Charlie?"

"8 o'clock till 10-10:30" I said "I got up at 7 and took a shower, had breakfast and was there before 8, if that works for you"

"That works for me" said Evan "When I pick you up, we'll go to the bank and get an account for you & Meghan and get your phone.. Okay?"

"Sounds good to me" I said "I need to grab my bag & shoes.. I'll be right back"

"Okay" said Evan as I went next door. I grabbed my bag, checked the house and locked the front door. I came back out and grabbed my shoes, they were still wet, so I carried them back to the yard "Aren't you going to put your shoes on?"

"No... Chelsea & Trudy took them in their pool, so they're still wet" I said 

"Oh okay... give me your bag & shoes and I'll take them to the car while you & Becca say your goodnights" said Evan "Becca, it was nice to meet you"

"You too Evan" said Becca "I'll walk out with you" and held my hand as we went in the house and out to the front porch as Meghan & Evan headed to the car

"I don't want to leave" I said 

"I know, I don't want you too either" said Becca "but I'll see you tomorrow at the Wedding"

"I wish you were staying with me" I said 

"I know, but we cant right now" said Becca softly "look at me" and held my face "I'm not going anywhere.. I'll be staying with Niall's Mom & Grandma and they're only a block away from here and a block away from you... once you have your phone, we can call and text each other all the time if we cant see each other... Okay?"

"Okay" I said as we kissed and she kissed me back... when the kiss ended we were both panting "God, I Love You Rebecca Johansen"

"I Love You too Charlie St. James" said Becca "Now go, they're waiting... Have a good day at work my love"

"I will... Have a good run my angel" I said and headed for ther car

BECCA'S POV

I went back in the house, out to the yard, sat down and laid my head in my arms.

"You okay Becks?" asked Pamela

"Not even close" I groaned "Charlie kissed me"

"Ahh" said Pamela "I'm guessing it wasn't just a kiss on the cheek, was it?"

"Nope" I said "it was one of those kisses that makes your toes curl, your legs turn to jelly and makes your spine tingle all at the same time"

"Damn" said Mack "the boy is good"

"That was no boy who kissed me" I said "that man kissed me"

"I stand corrected" chuckled Mack "The man is good"

"Don't get me wrong, I've been kissed before, but not like that" I said and fanned myself "How does someone his age know how to kiss like THAT?"

Louis started coughing "You okay Lou?" asked Jimmy

"Yeah... I'm good" said Louis and looked at Gemma

"The same way I learned" said Haz and looked at Gemma

"Seriously?" I said "Wow... you are a lucky man Louis"

"Yes I am" said Louis and held Gemma's hand

"So, did you giver her Mom's ring?" I asked

"Yep" said Louis as Gemma held out her hand

"Nicely done Lou" I said "Okay PJ, show me the ring" and held out her hand

"It was Beth's" said Pamela

"Way to go Niall" I said "Okay Mom, let me see yours" and held out her hand

"It was Jessie's Grandmother's ring" said Mary

"No way" I said and looked at Jessie "How did you get her ring?"

"Gammie & Pappie never wore their rings when they traveled" said Jessie "Their rings were put in my hat box after they died... I found them when Steven brought me my things after my Dad died... Haz wanted my help picking out a ring for Izzie, so I gave him their rings"

"Oh wow, that is so cool" I said "So when are you getting married Mack?"

"December 17th" said Mack

"Dang... 3 Weddings in 6 months" I said "Then 2 more next year?... You're gonna be busy Jessie"

"Well, as I said, Gem & Mack's Weddings are all set" said Jessie "I just need to lock down their dates & venues, then let them make the final decisions and then I can get started on Anne & Robin's Wedding"

"When is your Wedding going to be?" I asked

"I don't know yet" said Jessie "I don't turn 16 till 2017, so we haven't talked about setting a date or anything yet"

"Yeah, but you have thought about it" I said "so what does the Wedding Planner's Wedding look like?"

"A beach Wedding, somewhere warm with crystal blue water & white sand beaches" said Jessie "at sunset, friends & family, no shoes, slip dresses for the girls, white linen pants & shirts for the men, violins playing Moon River & Asian Lilies everywhere"

"Wow" IK said 

"I thought you wanted to wear Catherine's dress?" said Mack

"I did" said Jessie "but Mom's dress wasn't designed for a beach Wedding.. its too heavy, so I thought I'd have you make my dress

"Ahh.. got it" said Mack "We'll discuss that later care bear"

"What color dresses?" I asked

"Royal Purple Satin" said Jessie

"Oh wow" I said 

"We should be going Becca" said Beth

"Yes ma'am" I said "I need to get my box of flowers, I'll be right back"

"Okay dear" said Beth as I ran next door, grabbed the box and went back outside

"We'll continue this tomorrow" I said

"Absolutely" said Jessie and hugged me "Welcome home Becca... I'll see you at 6am"

"Yep.. Thanks sweetie" I said

"We'll walk you out" said Pamela "Come on Ni"

"You take these and I'll grab my bags" I said 

"Okay" said Pamela as we went inside, I grabbed my bags and we headed for the car. I put my last bag in the trunk, when Jessie came running out to us

"You forgot your other dress Becca" said Jessie and handed me my Hawaiian print dress "Gran, your bag"

"Oh thanks Jessie" I said

"Thank you dear" said Beth

"You're welcome" said Jessie and went back inside

PAMELA'S POV

We went inside and back out to the yard and sat down as Jessie started gathering up the remaining dresses

"Come on petal, its time to get ready flor bed" said Jessie

"Okay jellybean" said Sarah as they went inside

"Jessie wants a beach Wedding?" said Marcus "Oh God... I want a church Wedding"

"Then you two need to talk it over BEFORE you set a date" said Mack as Jessie & Sarah came back out

"What's wrong Marcus?" asked Jessie

"You want a beach Wedding and I want a church Wedding" said Marcus

"Oh sweetie" said Jessie "I don't need a beach Wedding, all I need is you... I'll marry you out in the middle of the street... If you want a church Wedding, then we're having a church Wedding"

"Are you sure?" asked Marcus

"I'm positive" said Jessie "We'll think about a beach Wedding in 15-20 years... Okay?"

"Yes Ma'am" said Marcus and smiled "Thank you angel"

"You're welcome my love" said Jessie and kissed him "Now, lets get some sleep... I haved a 6am run tomorrow"

"Okay angel" said Marcus

"Goodnight Momma, Papa" said Jessie and kissed our cheeks "Haz, Izzie, don't stay up too late"

"Goodnight baby" said Ni & I

"Yes ma'am" said Haz & Mom as Sarah gave everyone a kiss goodnight "Goodnightpetal" said Mom

"Goodnight everyone" said Jessie & Marcus

"Goodnight you two" said everyone as they all went in the house and pulled out our phones

"Okay, just Asian Lilies, no roses" said Pops

"Royal purple satin dresses" said Mack

"Church Wedding" said Ni "with Moon River as the Wedding song with Violins"

"What are you guys doing?" asked Louis

"We're putting down everything Jessie wants for her Wedding" said Mack "We're going to plan it for her"

"She's so busy planning all of our Weddings" said Mom "She shouldn't have to plan hers too"

"I see" said Louis "Well the way she went on about tiramisu, I think she would like that instead of a traditional Wedding cake"

"Oh good idea Lou" I said as Dad added it to his list

"I don't think linen pants & shirts are going to work in a church, so should I put down suits instead?" asked Jimmy

"Put both down" said Mack "we may be able to work them into what she wants, and if not, then we have another option"

"Okay" said Jimmy

"I'm thinking Jessie will want Sarah & Meghan as her bridesmaids and Marcus will want Damian & Davis for his groomsmen" said Mack

"Us?" said Damian & Davis in unison "Why us?"

"Bc Marcus is closer to you two then the rest of us" said Stuart "You three are more like brothers than friends... you always have been"

"Oh" said Damian "I don't know if I can dance with Sarah, she's the Boss's girl"

"Damian, relax" said Andrew "At a Wedding, it is cutomary for the Wedding party to dance together for a couple of songs... I don't have a problem with that"

"Are you sure boss?" asked Damian

"Yes, I'm sure so relax" said Andrew

"Okay boss" said Damian

"Now you know how I feel Damian" said Haz "I have to dance with Becca at Ni & Pamela's Wedding"

"Oh man" said Damian

"Relax Haz" said Mom "its only a couple of dances, then we can dance the rest together, I promise"

"Okay princess" said Haz "I'll try"

"Haz... what song as you going to dance to with Mom?" asked Gem

"Its a surprise" said Haz "you'll see... all I'm gonna say, is that its one of her favorites"

"What about you Mom?" asked Dad

" 'Songbird' by Fleetwood Mac" said Mom "its Dad & I's song"

"Oh wow" said Ni

"We better try and get some sleep" I said "morning will be here before we know it"

"Okay sweetie" said Mom and gave Andrew & the boys each a kiss on the cheek and a hug "Thank you for all you've done today"

"You're welcome Mary" said Andrew "we'll see you tomorrow, so get some sleep"

"Yes sir" said Mom "Oh wait... what about the dishes?"

"They're in the dishwasher and the pots have all been washed and put away, so all you have to do is start the dishwasher and go to bed" said Stuart

"Oh Okay" said Mom

Mom, relax" I said "now go get some rest, Mrs. Styles, you have a big day tomorrow"

"Mrs. Styles" said Haz and smiled "I like how that sounds"

"Then come on Mr. Styles" said Mom and took Haz's hand "you look tired" and went inside as Louis and the others went next door. We went up to our room and got ready for bed

"Oh God" said Ni "I need to have Jessie pop my back in the morning... all the walking we did today, has my back in knots"

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" I said "She could've done that when you got home"

"I was fine when we got home" said Ni "it didn't start hurting till a little bit ago"

"Oh sweetie" I said "Do you want a back rub so you can sleep?"

"Yes please poppet" said Ni

"Okay, take your shirt off and lay on your stomach" I said and grabbed my bottle of baby oil and a towel as he did as I asked "where does it hurt most?"

"From the middle of my back up to my shoulders" said Ni

"Okay" I said as I straddled his hips, I put some baby oil in my hands and started working out his muscles & knots "let me know if I'm pressing too hard or not enough Ni"

"Okay... oh yeah, right there" said Ni as I worked my way up his back to his shoulders, he groaned :Oh God poppet, your fingers are like magic"

I chuckled "That's bc I'm using baby oil so that I don't hurt you" I said and kissed his neck then bit his earlobe

Nik moaned "You're insatiable poppet" whispered Ni

"If you say so... Daddy" i said as I wiped of my hands & his back with the towel. I stood up and removed my underwear and straddled his hips again as I licked & kissed my way up his back to his neck "God I want you" I whispered as Ni rolled onto his back and sat in a reclining position

*** SORRY Y'ALL, FEEL FREE TO USE YOUR IMAGINATION HERE :) ***

"Poppet?" said Ni as I laid my head on his chest

"Yeah?" I said

"I know we haven't talked about this" said Ni "but,,, How many children do you want?"

"4 or 5, why? How many do you want?" I asked

"As many as God will allow us to have" said Ni "4 or 5 is a good start tho... I want a house full of girls as beautiful as you" and kissed my head

"What if we have all boys?" I asked

"Hmm... that's okay too" said Ni "I never had sisters... I look at how close Haz & Gem are and I'm envious... Greg & I were never that close, especially after Mom & Dad split up"

"Hey" I said and looked at Ni "you & Greg will get there one day... Children give us a different perspective on life & family, you'll see my love... now get some rest Daddy" and kissed his neck "I Love You"

"I Love You too baby" said Ni and kissed my lips, then we drifted off to sleep


	129. Chapter 129

Chapter 129

PAMELA'S POV (Continued)

IN THE MORNING...

I woke up to my alarm going off, so I got up and got dressed. I grabbed my Ipod, yoga mat & shoes and went down to the kitchen, Jessie was putting away the dishes from the dishwasher.

"Morning baby" I said 

"Morning Momma" said Jessie "Coffee's ready"

"Thanks baby" I said and poured a cup and set it in the microwave "Are you okay baby?"

"I'm fine... I didn't sleep very well" said Jessie

"How come?" I said, but she wouldn't look at me "Jessie? Did I do something wrong that I don't know about?"

"No Momma" said Jessie and looked at me, she was crying

"Hey.. what's wrong?" I said softly and held her as she cried "Talk to me baby"

"I cant" cried Jessie "I need Mack"

"Shh.. okay baby" I said and pulled out my phone "Hey Mack... Can you come over?... Jessie's upset about something... Thanks" and hung up "Mack's on his way baby... Shh, its alright, just breathe" as Mack came thru the door

"What's wrong care bear?" said Mack as Jessie jumped in his arms crying "Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong darlin?" Jessie whispered in his ear "Oh darlin.. that happens sometimes, you did nothing wrong"

"But it happened" cried Jessie 

"Shh, I know it did" said Mack "It wasn't like you planned for it to happen, hey now, calm down, y'all didn't break the rule, its just one of those things that happens sometimes"

"I broke a promise" cried Jessie "that's worse"

"Oh darlin" said Mack "What happens in your sleep can be forgiven" and whispered in my ear "She had a dream about them having sex, then they sort of had sex"

"Oh baby.. come to Momma" I said as Mack put Jessie in my arms "Shh, its alright Jessie, Mack's right, no one has control over what happens in our dreams... I'm not mad baby, breathe... that's it, just breathe"

"I'm sorry Momma" said Jessie weakly "I broke my promise"

"That's okay baby.. I forgive you" I said and kissed her hair "Do you want to go back to sleep? You don't have to go running if you don't want to"

"No, I need to run and clear my head" said Jessie and wiped her eyes

"Okay baby" I said "take a few minutes and go splash some water on your face & blow your nose" and kissed her cheek "we'll meet you outside.. Okay?"

"Okay Momma" said Jessie and went upstairs and we wengt outside

"Poor thing" said Mack

"Now I see why she was so upset" I said 

"Jessie hates breaking a promise" said Mack "To her, breaking a promise is the same as breaking the rules.. she's very black & white, its the grey area that is hard for her to make sense of... David did that to her"

"So now we have to undo what he's done?" I asked

"Yep, we do" said Mack as Jessie came outside "Felling better darlin?"

"Yeah, a little" said Jessie, handed us a bottle of water and put in her earbuds "lets go y'all, Becca's waiting" we put in our earbuds and headed for the school. When we reached the school, Becca was waiting and joined us as we headed to the track to do our laps.

"How many laps are we doing?" asked Becca

"Fourteen" I said "they're doing twenty-one"

"Got it" said Becca as we ran in silence. We finished our laps and rolled out our yoga mats while Mack & Jessie did the rest of theirs "Is Jessie alright?"

"Yeah, she just didn't sleep well last night" I said "She'll be in a better mood after her run"

"Oh okay" said Becca "So how did you sleep last night? As if I don't already now" and chuckled

"Like a baby, as usual" I chuckled "I don't know what it is, but its like I cant get enough sex"

"Damn girl... its that good?" said Becca 

"Oh my God, its amazing" I said "toe curling, mind blowingly, amazing"

"Ooo you go PJ" said Becca "Wait... if its that's good, how is it that no one else knows you & Ni are doing it?"

"We've gotten good at being quiet" I said "its niot easy, but we've pulled it off so far... besides, I'm sure everyone knows, they just don't say anything"

"Ah, okay" said Becca "So is Ni okay with you being a cop?"

"Yeah... when I told him about the job, he said I should take it" I said "What he's not okay with, are the times he'll have to sleep alone... since we've been together, we've only slept apart once, he passed out and I didn't sleep at all... its like we've become a security blanket that neither of us can sleep without"

"Damn" said Becca "maybe Charlie & I should take it slow... it was hard enough for us to leave each other last night, it would be worse if we were to be intimate before I have to report for duty in September"

"Yeah I know" I said "It'll be easier for you two to handle if you talk about it.. privately"

"Yeah okay" said Becca as Jessie & Mack joined us

"Hey baby, how do you feel now?" I asked

"Ten times better Momma" said Jessie "Morning Becca"

"Morning Jessie" said Becca "Morning Mack"

"Morning Becca... How did you sleep last night?" asked Mack

"Pretty good.. especially after Charlie fell asleep" said Becca "He & Meghan talked for a while and he wasn't kidding when he said that he missed her, they're really close"

"Yeah, I know" said Mack "I saw how they were together the other night.. he was mindful to give Meghan her space, so he asked if it was okay to come over so that he could tell her about his new job... He was so happy to see her, he instantly relaxed.. just being near her was all he needed"

"I think him spending time with Uncle Lou helped too" I said "Its easy to talk to Lou, bc he listens.. He's a lot like Mom... He'll also be good for Charlie to talk to bc of them being the 'little brother' of the family"

"I hope so" said Jessie "Charlie may be a fast learner, but I worry about his mental maturity being too much to handle at his age"

"We better head home so that we can shower" said Mack "I have breakfast to make"

"Okay Mack" I said "Are we running or walking?"

Mack looked at his watch "We can walk, we have time" said Mack as we rolled up our yoga mats

"Okay" I said "We'll go to the store after breakfast Becks, seeing as we didn't get to it yesterday"

"Sounds good" said Becca "I forgot to pack my vitamins... so Mack, how long have you known Jessie?"

"Since she was born" said Mack "I knew her Mother, Catherine and Jimmy worked for her Grandfather.. we met when Jessie was 4? I think

"Yeah, 4 or 5" said Jessie

"And you design Wedding dresses?" asked Becca

"Wedding dresses, Men's suits, custom dresses" said Mack "Pretty much anything someone needs... I made all of the dresses that Jessie gave you ladies last night"

"Oh wow" said Becca "If I show you a dress, could you make another one?"

"Sure... Is there something wrong with the one you have?" asked Mack

"Yeah... I took it to a drycleaners and they shrunk it, and its onr of my favorites" said Becca "That's why I had to get my Hawaiian print dress from PJ"

"Okay, not a problem" said Mack "bring the dress over and we'll get started in the next few days"

"Oh, Thank you Mack" said Becca "This is where we part PJ.. see ya in a bit"

"Yep.. See ya Becks" I said as we headed home ""I wonder which dress it was... she only has 3 that are her favorites"

"It must be a pretty important dress if she wants a copy made" said Mack "The only reasons I'll make a copy, is if the dress is one of a kind or out of production"

"Oh okay" I said "As far as I know, the last time she wore one of her favorites was ay graduation... she wore a yellow strapless satin taffeta cocktail dress that Nana Kaye made her"

"Hmm.. Charlie's favorite color" said Jessie "I see why she wants it copied"

"Damn, I hope it wasn't that dress" I said "Its the only hyellow one she has that looks good on her"

"Well we'll find out soon and just how bad it was shrunk" said Mack "See you in a few carebear... Mommabear"

"See ya in a few MackDaddy" I chuckled

"See ya Pooh bear" said Jessie "Mommabear? I like it... Come on Mommabear, lets go see if Haz & Izzie are up yet"

"Okay babybear" I chuckled as we went inside and into the kitchen "Morning Dad.. Pops"

"Morning Peaches" said Pops "How was your run?"

"It was good" I said "Becca & I did 20 miles with yoga afterwards" and heated up my coffee & took my vitamin "Who all's up?"

"Us and Mom & Haz... they're in the shower" said Pops

"Ooo go Mom" I chuckled I'll go wake up Ni.. Mack will be over in a few to start breakfast"

"Okay Peaches" said Pops as I went up to my room

"Hey Daddy" i said softly "Time to get up sunshine" and kissed his neck

"Oh God" groaned NI "What time is it?"

"Um.. 8o'clock" I said "How's your back?"

"Its not so bad if I don't move" and looked at me "How was your run?"

"It was good.. Becca & I did 20 miles and yoga" I said and grabbed Ni's clothes off the floor "Come on Daddt, I'll help you get dressed so Jessie can pop your back"

"Oh God.. Okay poppet" said Ni as he slowly sat up "Oh Damn, I think sleeping on my back made it worse"

"Oh honey.. 1-10, where's your pain level?" I said 

"About a 5" said Ni as we put his clothes on him 

"Okay honey, I'm gonna stand you up, so just breathe" I said "on 3 and push up with your legs, not you back"

"Okay poppet" said Ni

"Here we go Ni... i.. 2.. 3, upsy daisy" I said as Ni stood up "Now what's your pain level at?"

"8" said Ni

"Okay, lets get you to the door.. take your time and breathe Ni" I said as I put his arm over my shoulders and my arm around his waist.. We made it to the door ""Jessie, can you get Marcus please"

"Sure Momma" said Jessie as shed came uo the stairs "What's wrong Papa?"

"My back... hurts poppet" said Ni between breaths

"Oh Papa" said Jessie and ran into her room "Marcus.. wake up my love"

"I'm up" said Marcus "What's wrong angel?"

"Papa's back hurts and is having trouble walking" said Jessie "Can you help Momma get him downstairs so that I can pop gis back, please"

"I'm coming Pamela" said Marcus and came out of their room and put Ni's other arm over his shoulder and his arm around Ni's waist "Okay Ni, lets go, slow & easy.. that's it, I know it hurts, just breathe... Okay, one step at a time" Ni passed out "Oh shit, Damian.. Hold him Pamela"

"Yeah Boss?" said Damian

"Help me with Ni.. he passed out" said Marcus

"I got him Boss" said Damian

"Be careful Damian, Papa's back hurts" said Jessie

"Yes ma'am" said Damian "Where do you want him Jess?"

"Out in the backyard, on his stomach, in the grass" said Jessie "I need to pop his back.. Momma grab a pillow for under Papa's head"

"Okay baby" I said and grabbed a pillow off our bed as Marcus & Damian got Niall down the stairs and out to the yard "Gently guys.. that's it"

"What happened Momma? He was fine last night" asked Jessie

"He said that his back hurt and that he was going to have you pop it this morning" I said "When I asked why he didn't say something, he said that it had only just started hurting, so I gave him a back rub so that he could sleep, then he fell asleep on his back... When he woke up, the pain was at 5 and shot up to 8 when he stood up... I think trying to maneuver the stairs shot the pain to 10, that's why he passed out"

"Okay, well, I need him awake, so that I don't hurt him more than I have to" said Jessie and waved a little bottle under Ni's nose.. that woke him up

"Oh God" said Ni "What is that stench?" 

"Welcome back Papa" said Jessie softly "Where's your pain level at?"

"10" said Ni "Now I know how Haz felt"

"What caused your back to hurt Papa?" asked Jessie

"All the walking we did yesterday" said Ni "I was fine till we started heading upstairs"

"Next time Papa, wake me up" said Jessie "Where does it hurt?"

"Last night it was from the middle of my back to my shoulders" said Ni "Now its from my lower back all the way up to my neck"

"Okay Papa" said Jessie "I want you to inhale on 1, hold it on 2 and exhale on 3 as I pop your back... ready?"

"Ready poppet" said Ni as Jessie proceeded to pop his back "Oh God.. keep going"

"Okay Papa" said Jessie as she moved further up his back "Two more Papa" and then it was done "Where's your pain level Papa?"

"2" said Ni and sighed

"Okay Papa, let me dig out those knots and do an alignment, then you can have some coffee" said Jessie

"Yes ma'am" said Ni as Jessie stood on his back and worked the muscles with her feet "Oh God, right there" and groaned into the pillow

"Where'd you learn to do that Jess?" asked Damian

"My Grandpa was a Chiropractor" said Jessie "bc I was so small, he showed me how to do it so that I didn't get hurt... Okay Papa, roll over & hug your chest and just breathe normal"

"Okay poppet" said Ni and rolled over.. Jessie cradled his head and braced her feet on his shoulders as she pulled "Oh dear God"

"There, all done... Where's the pain at now Papa?" asked Jessie

"Zero" said Ni and sighed "Thank you poppet"

"You're welcome Papa" said Jessie "Get up slowly so that you don't get dizzy"

"Yes ma'am" said Ni and slowly got up and gave Jessie a hug & kissed her head

"Thanks Damian, go on inside Marcus, I need to talk to Momma & Papa privately" said Jessie

"You're welcome" said Damian and disappeared

"Okay angel" said Marcus and went inside

"Now, I know I'm just a kid" said Jessie "but y'all need to ease up on the 'late night romps', especially when your back is hurting Papa, y'all could've done some serious damage"

"Yes ma'am" said Ni & I

"Now go have some coffee" said Jessie as we went inside

"How do you feel Ni?" asked Pops

"Better... Jessie popped my back" said Ni and poured a cup of coffee and I reheated mine.. again

"I'll be back in 20" said Jessie and ran upstairs

"All that walking we did yesterday, did a number on it" said Ni "and it didn't help that I slept on my back either"

"Damn Ni.. why didn't you use the car Matt had?" asked Haz "

"Bc it was a gorgeous day" said Ni "we don't get many of those around here and I didn't want to spend it in a car"

"Well next time, use the car and open the sunroof & windows" said Haz "ya idiot"

"Yeah, okay Haz" said Ni as the Mom's came thru the door "Morning Mom, Gran" and kissed their cheeks

"Morning sweetie" said Maura & Gran

"Morning Mom" said Haz and kissed Anne's cheek

"Morning sweetie" said Anne and held up a bag "I brought the girls's outfits" and gave it to Mom

"Oh... they're so cute" said Mom and took them out of the bag "and they have velcro instead of snaps"

"Where's Becca?" I asked

"She's out on the porch talking to her Grandmother" said Maura "She called when Becca was on her run"

"Oh okay" I said as Sarah & Jessie came down with wet hair

"We have a problem Izzie" said Jessie

"What happened?" asked Mom

"I was helping Sarah wash her hair when the hand-held came out of the wall" said Jessie "We managed to get the water turned off, but not before I got soaked"

"Oh no" said Mom

"I'll pay to have it fixed, seeing as I was using it when it broke" said Jessie "but we're gonna have to use the shower next door till then"

"I'll fix it tomorrow Mom" said Dad "I'll go see how bad it is, then I'll know how long it'll take"

"Okay sweetie" said Mom as Dad went upstairs

"HOLY SHIT!!" yelled Dad

"That's not good" said Pops as Dad came downstairs

"Mom, did you have any work done in the bathroom after you moved here?" asked Dad

"No.. why?" asked Mom

"Bc the walls are rotted" said Dad "The whole bathroom needs to be gutted and redone... I don't know when this house was built, but they used shit materials"

"Are you serious?" asked Pops

"Go look babe" said Dad "they used drywall instead of Crete-board" as Pops went upstairs

"GOD DAMN IT!!" yelled Pops and came back down "Who puts drywall in a bathroom? Its gonna cost, at minimum, $150,000 to gut, fix & put back together Li and I'll bet there's mold in the walls too"

Dad pulled out his phone "Lou, get over here" said Dad and hung up "Lou will know if there's mold.. He's done enough bathroom remodels, he can smell it" as Louis came thru the door

"Jesus Li, cryptic much?" said Louis

"Come with me Lou" said Dad as they went upstairs

"Ho-ly shit" said Louis slowly then came downstairs "Mom, y'all gotta move while this gets fixed"

"Is there mold?" asked Mom

"Yes & No" said Louis "its in the drywall, but not in the walls and near asd I can tell, its just in the shower area"

"Oh God" said Mom

"Relax Mom" said Louis softly "Its good that we caught this now, instead of next month or next year... I'll put up a plastic barrier to keep the mold contained inside the shower and we'll still be able to use the bathroom... Li & I will get to work on Tuesday after you & Haz leave and it'll be done before you get back... Li & Zayn can stay with Me & Gem and Pamela, Ni, Marcus, Jessie & the girls can stay with Mack & Jimmy... so just relax"

"Are you sure?" asked MOM and looked at Mack

"Absolutely darlin" said Mack "Family helps family, always... and when you & Haz get back, it'll look like there was never anything wrong with it... I promise"

"Okay" said Mom "Do what you have to Louis"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis and kissed Mom's cheek "I'm going to go get the plastic sheeting and get that contained... Don't anyone go in the bathroom till its up"

"Yes sir" said everyone as Louis left

"Pamela, you & Ni go take a shower and call when you're done" said Mack "Use the peach room to get dressed and I'll have your breakfast ready & waiting"

"Okay Mack" I said "Come on Ni" as we went upstairs

JESSIE'S POV

"Li & I will take our when they get back" said Zayn

"Sounds good Zayn" said Mack "Mary... I'm guessing that you don't want Haz to see your dress till the Wedding?"

"Correct" said Mary

"Okay, when its time, do you want to get dressed here? or next door?" asked Mack as he set several plates with crepes at each place setting

"Next door is fine Mack" said Mary "I'd like to keep it a surprise for as long as possible"

"Okay darlin" said Mack "its all pressed and ready to go"

"What time did you get up?" asked Mary

"I've been up since 4:30" said Mack "When I'm in charge of the dress, I can never sleep... as long as my Bride is happy & relaxed, I'll be fine, I'll sleep tonight darlin... Today is your day, so relax and let Pooh bear take care of things... Okay?"

"Okay Pooh bear" chuckled Mary and took a bite of her crepe "Oh my God, this is incredible... what did you put in this?"

"A little brown sugar in the bacon, a little onion & red peppers in the potatoes, a little chives in the eggs, a little cinnamon in the crepe batter and then the country gravy" said Mack

"Wow" said Haz as he took a bite "Oh dear God, this is Heaven"

"I agree" said Zayn "you gotta show me how to make these... they're my new favorite"

"Sure Zayn, anytime" said Mack and smiled

"Have the girls been fed yet?" I asked

""Yep.. I fed them when we got up" said Zayn

"Oh good" I said as Mack's phone rang

"Hey Mommabear... okay, tell Jimmy & Simon to move their asses or I'm eating their crepes" chuckled Mack "Okay darlin" and hung up "Gem spilled some perfume in her hair and is taking a quick skower to wash it out, then you're next Li & Zayn"

"Oh okay" said Zayn

"How did she spill perfume in her hair?" asked Haz

"I have no idea, all I know is that she was screaming & swearing as she ran to the bathroom" said Mack as Momma & Papa came thru the back door, and gave a low whistle "Pamela, you look hot darlin... purple is definitely your color"

"Thank you Mack" said Momma

"Damn PJ... you look better in that dress than I ever did" said Becca

"Oh please" said Momma "You looked gorgeous in this dress, you just don't care for purple... if it were dark green, you'd have never let me go near it"

"That's true" said Becca "Here's the dress Mack" and showed it to him

"Damn, not the yellow one" said Momma

"Oh my God" said Mack "What in the Hell... Okay darlin, we'll take your measurements tomorrow and I'll order the material"

"40-6-14" said Becca "Nana Kaye sent me my measurements... may be the Marine's should talk to my Nana, then maybe they'd get their uniforms right"

"Damn.. How tall are you darlin?' asked Mack

"5ft 10" said Becca "and anywhere from 6ft to 6ft 10, depending on the height of my heels"

"God Damn" said Zayn

"I know... I take after Grandpa in the height department" said Becca "all of the women in my family are short.. except for Nana Kaye, she's about an inch or so shorter than me"

"Sit and eat" said Mack as Jimmy, Simon Louis & Gem came thru the door "Its about time you two showed up, you're late"

"Sorry Pooh bear" said Jimmy "I cant find my white dress shirt you made me for my birthday"

Its in the dining room" said Mack "It was so wrinkled, I had to iron it"

"Oh thank God" sighed Jimmy "I thought I lost it"

"No, you didn't loose it" said Mack "and what's your excuse Simon?"

"I'm lazy and didn't want to get out of bed" said Simon "That's all I got Mackie"

"Fine.. have a seat" said Mack "Are you okay Gemma?"

"Yeah" said Gem as Louis came downstairs

"Okay, the shower is sealed up tight" said Louis "and the bathroom window is open to air it out, so we should be good"

"Thank you Louis" said Mary

"You're welcome Mom" said Louis and sat down "Why is your hair wet Gem?"

"Bc I stubbed my toe, bumped into the dresser and your cologne spilled into my hair bc you didn't put the cap back on it before you ran out of the room" said Gem "so I had to wash my hair.. again and rinse my eyes"

"Oh damn.. I'm sorry honey" said Louis and kissed her cheek "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay" said Gem "mhy foot hurts like Hell, but at least I don't smell like men's cologne anymore"

"At least we don't have to wear shoes today" said Momma "so your foot can heal"

"Yeah I know" said Gem and took a bite "Mack, seriously, you need to stop cooking like this... I swear I've gained 20 pounds since yesterday"

"Sorry darlin" chuckled Mack "I'll try, but I make no promises"

"You could always start running Gem" I said "it works great for burning off Mack's cooking"

"That's true" said Momma "you could start with a mile and work your way up to 5, then you feel better with the stuff Mack makes"

"I'm notg really a runner" said Gem

"Sp walk it" I said "either way, it works the same"

"I can do walking" said Gem

"Do you want to go get the things you need Becks?" asked Momma

"Yeah, sounds good" said Becca

"Mom.. Do you need anything while we're out?" asked MOmma

"No sweetie, Thank you" said Mary

"Okay... Does anyone need anything?.. speak now or suffer later" said Momma "Pops?"

"No Peaches, I'm good" said Zayn

"No.. I think we're all set dear" said Gran 

"Okay, call me if that changes" said Momma as she put on her shoes and grabbed her purse, phone & keys

"We will" said Mary "Drive safe sweetie"

"All the time, every time Mom" said Momma "be back soon" as they walked out the door

"Can you copy Becca's dress Mack?" asked Sarah

"Yes darlin" said Mack "What I cant figure out is how in the Hell they shrunk the dress this bad.... Satin Taffeta doesn't shrink this bad unless you put it in the dryer and dry cleaners don't use dryers, they use steam"

"Can I see that for a second Mack?" asked Mary

"Sure darlin" said Mack and gave it to Mary.. Mary smelled the dress

"Whew... they used starch & sizing...the two together smell like kerosene" said Mary "if you wash it in a mild soap, it should loosen the material Mack"

"How did you know that Mary?" asked Mack

"John used to have his shirts dry cleaned" said Mary "bc the smell of laundry soap was too much for me and they shrunk a few of his shirts... a neighbor showed me how to un-shrink them"

"Oh okay" said Mack "so something like Woolite"

"Yeah and then let it air dry and it should be fine" said Mary "Thank God they came out with Fragrance-Free laundry soap when I was pregnant with Grace, bc John ruined a lot of our clothes when I was pregnant with Liam & Louis"

"No wonder Dad never went near the laundry room" said Liam "How bad did he ruin them?"

"He used bleach on everything" said Mary "it wasn't so bad on the whites, but he destroyed dress pants, skirts, all of you boys' t-shirts and all of our jeans... it was bad"

"Damn" said Louis "no wonder you made sure we knew how to do laundry correctly"

"Well I wasn't going to do your laundry after you two moved out" said Mary "at some point you need to do that yourself"

"Yes ma'am" said Liam & Louis

"I like doing laundry" said Marcus "its very relaxing and when you wash everything by hand, you get a work out too"

"You did laundry by hand?" said Mack

"Yep" said Marcus "the cabin doesn't have electricity or indoor ;plumbing, so in the Summer & Fall, we'd wash the laundry on a wash board in the pond and during the Winter & Spring, we'd melt snow in the fireplace and wash them that way"


	130. Chapter 130

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Harry Edward Styles & Ms. Mary Isabel Williams  
request your presence at their Wedding on Friday, June 28th, 2011 at 3pm  
at 4132 Apple Grove Lane  
Holmes Chapel, England
> 
> Casual dress for the ladies and blue jeans & a white dress shirt for the men.. no shoes required
> 
> reception to follow at same location... Come celebrate with us @-]-- <3

Chapter 130

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Now that's old school" said Louis

"I don't have a problem washing certain things by hand, but I need a washer & dryer" said Mack

"I miss the smell of freshly washed sheets hung out on the clothesline like Gammie used to do" I said "they always smelled like sunshine & fresh air... When we have our own house, I want a clothesline in the back yard"

"You got it angel" said Marcus as Mary's phone rang

"Hello?" said Mary "Oh Hello Ms. Stacey, what can I do for you sweetie?... Oh, the ;poor thing... Oh, Charlie passed away... a week ago.... that's alright sweetie, call Ms. Heather and she'll bring Sheila up there.... tell Cecilia I'll come by tomorrow to see her... I will, you too Ms. Stacey... bye now" and hung up

"Is everything alright princess?" asked Haz

"No" said Mary "One of the patients in the children's ward isn't doing so well and is asking for Charlie"

"Is that Cecilia?" I asked "What's wrong?"

"Yes.. they don't know" said Mary "they've run every test they have with no results"

"How old is she?" I asked

"She's 12" said Mary

"I'll bet there's one test they haven't done" I said "Why is it that Doctor's can go to school to learn how to treat people and leave their damned brains at home... Papa, can you take me up to the hospital please?... what's her name Izzie?"

"Cecilia Brown" said Mary

"Sure poppet" said Papa "Haz can I use your truck?"

"Sure Ni, the keys are by the door" said Haz 

"Why does her name sound familiar?" said Gem and pulled out her phone "Oh shit... Jessie I'm coming with you" and ran out the door

"Like Hell she's not a runner" said Simon "she just tore out of here like her hair was on fire"

"I recognize the name too" said Louis "She's one of Gem's clients.. they lost their case Wednesday"

"Oh no wonder she flew out of here" said Anne "What caser Louis?"

"Apparently the school custodian has an obsession with young girls" said Louis "Gemma was appointed as her lawyer for a civil suit against the school board for hiring a pedophile"

"Holy shit.. and they lost their case?" said Jimmy "on what grounds?"

"Lack of proof" said Louis "Gem said the Judge was some asshole that's only been on the job 6 months and didn't even bother to read the case file"

"That must've been the appeal she was writing up the other night" said Jimmy "That Judge better pray Jessie doesn't meet him, she'll mess him up bad"

"You're damn right I'll mess him up" I said "I'll turn him into a Eunich for this... Come on Papa" and stormed out of the house

LOUIS'S POV

"God help them.. she's livid" I said 

"What test Izzie?" asked Sarah

"A pregnancy test petal" said Mom

"Oh crap" said Sarah "I hope that doctor heals fast bc Jessie's gonna rip him a new ass"

"Yes well, being a doctor, that kind of goes with the job darlin" chuckled Mack "Ni will keep Jessie from doing too much damage"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that" said Sarah "Gem's on the phone filing for a Judicial Review, Jessie's on the phone with Steven, filing a complaint against the hospital and Ni is praying he wont have to kill someone to keep them safe"

"Oh God" said Maura as Mom pulled out her phone

"Pamela, your daughter is on the warpath... Ni took her to the hospital to see a patient... Cecilia Brown, one of Gem's clients... Okay sweetie, make sure you're back in time... I Love You too sweetie" said Mom and hung up "They're going to the hospital to keep Jessie in line... its alright Maura, Becca & Pamela will keep Ni calm"

"Does the girl have any family?" asked Beth

"No.. she's deaf and never got adopted" said Mom "I met her 8 months ago.. I know some sign language, but not enough to raise her properly"

Mack pulled out his phone "Hey care bear... you're going to have to read the girl, she's deaf... oh okay darlin, video chat me if you need help talking to her... okay care bear, bye" said Mack and hung up "They just got there and Pamela & Becca re with them... Ni is calmer now that Pamela's there"

"Oh good" said Maura and relaxed "Niall has a very strong protective instinct... He hurt is brother Greg really bad after Greg slapped me"

"Its alright d\ear, just relax" said Beth "Niall doesn't look for trouble the way Greg used to"

"Gran's right Maura" said Haz "when Ni is calm, he's fine, you'll see" Mack's phone made a weird sound

"Its Jessie" said Mack "Hey care bear"

"Hey Pooh bear, reading isn't working, she's blocking me" said Jessie "so limber up your fingers bc she's going a mile a minute"

"Okay darlin" said Mack "Hold my phone Jimmy... turn your screen around Jessie... that's it" and Mack started talking in sign language "She says her tummy hurts and makes her sick a lot" *when did this start?* "She says it started when she met Charlie" *stand up sweetie* "Holy shit y'all, she's pregnant... I'd say she's probably in labor"

"WHAT?" yelled Ni "HOW IS IT THAT YOU PEOPEL COULDN'T TELL THIS CHILD IS PREGNANT? ARE YOU A BUNCH OF FUCKING MORONS? GET HER AN OBSTITRICIAN... NOW!!!"

"Ni calm down honey" said Pamela "look at me... you're scaring her, just breathe honey"

*Shh, he's not mad at you.. that's better, just breathe sweetie*

"Momma, call Dr. Carlisle, her number is in my wallet" said Jessie

"Okay baby" said Pamela "Dr. Carlisle?... yes, hello, I'm Pamela Williams, I got your number from my daughter, Jessie Horan?... I'm at the hospital in the Children's ward, Room 518... there's a 12 year old girl named Cecilia Brown, that's pregnant and we think she's in labor... okay, Thank you... She's on her way baby... Get me a fetal heart monitor up here and get me a nurse from the maternity ward... DON'T make me yell, move it... Mack, tell her what's going on and that I have to see how dilated she is"

*Cecilia, you're in labor... it means that you're going to have a baby... Shh, its alright, this is Pamela, she needs to check you to see if the baby is ready to be born, okay?* "Go ahead Pamela" said Mack

"Oh shit" said Pamela "Becca, take Ni out to the hallway, the baby's crowning"

"Oh Damn" said Becca "Come on Niall, you don't want to see this... not yet any way"

*The baby is coming sweetie.. Dr. Carlisle is going to help you, okay?" "Y'all... Oh God, she wants to know where the baby came from" said Mack "I'm at a loss here"

"Tell her to breathe Mack" said Pamela "and push when her tunny hurts"

*Cecilia, I want you to breatrhe and push when your tummy hurts* "Okay Pamela" said Mack 

"Gemma, climb up behind Cecilia with her between you legs and keep her legs bent.. that's it" said Pamela "BECCA GET ME SOME TOWELS, QUICK" yelled :Pamela

"Here ya go PJ" said Becca "Can I help you?"

"I'm Dr. Carlisle, who is Pamela?" said the doctor

"I am doctor.. this baby is coming fast" said Pamela "She's deaf, so tell me you know sign language"

"Yes I do.. you deliver and I'll sign" said Dr. Carlisle

"Works for me" said Pamela "She has no idea where the baby came from"

"Oh God" said Dr. Carlisle

"The doctor is telling her" said Mack 

"Tell her to start pushing on 3 and hold the push to the count of 5" said Pamela "Here we go i, 2, 3-push 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... good job, the head is almost out... again on 3 & push to 5...1, 2, 3-push 1, 2, 3, 4, 5" there was a shrill crying "Okay Doc, this is your show now, you talk and I'll guide the little one out"

"You got it " said Dr. Carlisle

"Okay, here come the shoulders" said Pamela "And... its a boy, a beautiful baby boy with a healthy set of lungs"

"WOOHOO!!" cheered everyone

"Great job Pamela" said the doctor "lets cut the cord and get Cecilia to the O.R. and this young man to the nursery"

"Thank you Dr. Carlisle" said Pamela "How long will she be in the hospital?"

"A couple of days" said Dr. Carlisle "I'll stay with her and try and help her understand what has happened"

"Oh Pooh bear, look at him" said Jessie "its he beautiful?"

"Yeah he is" said Mack as my phone rang

"Hey honey" I said "Are you sure?... I agree, but we don't know sign language... okay honey, you take care of things there and I'll see you in a bit... I Love You too, bye" and hung up "well, it seems Cecilia & the baby will be coming to live with us when they get released... Gemma is enth degree furious, not that I blame her" and wiped my eyes "You know what really bothers me about this? How could that home not tell a young girl what sex is or how babies are made?... She's deaf, not stupid" and started crying as Mom held me

"Shh... I know" said Mom "Its not fair"

"Not fair? Mom, its cruel and inhumane" I cried "She's been mistreated and now there's an innocent baby and she has no clue how to raise it bc she cant hear it cry"

"Shh... we'll help her sweetie" said Mom "just like we did when Pamela was born... Shh, its alright, just breathe"

"Pamela was amazing" said Jimmy "She should've been a doctor"

"I cant believe my baby girl delivered a baby" said Liam "and that she was so calm... like she's done this a hundred times"

"I know" said Zayn "its good to know that if I or Mom were to go into labor early, that there's someone in the house that could help us if we cant get to the hospital right away"

"Oh, don't worry Zayn" said Jimmy "When the time comes, someone will get you & Mary to the hospital the minute the contractions start bc driving in Winter is not fun and when you're taking a pregnant person to the hospital, the last thing you want is to get in a wreck bc you weren't paying attention to the rods"

"Dude.. We're from Georgia" said Simon "When was the last time you drove in snow in the Winter?"

"oh my God" said Jimmy "Do you not remember last Christmas when we went to Edgar's House?... We got snowed in for almost a week bc of that damned snow storm that hit 2 days after we got there"

"Oh yeah" said Simon "Thank God we had snowmobiles to drive to the store bc the cars were buried to the hood in snow" as Pamela and everyone came thru the door

JESSIE'S POV

"I'm telling you Momma, that hospital is a mess" I said "Cecilia should never have been in the children's ward"

"Well now she'll be in the Maternity ward baby" said Momma "and Dr. Carlisle will be with her the whole weekend, so calm down.. please"

"Welcome home Dr. Williams" said Mack and hugged Momma "You were amazing Pamela"

"Thanks Mack" said Momma "You were pretty amazing too" and kissed his cheek

"I still cant get over the fact that mhy Momma delivered a baby" I said "My Momma's a rock star" Momma chuckled

"Who was the doctor Ni yelled at?" asked Mary

"Dr. Randolph" said Becca "I thought the guy was gonna shit his pants when Niall yelled at him, then Niall's eyes changed color... that was pretty cool"

"No way... What color were they?" asked Haz

"A bluish-;purple" said Becca "they went back to blue when PJ said the baby was crowning, then the color drained from his face... that was scary" as Gem went to Louis

"Oh Lou... Shh, its alright, just breathe baby" said Gem softly

"Is she okay?" asked Louis softly "and the baby?"

"They're fine Lou" said Gem "Dr. Carlisle will stay with her and will call if there's a problem and I called the home and told them to pack Cecilia's things.. Steven & Hannah will pick them up on their way here"

"Okay" said Louis as Gem wiped his eyes "Wait.. what time is it?"

"Its 10:45" I said "We gotta start cleaning up bc Theresa & Maria will be here in 15 minutes to deliver Izzie's flowers & the cupcakes and Evan and everyone will be arriving soon"

"Okay... Zayn & I will do up the dishes" said Liam

"Okay... Haz give Papa the rings to hold onto" I said "Marcus, we need a table no bigger than the one by the door for the Unity Candle please"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz & Marcus.. Haz ran upstairs and Marcus went out to the garage, as I set up the keyboard up on the front porch, plugged it in and turned it on to let it warm up and went inside as Haz came down the stairs

"Here Ni" said Haz and set the marriage license on the piano

"Thanks" said Papa and opened the box "That's Mary's Wedding band?"

"Yeah.. its beautiful, huh?" said Haz

"Yeah, it is" said Papa

"24-1/2 carat diamonds set in 24K White Gold" I said "you put on one band, then her engagement ring, and then the other Wedding band... Izzie, give me your ring and I'll show you"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary and took off her ring and handed it to me as I put the two bands on either side of her ring

"See?" I said "The 3 rings make one special Wedding band"

"Oh wow... its a Rose" said Haz

"Oh Jessie" said Mary "its gorgeous" and gave her back her ring

"Now you see why Gammie & Pappie never wore them when they traveled" I said "They would put their rings in this box and gave it to Jimmy to hold in his office safe till they returned"

"There's also two silver chains in that box to put your rings on when you go to the lake or to a beach, so they don't get lost" said Jimmy and lifted out the velvet insert "William got them in Argentina on one of their trips"

"Oh.. they're beautiful" said Mary "we'll keep them in here till tonight" there was a knock at the door, so Mary answered it "Yes?"

"I have a flower delivery for Mary" said Theresa

"Oh.. Come in" said Mary

"Hi Jessie" said Theresa

"Hey Theresa" I said "This is my Aunt Mary & my Uncle Harry"

"Its nice to meet you both... Would you like to see it?" said Theresa

"Oh yes please" said Mary as Theresa opened the box and lifted out the flower crown "Oh Theresa... its gorgeous... Thank you so much"

"You're welcome Mary" said Theresa and put it back in the box "Keep this in the refrigerator so that it doesn't wilt before the ceremony"

"Yes ma'am" said Mary as I took it to the kitchen and put it in the fridge

"I have to get back to the shop" said Theresa "You have a most wonderful day and Congratulations"

"Thank you Theresa" said Haz "Drive safe"

"Yes sir" said Theresa and left

"Oh Haz" said Mary "Its finally here"

"4 hours till 'I do' " said Haz as there was another knock at the door... I answered it this time

"Hey Maria, come on in" I said "Do you need help unloading?"

"Yes please" said Maria

"Hey Lou, lets help Maria bring in the cupcakes" said Papa

"Okay Ni" said Louis as they went out to the delivery van

"Mary.. I cant find a small table in the garage" said Marcus "Is it okay to use this lone by the door?"

"Sure, go ahead" said Mary as Marcus cleared off the table and took it out front and set the candles on it as Papa & Louis came in with boxes of cupcakes and took them out to the backyard

"Chelsea, Trudy, Come on pretty girls, its time for a nap" I called out as they came running in the house and over to their bed "Oh good girls" and picked them up and put them in their bed "There.. now they wont try to get at the cupcakes"

"Good idea sweetie" said Mary

"Yeah... now we just need to keep Davis away from them till after the Wedding" I said "He's got a major sweet tooth"

"Hmm... maybe I should give him some of those muffins Mack made" chuckled Mary "We have enough for 2 months"

"Hey guys, come see the cupcake displays" said Papa

"Lets go see" said Mary as we went outside "Oh... they look like topiaries"

"Maria... wow... they look amazing" I said "Are those crystal hearts?"

"No, they're spun sugar" said Maria "I made them bc every Wedding cake needs a topper... these two are the ones that the Bride & Groom will share with each other"

"Oh wow" said Haz "How did you get them to stay on the displays like that?"

"Each cupcake is skewered on a branch & the cupcake paper holds it in place" said Maria "The trees are made of rosewood and can be reused, they're my gift to you... I had my helpers put their boxes in the house along with the box for the toppers"

"Oh Maria... Thank you" said Mary and gave her a hug "Thank you so much... for everything"

"You're welcome" said Maria "I wish you both an amazing life together"

"Thank you" said Haz

"I have to get back... My assistant has been blowing up my phone since I left" said Maria "You have a most wonderful day"

"You too Maria" said Mary as we walked her out


	131. Chapter 131

Chapter 131

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

I went upstairs and got my box of nail polish and went back downstairs "Okay ladies, its time to make our toes look gorgeous" I said "I have lots of colors, so pick the one you want... Mary, What color do you want?,, I have several shades of blue or some neutral colors, if you prefer... I also have glitter nail polish"

"Do you have a pink glitter?" asked Mary "I want Haz's color on my toes"

"Yes, I do" I said and found the bottle Raspberry Pink Glitter, just for you... Mrs. Styles"

"Thank you, Ms. Horan" chuckled Mary and made everyone laugh as Linda, Meghan & Charlie came thru the door

"Perfect timing ladies, we're getting ready to paint our toes" I said "Have a seat"

"Oh wow" said Linda & Meghan

"Do you have purple?" asked Sarah

"Yeah... I have a shiny purple, a metallic purple & a purple glitter" I said "Which one do you want?"

"Ooo purple glitter please" said Sarah and handed her the bottle

Everyone picked their color and were busy painting our toes when Andrew & the boys arrived.

"Marcus, do you have a white dress shirt I can borrow?" asked Andrew "I forgot to get one when we went shopping last week"

"Sure boss.. lets go upstairs and get it" said Marcus as they went upstairs

"Does anyone else need a white dress shirt?" asked Mack

"I do" said Damian "all I have is black dress shirts"

"Okay.. I'll be right back" said Mack 

"Pooh bear, get that one you have with the laces on the front... it'll fit Damian better" said Jimmy

"Ooo good call lovebug" said Mack and went to get the shirt

"You know guys, you have your own money now" I said "you can go shopping if you need more clothes and things"

"Oh yeah... I forgot about that" said Damian "Sorry boss lady.. its still hard to get used to"

"That's alright Damian" I said 

"And we're always here to help if you need us" said Liam

"Thanks Liam" said Damian as Mack came back

"Here Damian, go on in the nursery for privacy" said Mack

"Thanks Mack" said Damian and went in the nursery "There's no buttons"

"You put it on over your head Damian" said Mack 

"Ahh, okay" said Damian "Oh wow, this is comfortable" as Damian came out "Where did you get this shirt from?"

"I made it" said Mack "You like it?"

"Wow... I love it and its so soft" said Damian "just like the ones I wore back in the day"

"When was that?" asked Mack

"The 1400's" said Damian "I was a Merchant Sailor"

"Oh wow... well If you like, I can make you a couple of shirts like that" said Mack "its no trouble"

"Wow,,, that would be great Mack, Thank you" said Damian

"You're welcome Damian" said Mack "I make all of my dress shirts bc I could never find ones that fit properly"

"Exactly" said Damian "What material did you use?"

"Egyptian Cotton" said Mack "soft as silk, but less expensive & not so heavy... and what's nice about it, is that it doesn't wrinkle as much and it can be washed in the washer"

"Oh wow" said Damian as Sarah looked up

"Whoa baby.. looking good Damian" said Sarah "That style works for you"

"I agree" said Mary

"Um.. Thanks" said Damian and blushed

"Damian.. relax" said Marcus "its okay to accept a compliment from a woman, especially from the boss's girl and a soon-to-be married woman... God isn't going to punch your ticket over it"

"Oh, okay boss" said Damian "Thank you Sarah, Mary"

"You're welcome" said Sarah & Mary 

"Andrew.. wow... you should wear white shirts more often, it makes you look really tan" said Sarah "and more relaxed"

"Thank you beautiful" said Andrew "I'll keep that in mind" and smiled

"Whew... all that nail polish is making me light-headed" said Davis

"Why don't we go sit outside and let the girls finish their nails" said Papa

"Papa.. Can you take Haz & Izzie's Champagne Flutes and set them out on the far side of the table near the wooden centerpieces please" I asked

"Sure poppet" said Papa and grabbed the box as they went outside

"Meghan, do you know a girl named Cecilia Brown?" I asked

"Yeah.. I know her, she's in my writing class at school" said Meghan "Why?"

"She had a baby this morning" I said "a boy"

"Oh no" said Meghan "Was it by Mr. Anderson?"

"You know about him?" asked Gem

"Yeah.. the whole school does" said Meghan "He has a thing for blonds... I told her to be careful around him bc he's creepy... He's cornered every girl in my class, poor Cece... Is she okay?"

"Yes, she's okay" said Gem "Does your school offer sex education?"

"Yeah, but only for the boys" said Meghan "I had to get permission from Evan & the school to sit in on the class"

"Sweet Jesus" said Becca "I had sex education when I was 10.. you girls should have your own sex education class"

"The school board wont allow it" said Linda "I've been trying to get them to approve it for years, but they wont... they feel girls should learn that at home, I don't have a problem with that, but what about those girls who don't have a Mother?... sorry Meghan"

"I agree" said Meghan "That's okay Linda, that's why I had to get permission and what they didn't cover in the class, bc I'm a girl, Evan made an appointment with a female Gynecologist for me to talk to and then she referred me to a female Obstitrician and I talked to her and now I think I've pretty much got a handle on things... but that doesn't mean I'm ready to have sex... I can wait till I'm... oh 30, 35" and everyone laughed

"What did the girl's family say?" asked Linda

"She doesn't have a family" said Meghan "She's an orphan... she lives at the group home near our school"

"Not any more" said Gem "Cece & the baby are going to be living with Louis & I when they get released... KI can work from home and she needs a family to help her get what she & the baby need"

"You need to be patient with Cece" said Meghan "She's very independent and gets easily frustrated when people cant understand her... If you need to get her attention, flicker a light switch or use a small flashlight, but don't touch her, it makes her jumpy and she thinks she's in trouble"

"Can she read?" asked Gem 

"Yeah, I taught her how, but she blocks when she's distracted" said Meghan "that's why you need to use a flashlight or use the light switch"

"Would you like to go with Louis & I to see her?" asked Gem "it may be nice for her to see a familiar face"

"I'd like that" said Meghan "I got a phone today, so you can text me"

"Okay, give me your phone" said Gem as Meghan handed it to her and put in her number "I sent a text to my phone, so I have your number... We're going to try and go in the morning, but if not, then we'll go Sunday morning before we go to the lake... okay?"

"Okay, sounds good" said Meghan as Gem gave her back her phone and put it away

"Mary... How has your morning been?" asked Linda

"Its been eventful" chuckled Mary "first the shower broke, Cece had her baby & Pamela delivered him, then my flowers & the cupcakes arrived and now we're painting our toes and I'm in total bliss.... I've never been so relaxed"

"Oh wow" said Linda

"You delivered Cece's baby?" said Meghan "What was that like?"

"Yeah... it was amazing" said Momma "He's the most beautiful little boy I've ever seen and to hear him cry was beyond special"

"Wow" said Meghan

"Jimmy said you missed your calling" said Gran "He said you should've been a doctor"

"May be that will be my next career" chuckled Momma "Who knows"

"I think Haz is going to be a doctor" said Anne "He was so in awe of Pamela, he couldn't take his eyes off Mack's phone and when that baby cried, he was smiling, he was so happy"

"Dr. Harry Styles" said Mary "it sounds nice"

"I told him he should be a doctor" said Momma "He'd be great... he's good with kids, he keeps his focus under stress, he tells corny jokes that could put anyone at ease, and he listens... What more could you ask for in a doctor?"

"Hot and single would be nice" said Gran 

"Mom!!" said Maura

"Ooo you go Gran" I said and gave a high-5

"Oh, I like her" said Becca "Beth & Nana Kaye are gonna be a riot at the Wedding"

"Nana's coming?" said Momma

"Hell yeah, you're her favorite" said Becca "Wild horses couldn't keep her away from your Wedding... She was so excited when I told her, Pops had to take her passport to keep her at home.. Mehma gave her back her passport after Pops left, so she'll be here next week with Aunt Mimi"

"Oh no way" said Momma as Becca's phone dinged

"Mom landed in London and Jake & Uncle Matt are loading her up as we speak" said Becca

"Why didn't Kyle meet her there?" asked Momma

"Pops said he's a nervous wreck" said Becca "its one thing to find out Mom's pregnant, but when you multiply that by 4, he's a mess... Pops said he didn't sleep at all last night and hasn't touched an ounce of coffee so far and he loves coffee"

"Damn" said Momma "That's not good"

"Yeah, tell me about it" said Becca 

"He'll be fine when he sees you Mom" said Sarah "He just needs to look her in the eye and hear her say 'it'll be alright' "

"From your lips to God's ears" said Becca and crossed herself as Mack came in

"Ladies, its 12:30... time for hair & make-up" said Mack

"Thanks Mack" said Mary as he went back outside and Momma & I went upstairs to get the hair rollers and stuff and came back down

"We'll do make-up first while we wait for the hot rollers & curling irons to heat up" said Momma

"Sounds good sweetie" said Mary

"Will you do my make-up again jellybean?" asked Sarah

"Sure.. same as last time?" I asked

"Yes please" said Sarah

"Okay" I said and started her make-up before I did mine "close your eyes, like you're sleeping... perfect" and did her eye shadow

"What colors do you use on her?" asked Meghan

"A pale pink & a light purple" I said "They're perfect for her age and don't make her look too grown up... okay, open your eyes and look up... I also use a brown eye-liner & mascara bc it looks more natural" then put a little pink eyes shadow on her lips with some lip gloss "If you cant find a certain shade of lipstick, you can put a little eye shadow or blush on your lips with some lip gloss and you have instant lipstick... now for a little bronzer so you don't look so pale... and you're done petal"

"Thanks Jellybean" said Sarah

"Wow... she looks like she's not even wearing any" said Meghan 

"That's the idea" I said "Make-up is supposed to accentuate your features, not make you look like a hooker... if you can see it, you have too much on... if you can barely see it, then its perfect"

"I can never get make-up to turn out right, so I wear just lip gloss & mascara... you cant mess those up" said Meghan

"Would you like me to do your make-up Meghan?" asked Becca "I use a lot of neutrals & browns"

"Sure... Thanks Becca" said Meghan and smiled

"You're welcome... Jess, can I use some of your liquid make-up? Mine is a little dark for Meghan's skin tone" said Becca

"Sure" I said and handed her the bottle

"Thanks" said Becca and proceeded to do Meghan's make-up "There's a little trick PJ taught me... if your make-up turns out too dark, take a cotton ball and gently brush it where the color is too dark and it'll lighten it up"

"Oh okay" said Meghan

"Have you ever had your 'color wheel' done?" asked Becca

"I don't even know what that is" said Meghan

"Ah.. well at the department stores near my house, have make-up consultants who will show you what color eye shadow, blush & lip stick look better with your skin, Hair & eye color and show you how to do your make-up correctly and how to take care of your skin, so you don't get pimples"

"We have lady that does that here Becca" said Gem "at the department store in town"

"Oh cool" said Becca "you want to go on Monday and get your color wheel done?"

"Oh yes please" said Meghan "Do you want to come with us Jessie?"

"Heck yeah, it sounds like fun" I said as Evan & Jordan came in

"Hey Evan, Jordan" said Gran 

"Hey Beth... Where are the guys?" asked Evan

"I think they're out in the backyard" said Gran "if not, they're probably next door"

"Oh okay" said Evan "Meghan.. wow... you look amazing"

"Thanks.. Becca did my make-up for me" said Meghan "You remember Cece?.. she came over to our house a few times"

"Yeah, I remember her... pretty, blond, your height" said Evan

"yeah... she had a baby this morning.. a boy" said Meghan "by that creepy guy from school I told you about" 

"No way" said Evan "Is she alright?"

"Yes, Cece & the baby are just fine" said Momma "I delivered her baby"

"No shit?" said Jordan "Way to go Pamela... high-5" and smacked their hands together

"Thanks" chuckled Momma

"Wow" said Evan "just.. wow... What was it like?"

"It was amazing" said Momma "He's the most beautiful little boy I've ever seen" and held out her phone

"Oh wow... he's a big boy" said Jordan

"Near as I can tell, he weighs about 8 pounds" said Momma

"Wow" said Jordan "and look at all of that dark hair... Is the girl going to keep the baby?"

"We don't know yet" said Gem "Cece & the baby, if she chooses to keep it, are going to come live with Louis & I when they get released... Steven & Hannah are picking up Cece's things on their way here"

"Oh okay" said Jordan "well we can talk more later... we'll let you ladies get back to your Beauty routine"

"Okay" said Meghan as they went outside

"Evan seems more relaxed today" said Maura

"Jordan stayed the night last night" said Meghan "they're taking things slow, but I think when Evan woke up with Jordan there, it was a relief knowing that its real and not a dream... part of Evan's brain thinks he's a bad person for running away and doesn't deserve to be happy... but I'm just his daughter, so he doesn't believe me"

"Wait" I said "You know?"

:Yeah.. Charlie & I both know" said Meghan "Mom told us a long time ago, but when we tried to tell Evan, before Mom died, he wouldn't listen, so we said we 'thought' her was our Dad.. he said 'no sweetie, I'm your brother' so we never corrected him or mentioned it again, and we're okay with that till he's ready to listen"

"Give him time" said Maura "Does Jordan know?"

"No, not yet" said Meghan "I want to tell him, but I don't want him to be angry with Evan... I don't want Jordan to feel like he's been lied to"

"I see" said Maura "Would it help if we talk to Jordan with the stipulation that he come talk to you privately?"

"Yes please" said Meghan "It would make Charlie & I feel better if he knew"

"We have time" I said "I'll talk to him in the study"

"No Jessie" said Mary "I will" and got up and went to the back door "Jordan, Can you help me with something?"

"Yes ma'am" said Jordan and came inside "What do you need?"

"I need to talk to you, privately" said Mary

"Of course.. lead the way" said Jordan and followed Mary into the study and closed the door

"Okay ladies, to quote Dolly Parton 'its time to bang some hair' " I said 

"Bang some hair" said Gem slowly "Okay"

"Gemma, you gotta watch 'Steel Magnolias' " I said "it explains southern women and how we talk to a tee, but its sad & funny, so be sure to have a box of tissues with you when you watch it"

"Okay sweetie" chuckled Gem

"My hair is already done" said Becca "So is yours & Mom's, so lets do Meghan, Jessie & Sarah's first"

"Sounds good" said Momma "Come on Meghan, lets get your hair rolled up"

"Yes ma'am" said Meghanand sat down as Momma started rolling her hair

"Come on Jessie" said Becca

"Okay" I said and sat down

"I know I sound like a broken record, but..." said Sarah

"You want your hair up like last time" I chuckled

"Yeah.. I'm sorry, but I just love how it looks when its up" said Sarah

"Get my bag, and I'll do your hair while Becca does mine" I said "I don't mind petal" she grabbed my bag and sat backwards in her chair so I could do her hair

"Okay Meghan, go have a seat... Gem your next" said Momma as Gem sat down

"Becca" said Gran

"Yeah?" said Becca

"Can you do to my hair what you did to Mary's?" said Gran 

"Sure Beth" said Becca "You're all set Jessie"

"Thanks" I said 

"Yep... Come sit next to Jessie, Beth" said Becca as Gran sat down "We'll brush out your hair so there aren't any knots in it"

"Okay" said Gran as Becca took her hair out of its bun and brushed it out

"Wow Beth, your hair is really long" said Becca

"I haven't had a hair cut in almost 7 years" said Gran

"Ahh okay... What is your original hair color?" asked Becca

"Strawberry blond, like Gemma's... why?" said Gran

"I've never done this on gray hair before" said Becca "so don't be surprised if your hair color comes back along with the curls"

"Okay dear" said Gran as Becca rubbed her hands together, closed her eyes and started massaging Gran's head & hair.... sure enough, the color came back with her curls

"Holy wow... this is amazing" said Linda "Beth, you look 30 years younger"

"Really?" said Gran

"Yeah" said Maura "Niall is gonna loose it when he sees you"

"Well that would be something to see" chuckled Gran

"Don't be surprised if Simon proposes" I chuckled "I'm not joking Gran, he's in Love with you"

"Are you serious?" said Gem

"Yep... it happened last night when he saw Beth's dress" I said "it surprised me too bc I didn't see this one coming, I swear... just a sec y'all" and closed my eyes "Slow down Gramps.. that's better, say that again?... you pick today to say this?... you're killing me Gramps, seriously... fine... is that everything?... you sure?... okay" and opened my eyes " If what I'm about to say upsets you Gran, blame Gramps"

"Go ahead dear" said Gran

"My beautiful Irish Rose, you have been the love of my life for 65 years, but if you find Love again, take it and be happy... All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy, we had our time and I will always love you, but he loves you too, so now its time for you to be his Irish Rose... Love, Me" I said 

"That man" said Gran and dabbed her eyes with a tissue "picks today of all days to tell me this"

"Better late than never Gran" I said ""Okay Sarah, do you want flowers or bows in your hair?"

"Bows this time" said Sarah "My dress is blue, so use blue bows if you have them"

"okay" I said and got out the bows "The blue doesn't show up in your hair, so lets use the white ones"

"Okay" said Sarah as Becca dropped her hands and opened her eyes

"Okay Beth, you are all set" said Becca and fluffed Gran's hair "your hair looks gorgeous"

"Thank you dear" said Gran and went to the mirror "Lordie be.. I do look 30 years younger... Jessica Renee Horan, tell me this isn't bc Simon is 30 years younger than me"

"Mmm maybe?" I asked "There's only one way to find out... Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, I want to know" said Gran 

"Okay" I said and went to the backdoor "Simon Cowell-Burke, get in here... now"

"Oh shit... What did you do Si?" asked Mack

"I don't know" said Simon and came in the house "I didn't do it, whatever you think I did, it wasn't me, I swear"

"Calm down and close your eyes" I said and motioned for Gran to come closer.. I put my hand on her chest and the other hand on Simon's and looked at Gran & nodded

"Oh my God" said Gran slowly and crossed herself

"Simon, on 3 open your eyes" I said 

"Okay" said Simon

"1.. 2.. 3" I said as Simon opened his eyes

"Beth?" said Simon as Gran nodded "How?"

"It would appear that we're soulmates" said Gran softly "Our hearts are in sync and I reversed 30 years when Becca did my hair"

"Really?" said Simon and looked at me

"Yep... Congratulations Si, you found her" I said 

"Should I talk to Ni?" asked Simon

"No... Shawn gave his blessing" I said 

"What's your full name?" asked Simon softly

"Bethany Elizabeth Flannery" said Gran 

"I feel like I'm going to pass out, so I'm going to go back outside, sit down and let you & the ladies finish getting ready" said Simon and kissed her hand "you are so beautiful, Bethany Elizabeth Flannery"

"Okay" said Gran as Simon went back outside "Pamela... I need a dress... the sexiest one you've got"

"Yes ma'am" said Momma and went upstairs

"I haven't felt like this in a long time" said Gran "so I'm gonna kick a field goal this time around"

"Ooo Go Beth" said Becca as Momma came downstairs

"Okay Beth which one do you want" said Momma "Blue slip dress, Red strapless cocktail dress or Burgundy halter dress?"

"Which one is figure hugging, but not too tight to breathe or sit?" asked Gran

"The halter dress" said Momma and gave it to her

"Use my room to change Gran" I said as Gran went upstairs "Well Grandma, I guess the answer is Yes, a person can have more than one soulmate"

"Oh gosh" said Maura


	132. Chapter 132

Chapter 132

MACK'S POV

"Simon, what happened?" I asked but he didn't answer, so I smacked the back of his head... nothing

"Oh shit.. no way" said Davis "He found his soulmate"

"Yeah" whispered Simon

"What?" said Charlie "Who's his soulmate?"

"Beth" whispered Simon "Bethany Elizabeth Flannery"

"No fucking way" said Haz "Seriously mate?"

"Yeah... Jessie confirmed it" said Simon "Our hearts are in sync and"

"And?" said Ni

"And when Becca did her hair.. Oh God, her hair" said Simon "She reversed 30 years" as the back door opened and out walked a stunning red-head in a tight burgundy dress

"Oh sweet merciful God" I said and crossed myself "If this is the angel of death, I'll see y'all later" as Davis gave a low whistle

"That's not Death" said Davis "That's Beth"

"Gran?" said Ni "Holy shit" and crossed himself

"Mack, I need your opinion on which earrings I should wear" said Beth "Diamond studs or silver hoops?"

"The diamonds" I said 

"Okay.. Thanks" said Beth and went back in the house

"That's not my Gran" said Ni "That's a Banshee"

"Niall James Horan" said Haz "Don't you dare disparage her like that, like it or not, she's smoking hot mate"

"Amen brother" said Jimmy "preach it son"

"Oh shut up Jimmy" said Ni "you wouldn't be saying that if she was your Grandmother"

"Yes I would and I'll tell you why" said Jimmy "Bc that woman has been given a second chance at Love... Who are you to say she doesn't deserve that? Yes, she had 65 wonderful years with your Grandfather.. Do you think he hasn't given her his blessing? bc guess what? He did, so shut up and be happy for her... and if you call her a Banshee again, I'll kick your ass"

"Amen brother" said Louis "Ni... If things work out with Maura & Dr, Hayes are you going to act like this if they get married?"

"Good point Louis" said Zayn "Are you NI? For your sake, I hope not, those two women love you and you love them, but you need to be an adult and be happy for them... Look at Mom & Haz.. its taken them 17 years to get to this day... its taken Simon & Beth 30 years just to meet & fall in Love... think about that"

JESSIE'S POV

"Papa looks like he wants to kill Jimmy" I said 

"No, he's calming down" said Sarah "Louis & Zayn are making some valid points... He's apologizing.. crisis averted.... Lets finish getting dressed"

"I'll go tell Izzie" I said and went to the study and knocked

"Come in" said Mary

"Izzie, sorry to interrupt, but its 2o'clock" I said "We need to start getting dressed"

"Okay, Thanks sweetie" said Mary "We'll be right out"

"Okay" I said and closed the door "They'll be right out" as Steven & Hannah came thru the door

"Wow... Ladies, you look stunning" said Steven "Where's Mary & Beth?"

"Mary's in the study talking to Meghan & Jordan" I said "and Beth's right there... talking to Becca"

"That's Beth?" said Hannah

"Yeah.. Becca did her hair, like she did Mary's" I said "and her hair color came back with her curls... oh and Beth & Simon are soulmates, so she reversed 30 years"

"Holy shit" said Steven as Beth looked at him and smiled "so Beth totally reversed?"

"Yeah and I'm at a total loss as to why this happened too" I said "Mary's biological time reversed when she met Haz, but this is totally different bc all of Beth.. her physical & biological times reversed"

"Wow... she's gorgeous" said Hannah

"She went out to see the guys and Papa had a full-on mental stroke" I chuckled "it was priceless... I've never seen Papa go mentally blank before" as Mary, Meghan & Jordan came out of the study "Is everything okay Meghan?"

"Yeah, we're all good" said Meghan and smiled

"Meghan, lets finish your hair sweetie" said Momma

"Yes ma'am" said Meghan and walked over and sat down

"Jordan?.. Are you okay?" asked Steven

"Yeah, I'm good boss" said Jordan "Where are the kids?"

"They're at home.. Amelia is watching them for the afternoon" said Hannah "She said Weddings aren't for babies"

"Oh okay" said Jordan "So you heard about Cecilia Brown?"

"Yeah.. How is she?" asked Hannah

"Momma says she's fine" I said "Dr. Carlisle is staying with her... she had no clue where babies came from or that she was pregnant either... Papa went off on her doctor when he found out and Momma delivered the baby... it was amazing"

"Pamela" said Steven "You delivered Cecilia's baby?"

"Yeah, they had her in the Children's Ward" said Momma "When we realized what was happening, I had to check and see how dilated she was and the baby was crowning, so I called Mom's doctor and within 20-30 minutes, he was born... Cece's deaf, so Dr. Carlisle signed while I delivered.. it was beyond special"

"Wow... Great job Pamela" said Steven

"Thanks Boss" said Momma "you're all set Meghan"

Mary went to the backdoor "Mack, we're almost ready to head next door if you guys want to come inside" said Mary

"Okay darlin" said Mack as they came inside, so did Garrett and his family

"Becca" said a woman

"Mom" said Becca and ran into her arms "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine sweetheart" said Kara "Are you okay with all of this?"

"I'm beyond okay.. I'm so happy for you & Dad" said Becca "Mom... He's here"

"The boy you told us about?" said Kara

"Yeah... Charlie, come meet my Mom" said Becca as Charlie came over "Mom, this is Charlie... Charlie, this is my Mom, Kara"

"Its nice to meet you ma'am" said Charlie and shook her hand

"Its nice to meet you too Charlie" said Kara "Kyle tells me that you have a brother & twin sister"

"Yes ma'am" said Charlie "This is Evan & Meghan and this is Evan's partner, Jordan Baxter"

"Hello.. I'm Kara, Becca's Mom" said Kara and shook their hands

"Becca.. wow, you look just like your Mom" said Meghan

"Hey Mom" said Momma and gaved Kara a hug

"PJ, wow.. you look amazing" said Kara

"Thanks Mom.. this is Niall, my fiance, our daughter, Jessie & her fiance Marcus... I'll explain later, I promise" said Momma

"Niall, its so nice to finally meet you" said Kara "Papa has told us all about you"

"Its nice to meet you too ma'am" said Papa "I'll finish the introductions later, it looks like you ladies are heading next door till the Wedding"

"Oh okay" said Kara

"I'll get the flowers Momma" I said and went to the fridge for the flowers and grabbed my bag of hair stuff & camera bag "Marcus get the scissors and cut 6 roses, make sure if them is yellow, for the bouquet toss and bring them to me please"

"Yes ma'am" said Marcus and walked away

"Ladies, if you will follow me please" said Mack

"Jimmy, wake the girls and put their dresses on" I said "Purple on Chelsea & Pink on Trudy and put their leashes on please"

"Yes ma'am" said Jimmy

"Guys, the dishes are in the storage pantry" I said "When the sister get here, set the bowls & plates on the serving table, and the extra Champagne flutes are in there too, along with 10 bottles of sparkling cider & ginger ale, extra napkins and the good silverware"

"Yes ma'am" said Davis 

"Haz get the CD... Louis, come get the stereo... Jimmy get your laptop and set it up on the front porch for Nathaniel" I said "Am I forgetting anything?... Oh Papa, get the box with the Country candle from the piano and set it out next to the arbor please"

"Yes ma'am" said everyone as we went out the door and headed next door

"Okay Mary, lets get you in your dress" said Mack and led Mary into the dining room... a few minutes later, Mary came out in her dress

"Oh Mary" said Anne "you look amazing"

"Thank you Anne" said Mary

"Ladies, present you Wedding tokens to your Bride" said Mack as I took a few pictures

"Something old" said Anne "my Mother's lace handkerchief"

"Something new" said Maura "a satin purse to keep your Wedding keepsakes in"

"Something borrowed" said Momma "A strand of Maggie's pearls & earrings" and put them on Mary

"Something blue" said Becca "your garter" and put it on Mary's leg as Marcus cam in with the flowers, gave them to me and left quietly

"Now for you flowers" said Mack and lifted out the flower crown from its box, placed it on Mary's head and secured it with bobby pins

"Mack, I need to take some pictures of Mary & the ladies in front of the gazebo and forgot my phone" I said "Call Simon and tell him to keep Haz in the house and away from the door & windows please"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack and pulled out his phone "Simon.. Jessie needs to take pictures of Mary & the ladies out in the backyard, so keep Haz in the house and away from the windows & doors please... Thanks Si" and hung up "your all set care bear"

"Thanks Pooh bear... Okay ladies, if you will come out to the gazebo for pictures please" I said as we went out in the yard "Okay, I want Anne, Mary & Maura first please... perfect" click-click-click "Mack go get Simon and guard the door"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack and went to the door "Si.. Jessie needs you please.. back in the Livingroom Haz" as Simon came out

"Group shot?" said Simon

"Yeah.. Can you take it for me?" I said and gave him the camera 

"Sure" said Simon as I joined the group "Okay ladies, I want gorgeous smiles and a loud 'Woohoo' "

"WOOHOO!!" said everyone click-click-click

"Thank you ladies" said Simon and gave me back the camera

"Okay Mary, stay there... Simon, go send out Louis, Liam & Zayn please" I said as he went inside and the guys came out

"Mom... wow" said Louis "You are so beautiful"

"Thank you sweetie" said Mary

"Okay guys, I want Liam & Zayn on either side of Mary and Louis, I want you down on one knee in front of her please" I said as they got in their places "that's perfect.. big smiles" click-click-click "Thanks guys, you can stay out here, everyone can go inside, except for Anne & Gem please" as everyone went thru the gate and into the house "Okay Mack, send the rest of the guys out"

"Okay Men, its picture time" said Mack "lets go" as everyone came outside

"I want Haz, Louis & Papa first" I said "I want big smiles and a YEEHAW"

"YEEHAW" they said click-click-click and busted out laughing click-click-click

"Okay Anne, Gem on either side of Haz" I said "perfect" click-click-click "Thank you ladies, you can go inside... Okay Men, get in there Mack... Davis, knock it off with the bunny ears"

"Oh come on Jess" said Davis

"No bunny ears" I said "now give me big smiles and loud HELL YEAH"

"HELL YEAH!!" said everyone click-click-click

"Thanks guys" I said "We'll take more pictures after the Wedding, Father Donnelly is here.. Papa, do youy have the rings?"

"Yes poppet" said Papa

"Haz, Papa, Louis, go out to Father Donnelly please" I said as they walked away "Men, if you would escort your ladies to the front yard please... Andrew, if you'll bring Jackson over to escort Mary, we'll get started"

"Yes ma'am" said Andrew and disappeared

"Garrett if you could escort Momma & Gary, if you could escort Gemma please" I said 

"Yes Ma'am" said Garrett & Gary and went next door as Andrew & Jackson appeared

"Mr. Williams, I'm Jessica Horan" I said and shook his hand "My Grandfather is Gwen's brother"

"So you're family then" said Jackson

"Yes sir" I said "Mary is waiting for you.. if you'll come with me please" and headed into the house "Mary, he's here"

"Daddy!" said Mary and ran into his arms

"Hey cherry blossom" said Jackson "let me look at you" as Mary stepped back "just as beautiful as ever" and wiped her eyes "Are you ready?" Marry nodded "then lets go" and we walked back over to the house

"Okay, wait here a moment" I said "Mary, just breathe.. that's it.. when the music starts, count to 10 and then come out, okay?"

"Okay" said Mary as I went out and lit the two candles Haz & Mary will use and then went up to the porch and started playing, counting to 10 as Jackson & Mary came out slowly.. I looked at Haz, he was crying and stopped playing.

FATHER DONNELLY: Dearly beloved, we gather here today to witness the marriage of Harry Edward Styles & Mary Isabel Williams, Who gives this Woman to this Man?

JACKSON: I do Sir *and kissed Mary's cheek*

FATHER DONNELLY: Please join hands... Harry, Mary, you have come together in the presence of God, Friends & Family to pledge your lives together.. Do you do so willingly? Say 'I do"

HARRY & MARY: I do

FATHER DONNELLY: Ms. Jessica will give the Wedding Prayer as Harry & Mary light the Unity Candle

JESSIE: Heavenly Father, today Harry & Mary stand in the light of your loving presence. Show them the path to your Love, your strength, and your compassionate understanding as they begin their life together. Shelter them in your loving arms when times are hard and rejoice with them when your blessings grace them. In the named of the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit, May God bless you and keep you safe all the days of your life. In Jesus name, Amen

EVERYONE: Amen

FATHER DONNELLY: Marriage is more than vows, its a partnership built on Love, Trust & Faith. May I have the rings please... The ring is a circle, it has no beginning and it has no end. It is the eternal symbol of your Love and commitment here today... Harry, take Mary's ring and place it on her finger and say your vows

HARRY: I Harry, take you Mary, as my lawfully Wedded Wife... To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness & in health, to Love and to Cherish, till Death us do part

FATHER DONNELLY: Mary, take Harry's ring and place it on his finger and say your vows

MARY: I Mary, take you Harry as my lawfully Wedded Husband... To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness & in health, to Love, Cherish & Obey, till Death do us part

FATHER DONNELLY: With the exchanging of vows and the giving & receiving of rings, I pronounce that they are Man & Wife, you may now kiss your Bride *Kissing* *clapping* May I Present Mr. & Mrs. Harry Styles 

"WOOHOO" cheered everyone as I played, Father Donnelly followed them into the house to sign the Marriage License. When I was done, I unplugged the keyboard, put it in its case and put it in Tom's car and then went to get my cameras and more film

""Haz, Izzie, take you time, everyone is heading out back" I said "when you're ready, knock on the door window and Mack will announce you"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"Everyone, lets go to the Reception area please" I said as we went outside, I took the girls' leashes off and let them run "Davis, can you and the guys bring the table and candles back here please, but don't blow out the candles"

"Sure Jess" said Davis "Stuart, Collin, Damian.. we need to bring the table & candles back here, but don't blow out the candles"

"Okay" said Damian as they went out to the front yard

"Jessie" said Kara "That was a beautiful prayer and the song you played, I didn't recognize"

"Its one I wrote" I said "its called 'A Heart's Song' "

"Its beautiful" said Kara

"Thank you" I said as a knock came from the door "Mack, make the announcement"

"Ladies & Gentlemen.. May I present for the first dance, Mr. & Mrs. Harry Styles" said Mack as the door opened and Haz & Izzie came running out to applause and as their song started, they danced in the gazebo as I took pictures

"Haz... We're Married" said Mary

"I know... I cant believe it" said Haz "I'm so happy"

"Me too" said Mary as they kissed. When the song ended, they each took their cupcake, removed the topper and as they fed each other, Mary smashed her cupcake in Haz's face and then kissed him which had everyone laughing click-click-click Mack handed them each a wet washcloth to clean the frosting off theifr hace & hands

GOOD ONE MOM" yelled Becca

"Best tasting kiss ever" said Haz and smiled

"Okay you two, over to the gazebo for your pictures" I said as they came over "I have a couple special ones I wan to do, so lets get those done first and then Simon will take the rest"

"Okay peanut" said Haz 

"Mary, I want you standing and Haz I want you down on one knee and on 3, stand up and pick up Mary, okay?" I said 

"Okay" said Haz and got down on one knee

"And 1.. 2.. 3" as Haz stood up and lifted Mary click-click-click "Nicely done Haz... now I want one of your rings, so lace your fingers and lay your hands on Mary's skirt.. that's it" click-click-click "now Simon's going to take over while I set up the candle"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"Simon, I need you to take some Wedding photos while I set up the candle so we can eat" I said 

"Yes ma'am" said Simon

"And try not to focus only on Beth" I whispered

"Now you're asking for a miracle" said Simon

"Then use your camera for that" I said 

"Yes ma'am" said Simon

As I set out the jar, packages of wax beads and the scissors, Jackson came over "What's this you're setting up?" asked Jackson

"Its a country candle for Harry & Mary" I said "We'll all add wax beads to the jar and every year on their Anniversary, they'll light it"

"Huh... that's a great idea" said Jackson "where did you find this at?"

"I found it online" I said "there's a website for all kinds of Wedding ideas"

"Ahh, okay" said Jackson

"Jessie, we're all set till Haz & Mary have their dances" said Simon

"Thanks Simon" I said "Everyone gather around... We're going to make a Country candle for Haz & Izzie... Anne, Jackson, you'll pour the first layer" and gave them their packages and poured them into the jar "Gem, Louis, Liam & Zayn, you're next" and gave them theirs and poured them into the jar "Haz & Izzie" and gave them theirs and they added their layer 

"Oh wow... this is cool" said Charlie

"Now we add the rainbow" I said "Starting in reverse.. first purple, then blue, green, yellow, orange, and then the red... We have a lot of people and 6 colors, so we'll go by Families... Momma, Papa, Maura & Beth will do purple, Becca & her family will do blue, Mack, Jimmy & Simon will do green, Evan, Jordan, Meghan & Charlie will do yellow, Steven & Hannah will do the orange and the rest of us will do the red"

We all added our colors and when it was done, we said Grace and lit the candle. I fed the girls as we made our plates and sat down to eat.

"Dad, don't eat those crunchy bits in the green beans, they're fried onions" said Becca

"Oh okay sweetie.. Thanks" said Kyle

"Oh gosh... I'm sorry Kyle" said Mary

"Its alright Mary, I can avoid them" said Kyle "I wont die from them, I just break out in hives"

"Oh okay" said Mary "Marcus is allergic to tomatoes so we've gotten used to letting everyone add them to their own plates when we have them"

"Oh okay" said Kyle

"Cherry Blossom, why don't you introduce me to everyone" said Jackson "I know Andrew, Marcus, Jessica and the boys, but I have yet to meet anyone else"

"Oh.. sorry Dad" said Mary "This is your Grandson Liam & his husband Zayn, your other Grandson Louis & his fiance Gemma, she's Harry's sister.. Harry's Mother Anne & her fiance Robin, your Great-Granddaughter Pamela & her fiance Niall, Niall's Mother, Maura.. Niall's Grandmother, Beth.. James Burke & his fiance Mack Fitzsimmons, James's brother, Simon.. Garrett, his brother Bo, Garrett's family, Kyle & Kara, Matt, Roger & Gary, Becca, Kara & Kyle's daughter.. Becca's boyfriend, Charlie.. Charlie's sister, Meghan.. Charlie's brother Evan & his boyfriend, Jordan Baxter... Tom & Linda Jeffries and their kids, Sarah & Brian and Steven & Hannah Rothsdale"

"Oh wow... its nice to meet you all" said Jackson and looked at Momma "Pamela.. you look just like my wife, Mary... I never thought I would see her eye color in this family again.. What do you do?"

"I'm a Helicopter pilot and starting Monday, I'll be a Detective with the Police Department.. Jordan & I will be partners" said Momma

"Amazing... Well good luck on your job Pamela" said Jackson

"Thank you" said Momma

"I have so many questions I want to ask, but we don't have enough time" said Jackson and stood up "Cherry Blossom... may I have this dance?"

"Oh Daddy" said Mary and walked over as they started dancing as Songbird by Fleetwood Mac played

When the song ended, they stood talking for a minute "That's my girl" said Jackson "Harry, take care of my Cherry Blossom and don't let her do too much driving while she's pregnant, it makes her tired and cranky"

"Yes sir.. I wont sir" said Haz

"Call me Jack.. Sir is so formal" said Jackson

"Okay Jack" said Haz

"Now, I have to go.. your Mother is waiting for me" said Jackson "I want lots of letters & pictures.. from everyone"

"You got it Grandpa" said Momma

"Okay Andrew, I'm ready" said Jackson

"Okay Jack" said Andrew "I'll be back in a moment Mary"

"Okay" said Mary as they disappeared

"Did they just disappear?" asked Kara and Garrett chuckled

"Yes sweetie... I'll explain later" said Garrett

"O-okay" said Kara as Andrew came back

"Mary, your Mother sent you a letter" said Andrew and gave Mary an envelope "She said to wait till later to read it"

"Thank you Andrew" said Mary and put it in her satin purse Maura gave her

"Come on princess.. sit down for a bit" said Haz and walked Mary to her chair "Mom... may I have this dance?"

"Yes please" said Anne as they walked out in the yard 

"Louis.. hit track 4 on the first CD please and turn it up a bit" said Haz 

"You got it Haz" said Louis and cued up the song

"Oh Harry" said Anne and laid her head on his shoulder as 'Still the One' by Shania Twain played "My sweet baby boy" Simon took pictures as I went in the house

I grabbed two jars, paper, pens, popsicle sticks and markers and went back outside, just as Haz Anne were sitting down

"I have a couple things we have to do for our Bride & Groom" I said "I have two jars.. in one, I want y'all to take a piece of paper and write down a piece of advice that you think our couple should know... and in the other, I want you to write down an idea for a date night on a popsicle stick.. keep in mind that Mary is pregnant, so no writing down skydiving Becca"

"Damn... you're no fun" said Becca

That's what you think" I said "just wait till Sunday, missy"

"Oh yeah... sorry, my brain is still a little fuzzy" said Becca

"Davis... no more than two cupcakes till everyone has had one" I said 

"Damn... Yes ma'am" said Davis and took 1 cupcake


	133. Chapter 133

Chapter 133

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

While everyone was busy talking and writing, Andrew, ther boys & I cleared the table & serving table, rinsed the dishes & loaded the dishwasher, put away the extra food, washed the serving trays to return to the church and rejoined the reception.

"Its time for the Best Man to give his speech" said Mack "Niall, the floor is yours"

"Thanks Mack" said Papa "When I first moved here, I got lost, then I met Haz and we spent 2 weeks walking around town. Haz showed me all of the shortcuts to get downtown, how to get to the airport, his favorite coffee shop, he told me about his song journal, taught me how to play the piano & I taught him how to play guitar and he told me about his dream girl. At first, I thought Haz was hallucinating bc I thought the girl he described didn't exist. Just before school ended, Haz told me we were going to be dog-sitting for his neighbor while she was out of town. When we cam to take Mary to the airport, Haz was out of it.. Come to find out, the girl he told me about 4 years ago, was Mary.  
When she cam home, I could tell, Haz was in Love. He smiled more, He wrote more songs, mostly about Mary, and he gravitated to her, like a butterfly to a flower. When Mary told Haz she was pregnant, I thought 1) He's gonna pass out or 2) He was going to be over the moon with happiness... Thank God it was the second one... but today eclipsed that happiness. Haz calls Mary 'his princess, the dream at the end of the rainbow' and now, I see why. Mary, you are the most precious gift Haz has ever been given. I've seen him grow from your Love, your patience and from your understanding and I cant wait to see who your babies look like... $20 bucks says they look like you"

"I'll take that bet" said Louis

"In closing" said Papa "I wish you both lots of Love, Happiness, and many, many babies.... To Haz & Mary"

"To Haz & Mary" said everyone

"Now the Maid of Honor will give her speech" said Mack "Ms. Anne, the floor is yours darlin"

"Thank you Mack" said Anne "Mary, Harry was 10 when he told me about you, at first, I thought you were an imaginary friend, but he was adamant that you were real. Like the quilt Harry had made, your lives are two sides of the mirror.. you helped Harry when he needed you and He helped you when you needed him.. and when I got sick last month, you were there for both of us and for that, I will be forever grateful.  
When Harry told me he was in Love with you, I knew I wouldn't have to worry about him, but as a Mom, we'll always worry about our babies, no matter how old they are. I saw Harry become more confident in the fact that you Love him as much as He loves you and knowing that, brings me a great sense of Peace & Happiness. I Love You both so much and I cant wait to meet my Grandbabies, I'm going to spoil them rotten. I wish you both everything life has to offer... To Harry & Mary"

"To Harry & Mary" said everyone as Haz & Mary stood up

"Thank you, to all of you for making today so special" said Mary "Jessie, this day wouldn't have been nearly as wonderful without your help. Thank you for planning all of this. Andrew, Collin, Damian, Davis, Stuart, you have gone above and beyond to make this the land of dreams.. you gave me back my Dad today" and started crying again "and that will be the best memory that I will always treasure... I Love You guys so much, Thank you" and gave then each a kiss and a hug

"You're welcome Mom" said Damian and the boys.. that made Mary laugh

"My Boys" said Mary "Mack can you help me take this crown off.. there's a stem digging into my head"

"Sure darlin" said Mack and removed the bobby pins & crown "There you go darlin.. Is that better?"

"Oh yes.. Thank you" said Mary and rubbed the sore spot as I grabbed the bouquet for Mary

"I know it feels like we're rushing thru a few things and I've probably forgotten a few things too, but we're going to do the bouquet & garter toos bc Haz & Mary are leaving in a couple of hours" I said "bc when Mom & Dad leave, the kids are gonna party all night" Everyone laughed

"Oh yeah" said Louis "Bring it on Jessie"

"Now, traditionally, this is for all of the single ladies, but we need people, so all of the 'not married' ladies, front & center... that includes you Momma, Anne, Gemma... if I gotta be in this group, then so do you.. move it" I said as I gave the bouquet to Mary "Ain for Beth" I whispered

"I'll try" whispered Mary "Okay ladies, here we go 1.. 2.. 3" and tossed the bouquet... yes... right in Beth's hands

"Oh gosh" said Beth and looked at Mary "Oh my God" as I grabbed a chair

"Mary have a seat" I said "Haz, its time to remove the garter from under Mary's dress"

"Are you serious?" said Haz

"Its tradition Haz "I said "Men, back me up here"

"She's right Haz" said Garrett and whispered in his ear

"Holy shit... I can do that?" asked Haz in shock

"Yep.. its perfectly legal" said Garrett

"Come on Haz" said Steven "you can do it"

"Then you come do it" said Haz 

"Its your Wedding Haz" said Steven "I'm taken"

"Hazzabear" said Mary coyly "I'm waiting"

"Ooooooooo" said the guys

"I'll do it" said Davis and stood up

"No, you're not... sit down Davis" said Meghan

"Dude, I'd do it, but that's my Mom" said Louis "Yeah, sorry bro, I just cant"

"Oh shut up Lou" said Haz "this feels liked one of Jimmy's pranks"

"I'm innocent this time Haz" said Jimmy

Mary lifted her skirt "Maybe I should just do it" said Mary teasingly and put her skirt down "Nope I changed my mind, I want you to do it... Hazzabear"

"Oh my God" said Mack "Mary Isabel Styles.. Did you just push that garter further up your leg?"

"Mmm maybe" said Mary "Haz is just going to have to look to find out... wont he?" and motioned for Haz to come closer.. as he stepped closer, Mary whispered in his ear

"Oh" said Haz and dropped to his knees and kissed Mary as he reached under her dress and removed the garter "you, Mrs. Styles, are a wild woman"

"Mhm" said Mary as Haz stood up

"Okay Men, front & Center" I said "aim for Simon" I whispered

"I'll try" whispered Haz "How do I toss this?"

"Like a slingshot" said Matt and came over to Haz "put you finger like this, pull back and let it fly"

"Oh okay" said Haz "Here it comes 1.. 2.. 3" and hit Simon right in the chest... bullseye

"Oh God" said Simon and looked at Beth

"Beth, come have a seat" I said as Beth sat down "now Simon, put the gater on Beth's leg.. just to the knee" Simon got down on pone knee and slid the garter up tp Beth's knee "and now our lucky couple will dance" and stood up as 'Groovy Kind of Love' by Phil Collins started playing, they danced and talked... and then they kissed

"Oooooo" said Sarah & Becca as they continued kissing.. Beth tangled her fingers in Simon's hair

"Damn y'all" I said and walked up to them "Ahem... We're still here, y'all may want to come up for air, or better still, go somewhere private" that registered

"Oh gosh" said Beth and started to step away

"Don't move.. give me a minute" said Simon and took a few deep breaths "Okay, lets go sit down"

"Are you okay Simon?" asked Momma

"I'm fine Pamela" said Simon "we just got a little carried away"

"A little?" said Louis "Dude.. more like a lot"

Beth laid her face in her arms and groaned "Oh God" said Beth

"Come on Beth" said Mary softly "lets talk privately for a bit" and took Beth's hand "we'll be right back"

"Okay princess" said Haz as they went into the next yard and sat down "Relax Simon.. Mary felt the same way when we first kissed, Beth will be fine, I promise"

"Why was Mom scared?" asked Becca

"Bc she hadn't been with anyone except John and she had just found out that I'm 17" said Haz 

"Oh wow" said Becca

"Plus, Beth totally reversed.. physically AND biologically" I said "Going backwards 30 years is a shock to the system"

"Wait... so Mom, my Mom can get pregnant?" asked Maura

"Yep" I said 

"But her doctor told her after I was born, that she could die if she got pregnant again" said Maura

"What did they tell her was the cause?" asked Kara

"Mom never said" said Maura "Mom & Dad didn't want to take the chance, so bc they had me, their family was complete and never had more children"

"Hmm... What year were you born?" asked Kara and pulled out her phone

"1963, in Ireland" said Maura as Beth & Mary came back "Mom what reason did the doctor give you for not getting pregnant again?"

"They said that I had gotten a virus that weakened my heart" said Beth "apparently it happened after you were born"

"Were you given any medication or told to exercise?" asked Kara

"No" said Beth "I thought that was odd too bc anytime I got sick, I had medicine to take"

"I hate to say this" said Kara "but I think you were lied to Beth" as Beth sat down "back when you had Maura, Ireland went thru a baby boom... there were 4,000 babies born between 1958 and 1963... I'm guessing, rather than do surgery, they told women that they could die if they got pregnant again, bc the birth rate dropped dramatically from 1964-1973... only 1,000 babies were born in that time"

"Are you serious?" said Davis "so instead of letting nature take its course, they used scare tactics?"

"Yeah" said Kara "That's exactly what I'm guessing happened"

"The sons a bitches" said Beth and pulled out her phone "Kaitlyn dear, its Beth Flannery... I'm fine dear, can you do me a favor please... I had a physical done before I left, could you tell me the results of my stress test?... Norma;? Are you sure? *Ask her what your echo says*... What does the echo gram say about my heart?... so for my age, its 100% healthy?... No signs of a virus?... Thank you Kaitlyn... you too dear... bye now" and hung up "Oh, I'm gonna murder that doctor... the echo came back clean as a whistle.. I never had a damned virus"

"Oh boy" said Liam

"Or girl" said Louis

"Shut up Louis" said Papa "Gran?"

"Yes dear" said Beth

"I don't want to know anything" said Papa "just be happy and forgive me for being a heartless asshole"

"Oh Niall" said Beth and kissed Papa's cheek "Now you see why you're my favorite.. Thank you dear"

"I'm with Niall on this one Mom" said Maura "if Dad & Niall can give you their blessing, then you have mine too"

"Lordie be.. its a Wedding Day miracle" said Beth "Thank you Rosebud"

"Rosebud?" said Papa and looked at Maura

"Your Grandpa used to call me that" said Maura "Mom was Irish Rose and I was Rosebud"

"Ahh... now it makes sense" said Papa "I never understood why Gramps called me "rosebaby' and called Greg 'rosethorn' "

"Shawn called you 'rosebaby'?" said Beth and shook her head "That man and his nicknames.. I swear"

"I didn't mind" said Papa "You know he called Aunt Dorothy 'polka dot' bc she just had to wear that dress to church"

"Yes, I know" said Beth "I had to convince her he was just teasing her, bc she looked so pretty in that dress... she was going to chuck a brick at his head for calling her that"

"Damn" said Papa "He got off easy.. you should've let her hit him, maybe then he'd quit calling her that"

"Maybe" chuckled Beth

"Why does Grandpa call you 'Cherry Blossom' Mom?" asked Momma

"Its his favorite flower" said Mary and chuckled "He would take me out to pick cherries in the backyard and he would split them in half and remove the pits for me... We'd sit under the tree and eat all of the Cherries, instead of taking them in the house for Mom so she could make a cherry pie for dessert... She always made the best pies"

Momma looked at Papa "If you ever call our girls 'button mum' or 'geranium', I'll pop you in the nose Ni" said Momma

"I wont.. I swear poppet" chuckled Papa and kissed her cheek

"So Mom, what are you going to do after the babies are born?" asked Momma

"I have no idea" said Kara "but the nice thing about being in private practice, is I don't have a set schedule to keep unless my patients are seriously ill, so I'll try and work up till my due date and see how that goes"

"What do you do Kara?" asked Zayn

"I'm a Cardiac Surgeon at Bethesda Naval Hospital" said Kara

"Yeah, she's a squid" said Matt

"And you're a jarhead Mattie, what's your point?" said Kara "That didn't stop you from taking a job at West Point.. Did it?"

"Tooshay" said Matt "I'll shut up now"

"Good idea.. smartass" said Kara "When is Mimi arriving?"

"She'll be here Thursday or Firday" said Matt "She's been training a new office manager and had to re-assign her case load"

"Well you better make her relax or those babies are going to come early" said Kara "I went to pick her up after court last Tuesday and her blood pressure was sky-high"

"Yeah, she told me" said Matt "I talked to her yesterday and said that her blood pressure came down... and she found out what we're having"

"Girls, right?" said Kara

"Yeah.. You knew?" said Matt

"No, just a lucky guess" said Kara "you know me, I don't read at home, only at work"

"Why don't you read at home?" I asked

"Bc home is my safe zone" said Kara "I read my patients all day, everyday in order to give them the best possible care, so when I come home, I mentally shut down from the minute I walk thru the door till I get to the office the next work day... its the only way I can decompress, otherwise I'd hear everyone on our street and in a 20 mile radius of our house"

"Oh okay" I said "I mostly read here, I don't read out in public bc I don't want to know what everyone's thinking... I sometimes read on the phone, but only if I don't know thw person, or if the person is aware... yesterday Matt asked me to find out their babies gender while he talked to Mimi"

"So you're a closet reader" said Kara

"Yeah, pretty much" I said "I klnow everything that goes on around here bc no one knows how to be quiet.. especially Louis, he likes to play mental games of 20 questions and turn my brain to tapioca... Mack can you get Haz & Mary's bag, the car is here.. and a pair of shoes please"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack and went in the house

"Now I want you two to relax, have fun and don't call" I said "We'll see you at 10am.. Okay?"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary and gave me a hug "I Love You Jessie"

"I Love You too Izzie" I said and kissed her cheek and hugged Haz "I Love You Hazzabear"

"I Love You too peanut" said Haz "Thank you for everything Jessie"

"You're welcome Haz" I said and let them say their good-byes "I put your vitamins in your bag of toiletries, so remember to take them in the morning"

"Yes ma'am" said Haz & Mary as they went in the house and out to the car. I blew out the candle and put the lid on the jar as Mack came back out

"They're off for a night of romance" said Mack

"You put that teddy in their bag... Didn't you?" I said 

"Of course I did" said Mack "Mary needs to loosen up and have a little fun"

"Mack!" I said "please don't make me have to scrub my brain with bleach, I don't need that vision in my head, I got enough stuff floating around in there as it is"

"Sorry care bear" said Mack

"Jessie, can I give the girls some dog treats?" asked Sarah

"Sure, just don't give them too many" I said "they're in the food pantry, 3rd shelf from the bottom on the right"

"Thanks jellybean" said Sarah and ran in the house

"Becca says that you planned PJ & Niall's Wedding"

"Yes ma'am" I said "Momma & Papa finalized the reception plan & met Father Donnelly last week... I booked the hotel rooms, car service, & church the week before and paid for everything, then last Saturday, we bought the bridesmaids dresses & ordered the accessories, Momma finally has her dress, so it smooth sailing for the next 6 weeks"

"Wow" said Kara "So you're in charge of the budget?"

"I'm in charge of everything" I said "including Momma & Papa's destination for their honeymoon next June"

"Why are you waiting till June, PJ?" asked Kara

"Bc Niall & Haz graduate from high school in June" said Momma

"You're still in high school?" asked Kara

"Yes ma'am" said Papa "I met Pamela when she arrived with Mary & her family 3 weeks ago and we got engaged & adopted Jessie 2 weeks ago"

"Wow" said Kara

"Garrett, How much do they know?" I asked 

"They know everything sweetie" said Garrett "Kara, I'm going to ask you to read Jessie.. it'll be faster than trying to explain everything"

"Are you sure Papa?" asked Kara

"I'm sure sweetie" said Garrett

"Its alright Kara, go ahead" I said 

"Okay": said Kara and closed her eyes as we waited "Oh my God" and crossed herself as she opened her eyes "so.. you're angels" and looked at Andrew & the boys

"Yes ma'am" said the guys "so is Mary's father"

"Amazing" said Kara "and you're all each others soulmates?"

"Yes ma'am" said Robin

"And we all read too" said Sarah "well, except for Ni & Pamela... they're taking a little longer to get on board the reading train"

"Why PJ?" asked Kara

"I don't know" said Momma "sometimes I think 'oh wow, it would be so cool to be able to do that' and other times its like 'oh thank God.. I don't want to know what they're trhinking'.. then I look at Jessie and what's she's been thru before & since she got here, its been hard to witness & accept that this is 'normal' for her... I guess I'm afraid of not being able to handle it and once its turned on, not being able to turn it off"

"Momma... why didn't you say so?" I said "I can show you how to turn it off if its too much, all you have to do is ask"

"Wait... are you saying you can turn it off?" said Matt

"Yeah, I am" I said "the more you read, the stronger your ability gets, but it can also be turned off too... think of it like a light switch with the lights on all the time.. sometimes you just want to sit in the dark and enjoy the peace & quiet... with Sarah, Jimmy, Marcus, Garrett & I, its different"

"Why is that?" asked Kyle

"Bc we are reincarnated souls" I said "when you've been reincarnated, the switch is removed, so to speak, so we have to find other ways to 'sit in the dark'... Sarah uses earplugs, Jimmy & Marcus block out, Garrett goes inside his mind and I do headstands, I also block out, but only to sleep"

"Wow" said Kyle

""See Kyle? I told you she was special" said Matt "Now do you believe me?"

"Yeah" said Kyle "How many reincarnations have yo had Jessie?"

"Seventeen" I said "since 1901... this is my eighteenth cycle, and my last" and sat down "God creates every soul and we're given two choices 1) to stay in Heaven and 2) to be born and return to Heaven as angels... you see, time doesn't exist in Heaven the way it does here, so when I was born in 1901 & died, several times, I was sent to a different year and so on & so on, till I was finally born in 2001 and I remember every birth & death... you see, God writes the story that puts us on our journey.. it starts with our birth and stops when we fall in Love, from there, we write the rest of our story and when we die, our story goes in God's library for him to read and re-read at his leisure"

"Amazing" said Kyle "When did you and Marcus meet?"

"I've known Marcus since the beginning" I said "When I met him, he went by another name... Lucifer... When the War happened 'upstairs', Lucifer was killed, so Marcus volunteered to run Hell and was given the title"

"So who runs Hell if Marcus is here?" asked Roger

"I do" said Andrew "Marcus took over for me when I retired, but I came back when God granted his request to be human again"

"Oh wow" said Roger "So to everyone here, you're Andrew and to the rest of the planet, you're Lucifer?"

"Correct.. but my role has changed since he died" said Andrew "Hell is still Hell, but I'm also in charge of those souls that choose to be born and the boys & I carry out God's orders when required to do so & assist with Heaven's judgement and sentencing"

"Oh Damn... remind me to never piss you loff" said Roger

"You got it" chuckled Andrew "sorry, I'll be right back" and disappeared as Momma & Gem's phones rang

"Mom?... you were told not to call" said Momma as Gem took her phone call to the next yard "oh.. okay, just a sec" and put it on speaker

PAMELA: Go ahead Mom

MARY: Mackenzie Walter Fitzsimmons, you swore to me that you didn't pack that

MACK: I didn't.. at first... Haz said to bring it with you, and its his Wedding night too, so go put it on, take a deep breath and make tonight special... bye darlin, don't call

and hung up "Ooo she's gonna pop you in the nose for that one Pooh bear" said Sarah

"That's true darlin, but it'll be worth it" said Mack "She'll thank me tomorrow, you'll see.. no one can stay mad at me for very long"

"Uh-oh" I said as Louis went to Gemma "Oh no" and went to Gemma 

"Shh... its okay honey" said Louis softly

"What happened?" I whispered

"The baby didn't make it munchkin" said Louis "They gave him a transfusion, but it was too late"

"Oh gosh... Is Cece alright?" I asked

"Yeah, Dr. Carlisle is with her" said Louis "Come on honey.. lets go sit down" and led Gem back to the table "That's my girl"

"Gem?.. Is Cece & the baby okay?" asked Meghan

"Cece's fine sweetie" said Gem softly and wiped her eyes "THe baby was anemic, so they gave him a blood transfusion, but it was too late.. his organs shut down and he didn't make it... I'm sorry Pamela"

"Damn" said Momma "He looked so healthy"

"I know" said Gem

"Everyone join hands" I said "Heavenly Father, keep our baby boy in your loving arms.. Teach him how to be gentle & good and show him how much he was loved... Watch over Cecilia and help heal her broken heart with your love & mercy.... In Jesus name, Amen"

"Amen" said everyone as Andrew returned and quietly sat down

"Are you alright my love?" asked Sarah softly

"I'm fine beautiful" said Andrew and smiled "Catherine was there with him at the end... she'll take care of him while he goes thru processing"

"Processing?" said Kyle

"Yes... all babies go thru processing to determine if they are to be reborn or not" said Andrew "bc the man who violated Cecilia is still alive, the baby will stay with Catherine until the man faces his judgement & sentencing... when that will be, is up to God"

"I see" said Kyle "It sounds like Heaven is run like a courthouse"

"It is" said Marcus "Crimes against Women & Children, fall under Hell's Jurisdiction and the punishment is severe... all other offenses go thru Heaven and are dealt with accordingly... When Jessie's Father died, her Mother, Grandparents & I were the only ones allowed to be at David's Judgement & Sentencing and bc Jessie is still alive, I gave testimony on her behalf"

"Oh God" said Kara and crossed herself

"My Dad wasn't a nice person and I wouldn't wish him on my worst enemy" I said "I don't like to talk about him... I'm here and he's cosmic dust and I'm okay with that... now Marcus & I have a chance to be happy and have the family we always talked about having and in 6 years & 5 months, we can pick a date and get married"

"You two are engaged?" said Kyle

"Yes.. Marcus asked Momma & Papa for permission and asked ms last Monday" I said and held out my hand

"What about school?" asked Kara

"I was home-schooled, so I'm going to test out and Mack & I are going into the Wedding business" I said "He''ll do the Bridal and I'll do the planning... I've completed this Wedding, Momma & Papa's is in the final stages, Mack & Jimmy and Gem & Louis's Weddings are done, they just need to be finalized and locked down and I have to plan Anne & Robin's... the Ladies & Mack already have their dresses & suit, so there really isn't that much left to do"

"Damn... you're good" said Matt "So what's next?"

"Thank you" I said "What do you mean?"


	134. Chapter 134

Chapter 134

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Well you've planned all of these Weddings, I assume you have other things planned" said Matt "Dad told us about your lists... How many lists did you say she has?"

"235" I said "and yes, I have other plans in the works... 2 baby showers, 4 bridal showers, 4 bachelor & bachelorette parties, 2 nurseries to put together - no wait, 1 nursery to put together, the other one is done, 4 honeymoons, help keep Zayn & Izzie calm & busy during their pregnancies, plan a senior prom for the residents at the senior center, find a location for Mack & I's business, playing with the Orchestra tomorrow at the music festival, organizing our family day on Sunday, try not to blow up on anyone too much, keep the swearing to a minimum, and try not to go completely insane by New Years"

"Good God" said Matt "I almost went crazy trying to plan a surprise baby shower & nursery for Mimi... How are you so calm?"

"I make lists" I said "if you put all of your ideas & plans in a list, and then break that list down into sub-lists, it doesn't have a chance to stress you out and keeps your mind free of clutter so that you can focus on people & other things... try it sometime"

"You have one nursery already done?" said Kyle

"Yep.. Liam & Zayn's nursery was started & finished last weekend" I said "Zayn was stressing about where to put all of the babies things, so Momma, Izzie & I came up with the idea of turning the formal dinging room into a nursery for them"

"May we see it?" asked Matt

"Sure" said Zayn as I followed them into the house

"Oh, I love the French doors" said Kara

"Louis & Gemma installed them bc the dining room didn't have a door" said Zayn as he opened the doors and we went inside "I picked the color and Marcus painted the mural and the flowers over the doorway"

"This is absolutely gorgeous" said Kara

"Thank you" said Zayn "We picked out the furniture and everything the week before and were told it was all on back order.. we didn't find out till last Sunday, that Jessie had paid for everything and had it delivered and set up while we were busy helping Anne & Robin move... it was the best surprise ever"

"You did all of this?" said Matt

"Yes, with help from Louis, Gem, Haz, Evan, Charlie & Meghan" I said "we put the finishing touches on the room... Liam & Zayn were already married when I got here, so when they found out they were expecting, I knew Zayn needed a nursery so that he could relax and stay as stress-free as possible... my methods may be a bit extreme, but if I can make Zayn & Izzie or any member of this family feel loved & appreciated, then I'll do whatever it takes"

Zayn chuckled "We call her Hurricane Jessie" said Zayn "bc she's always got something going on"

"No way... you're Hurricane Jessie in the UK?" said Gary "I follow you on Twitter"

"That's me" I chuckled 

"That video of you went totally viral" said Gary "you got like, 7 million hits on Twitter and YouTube got 15 million hits in 2 hours"

"Are you kidding me?" I said "Holy shit... How did it get on YouTube?"

"Your email account is on Google and they own YouTube, so when it was tagged to your email, it was automatically uploaded to YouTube" said Gary

"Oh my God... I'm gonna fry Nathaniel's motherboard for this" I said as I scrolled thru YouTube and read the comments "oh wait.. okay, may be not... everyone seems to love it... one girl says 'OMG, give the sweetie some ice cream for God's sake' " and started laughing "this is too funny" as we went back outside "Gemma.. have you seen this?"

"Seen what munchkin?" asked Gem

"That video Nathaniel posted on Twitter of me got 7 million hits" I said "Gary says its on YouTube and got 15 million hits in 2 hours... the comments are hilarious"

"Holy cow, no way" said Gem as I showed her my phone "that is so crazy.. one guy says 'Dude, if the girl wants ice cream, give her the damn ice cream' " and laughed "Oh my God, that is too priceless" and gave back my phone

"I know right?" I said and sat down as Chelsea & Trudy came over to me and pawed my leg "What's wrong pretty babies?" they whined "Ahh, okay" and took their dresses off "There you go girls, now go play" and ran off

"Rebecca, may I have this dance?" said Charlie

"I'd love to" said Becca and headed to the gazebo and danced

"They make a cute couple" said Bo "so Kyle, are you prepared to give away your first born yet?"

"I've been ready since she was 16" said Kyle "Man.. He's tall for his age"

"How old is he?.. 17?..18?" said Bo

"He's 12... Charlie & I are twins" said Meghan

"Oh wow" said Bo "He's almost as tall as you Garrett"

"Yes I know" said Garrett "I peg him at 6' 2", 6' 3" " as Simon & Beth joined them

"May I have this dance angel?" said Marcus

"I'd love to my love" I said as wedanced in the grass and held each other

NIALL'S POV

"Beth looks more relaxed since you gave her your blessing Niall" said Garrett

"Yes she does" I said "It was a bit of a shock to see her earlier"

"A bit?" said Louis "Dude.. you called her a Banshee... you went right off the cliff"

"Niall James Horan" said Mom

"Yeah, I know Mom.. I was an asshole" I said "I didn't say it in front of her... I may have been an asshole, but I'm not suicidal, I want to live to see my Wedding Day"

"Yeah, if he had, Jimmy would've knocked his teeth out" said Louis "I've never seen Jimmy so mad... He scares me more than Jessie does"

"Oh shut up Uncle Lou" chuckled Jessie

Becca and Charlie came back and sat down "When do you get your work schedule Charlie?" asked Becca

"Tomorrow" said Charlie "Mr. Carlson said I'm done with training, so I'm gonna go pick it up around 9 bc Sister Grace wants me to stop by the rectory to pick up some things she has for me, so I should be here by 10 if you want to hang out till the festival starts"

"Sounds great" said Becca "I cant wait to see Jessie play"

"Mom, did you bring my dress?" asked Sarah

"Yes sweetie.. its in the car" said Linda "relax"

"Oh okay" said Sarah and sighed "Becca, did Izzie show you her & Haz's engagement photos yet?"

"No, not yet sweetie" said Becca "She forgot to bring them to the shower yesterday"

"I'll go get them" said Sarah and ran in the house and came back out with the album "Here you go"

"Oh Thanks Sarah" said Becca

"You're welcome" said Sarah as Becca opened the book

"Oh Jessie.. these are beautiful" said Becca as she turned the pages "Oh.. I love this one.. I just love black & white photos" as Jessie came over

"Thanks.. that one is my favorite too" said Jessie "I also did family photos of Anne & Robin with Gen & Haz and they turned out great too... Oh, Meghan I have your pictures.. I'll go get them" and ran in the house

"Jessie took your picture?" said Evan

"Yeah.. she was waiting for Haz & Mary while they were changing, and I asked her if she could take mine with the girls" said Meghan as Jessie came back out

"Here you go Meghan" said Jessie and handed over the photos "There's 2 of each picture, so you have a set to keep and a set to give away, if you want"

"Oh Jessie... Thank you" said Meghan

"You're welcome" said Jessie

"Can I see them Meghan?" asked Evan 

"Sure" said Meghan and handed a set to Evan

"Oh.. these are beautiful turtledove" said Evan "I really like the one of you with the girls in your lap" and handed them back

"Thanks... KI like that one too" said Meghan "Do you want to see them Charlie?"

"Yes please" said Charlie as Meghan handed him a set "Meghan... wow... you should be a model bc these photos are amazing"

"Wow" said Becca "Charlie's right Meghan, the camera loves you"

"Thanks, but I'll stick with my writing" said Meghan as Jessie blew out the candles and smiled

MARY'S POV

"I cant get over how beautiful our room is" I said as Haz swam up behind me

"Its not nearly as beautiful as you are" said Haz and kissed my neck "Mrs. Styles... my beautiful princess"

"Mr. Styles... my beautiful, sweet, loving husband" I said and we kissed

"Princess?" said Haz softly

"Yes?" I said

"When you said your vows" said Haz "Why did you say the word 'obey'?"

"Bc I trust you" I said "I know you would never tell me what to do in anger, but you're my husband and its your job to keep me safe, and as your wife, to listen to your concerns for my safety & well being"

"Oh okay" said Haz "Do you think Beth & Simon will be alright?"

"I think they'll be just fine Haz" I said "Beth was just scared bc she can get pregnant again... When she was told she could die if she got pregnant again, and that kind of pain never goes away... its a constant reminder of all of the babies she didn't get to have"

"Is that how you felt after you lost Grace?" asked Haz

"No.. my not having any more babies was a choice" I said "yes, it hurt when I lost Grace, but I had Liam & Louis and they made the pain go away... sometimes I think of who she would look like, me or John.. would she be a doctor or a lawyer, you know, those kind of things, but I'm so happy Haz... I have you and we're going to have two beautiful little girls to love and watch grow into beautiful young women... I couldn't ask for anything more wonderful"

"I'm happy too princess" said Haz "We're married" and kissed me.. I moaned as he deepened the kiss

"Mmm... I've wanted to kiss you like that all day" said Haz and kissed my neck

"Haz, we're married now, don't ever be afraid to kiss me like that" I said as we made out in the pool

"Yes ma'am" said Haz

JESSIE'S POV

"Chelsea.. Trudy... come on sleepy babies, its time for bed" I said as they followed me into the house, I put them to bed and went back outside and sat down as the tent was taken down quietly and disappeared

"Wow" said Charlie "those guys are good"

"Yes they are" I said as Andrew & the boys sat down "Thank you Andrew for making today special for Mary"

"It was my pleasure Jess" said Andrew "and to be honest, we had fun doing all of this... you did a beautiful job putting their Wedding together"

"Thanks" I said "putting a Wedding together is fairly easy, its the fine details that are somewhat hard to do" and took a drink "I tend to go over the top, that's why I had Momma & Papa work with Mr. Thompson on their reception bc it needed to reflect what they wanted it to look like, not what I wanted"

"Ahh.. Is that why you let us set this up for Haz & Mary?" asked Andrew

"Yeah... they wanted 'private & informal' " I said "I tried to do that once and it didn't turn out right"

"Ah okay" said Andrew "well as I said, we had fun"

"Where's Beth & Simon?" whispered Davis

"They're spending some time alone" I said "They're adults, I have no say in what they do... or don't do" and winked

"Dude.. seriously?" said Davis, I nodded as Davis looked around "Where's Pamela & Becca?"

"They're in the house talking" said Charlie "Becca wants to kidnap Beth and take her shopping on Monday, so they're trying to put a plan together and figure out what style will work for Beth"

"Ahh.. She's going for the works.. huh?" said Damian

"Yep" I said "Beth was in her thirties back in the 70's and bc the styles have changed so much since then, its going to be a little more intense trying to find a style that works than it was for y'all"

"Ahh got it" said Damian

"Yeah.. Men's clothing hasn't change much.. well, not since the 60's anyway" said Davis "the colors have gotten better, and those long-sleeve t-shirts we got are so comfortable"

"Yeah they are" I said "in the Winter, I like to wear them with flannel pajama pants & fuzzy socks"

"Oh I know" said Meghan "comfy pajamas, a bowl of popcorn & a movie is my favorite thing to do on cold Winter nights"

"Yes!... finally someone gets it" I said "I've been trying to explain that to Mack for years... there's nothing more relaxing, but he doesn't get it"

"Mack!... seriously?" said Meghan

"What's that darlin?... I'm sorry, I wasn't listening" said Mack

"How is it that you don't get the concept of comfy pajamas, a bowl of popcorn & a movie on a cold Winter night?" said Meghan

"Oh... I just don't see the appeal of it" said Mack "I'd rather be outside having late night snowball fights, then coming inside for a cup of hot peppermint cocoa & sit in front of the fireplace"

"Been there, done that, got the trademark on the t-shirt" I said "ya gotta change it up Pooh bear or one day you'll end up with frost-bite in places it shouldn't be, or worse yet, end up with hypothermia and have to be hospitalized"

"She's right Mack" said Becca "I'm all for having fun outside in the Winter time, but sometimes ya just gotta stay inside with a movie & popcorn and just veg-out.. know what I mean?"

"Yes darlin, I get what you mean" said Mack "that's what bubble baths are for"

"You're hopeless Pooh bear" I said "I give up... Meghan & I are just going to have our Winter movie nights without you... and now that I have my movies, its going to be Christmas movies every Friday night from Thanksgiving till Christmas"

"Aw come on care bear" said Mack "you know 'Miracle on 34th Street' is my favorite Christmas movie"

"Then get with the program Pooh bear" I said "comfy pajamas, popcorn & a movie... no snowball fights, no peppermint hot cocoa and no bubble baths... got it?"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack

"Damn" said Matt "She sounds like Becca"

"Yeah" said Louis "just don't piss her off tho or you may never have kids again"

"Keep it up motormouth and I'll have Sarah hit your ass with perfume bombs again" I said "this time with food coloring in them and dye your ass purple"

"Bring it" said Louis "little girl"

"Oh.. its on" I said and stood up "you may want to go change... boobear"

"DON'T call me boobear" said Louis

"DON'T call me little girl" I said and went in the house

MARCUS'S POV

"Lou, you're a dead man" I said "either go change or get in there and apologize bc Mary isn't here to break you two up this time" as a paint splatter hit his butt "oh shit.. Lou run!"

"What in the Hell?" said Louis as two more hit his legs

"LOUIS, GOD DAMN IT.. RUN!!" I yelled "IN THE HOUSE.. NOW!!"

"Holy shit" said Davis as Louis ran in the house "What was that?"

"Jessie hit Louis with paintballs from Liam & Zayn's room" I said "She HATES being called 'little girl' "

"Sweet Jesus" said Matt "Jessie has a paintball gun?"

"She has two" said Jimmy "They were William & Catherine's" we heard the trampoline

"What is she doing?" asked Charlie as Jessie bounced, grabbed a tree branch and climbed over to the shed roof "How did she do that?"

"She does that sometimes" I said and as Louis came out of the house, Jessie hit him with water balloons & paintballs, then jumped onto the trampoline and down to the ground & ran for the house as Louis came back over "Are you going to apologize? or wait for round 3 bc newsflash... she's winning Dude... Jessie-2... Louis-0"

"What in the Hell is going on?" said Pamela as she came out of the house "And why is Jessie talking about you as if you killed here dog?"

"Louis called Jessie 'little girl' " I said 

"Get your ass in there and apologize Louis" said Pamela as a flour bomb hit Louis in the face "JESSICA RENEE FOSTER-AIMSWORTH-HORN, THAT WILL BE ENOUGH.. GET DOWN HERE... NOW!!"

"NOT UNTILL HE APOLOGIZES" yelled Jessie 

"Lou... apologize" said Pamela

"Nope" said Louis as a paintball hit him in the chest "OW!! OKAY, OKAY, I'M SORRY I CALLED YOU 'LITTLE GIRL'.... JUST STOP JESSIE" Jessie slid down the roof and landed on the patio

"DON'T do it again or I wont stop next time" said Jessie "Sorry I called you boobear"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis "Yeah, okay" and held out his hand "Truce?"

"Yeah okay" said Jessie and shook his hand "till Sunday anyway"

"Till Sunday" said Louis 

"You may want to go shower" said Jessie as Louis started scratching all over "there was itching powder in that balloon"

"Jessie" said Pamela

"I had to use something, we ran out of flour" said Jessie

"Oh.. you're gonna die on Sunday" said Louis as he went back to the house scratching

"NOT IF YOU DIE FIRST" said Jessie and sat down

"Do you feel better now?" I asked

"Yes I do" said Jessie "I've been wanting to do that for a week" and took a drink of cider "it should've been you that got hit bc of those 2 black eyes I got from your damn boobytraps"

"Are you sure she wasn't raised by Rambo?" said Garrett

"Yes.. I'm sure" said Pamela "Jessie just hate being called names, is all"

"I HATE that name" said Jessie "Dad used to call me that.. among other names, I wont mention... and Louis knows it too"

"I know baby" said Pamela "just breathe'

"Breathing ain't gonna work this time Momma" said Jessie amd hopped the fence into the field, walked away for a bit then sat down in the grass

"Pamela, she needs to be alone" I said "She'll be alright, I promise... She realizes that she went too far this time"

"Okay" said Pamela and sat down

"Sweet Jesus" said Matt "Poor kid... He sure did a number on her.. didn't he?"

"Yeah he did" said Jimmy "but this is the first time she's gone that far... the last time something like this happened, or close to it, William got her to calm down before she was able to unleash on David" as Louis came back out

"Where's Jessie?" asked Louis

"She's over in the field... giving herself a 'come to Jesus' talk" I said

"Aw crap" said Louis and hopped the fence, walked up to Jessie, sat down nex to her, then scooped her onto his lap and gently rocked her

"What started all of this?" asked Pamela

"I'm not quite sure" I said "We were talking and then she called him 'motormouth', he called her 'little girl', then she called him 'boorbear' and then World War III broke out...   
Jessie-4... Louis-0... final score"

"Oh God... okay" said Pamela "Dad's friend Billy used to call Lou motormouth, that's partly why they didn't get along... boobear is what Lou's first girlfriend called him.. he hated it, but when it your first relationship, you let certain things slide" and took a drink "that's also the first time Louis beat the crap out of Billy, bc he had attcked his girlfriend"

"Damn" said Davis & I as Louis & Jessie came back and hopped the frnce

"Sorry Momma... sorry everyone" said Jessie as they sat down

"That's alright baby" said Pamela "No more War Games... understood?"

"Yes ma'am" said Jessie "I'll replace those jeans Louis, just let me know what size they are"

"That's okay munchkin... all I own is blue jeans" said Louis "I've got 40 pairs at home"

"Are you sure?" said Jessie

"I'm sure" said Louis "When you work construction, jeans become a necessity"

"Okay... if you change your mind, let me know" said Jessie

"I will.. promise" said Louis

"I'll say this" said Matt "you've got skills young lady"

"Yeah no kidding" said Bo "If you ever come to Virginia, let me know bc you're on my team for paintball"

"No way Dude" said Kyle "She's on my team"

Jessie laughed "IF, I ever do, we'll toss a coin" said Jessie "bc MY team will destroy all y'all"

"Your team?" said Matt

"Yep" said Jessie "Me, Momma & Sarah... my team"

"Oooo can we do that one thing?" asked Sarah

"That one thing?" said Jessie

"You know... that THING?.. the one that made Jimmy almost pee his pants?" said Sarah

"Oh.. that THING" said Jessie "I don't know... you'll have to aske the Captain cuz I just got demoted in rank"

"Dang" said Sarah "Captain.. you remember that thing we did last Monday?"

"Yes.. What about it?" asked Pamela

"Can we show the General?" asked Sarah "And can Jessie have her rank back?... please?"

Pamela chuckled "Sure we can... on Sunday" said Pamela "and yes, Jessie can have her rank back"

"Dang it" said Sarah "at least you got your rank back Admiral"

"Yeah" chuckled Jessie "lets go get our sling shots and shoot some acorns"

"YAY!!" said Sarah as they went in the house, then came out with their sling shots and a bag of paintballs

"Go easy with those girls" said Pamela as Jessie helped Sarah over the fence and then hopped it

"Yes ma'am" they said as they ran off a ways

"Those two are a trip" chuckled Becca

"Two peas in a pod" said Kyle "just like you & PJ"

"Yeah, but those two were sisters at one time" I said "About what Andrew?.. Twenty-five years ago?"

"Thirty" said Andrew "Remember?... Sarah was the older sister"

"I remember... back in Russia" I said 

"Yeah" said Andrew

"They were actual sisters?" said Matt

"Yeah... Natalia & Svetlana Romanskovich" said Andrew

"Whoa, tht's cool" said Matt "and now they're friemds"

"Yes they are" said Pamela "this time around is hard for them bc they're in Love... parts of them are very adult and the other part is still 6 & 10 years old"

"Interesting" said Garrett "they seem to be handling it pretty well"

"Sarah is, but Jessie, not so much" said Pamela "She's havinf a more difficult time separating memories from the present"

"I see" said Garrett "so what she's remembering, she thinks actually happened.. right?"

"Yeah... its hard to explain without going into detail" said Pamela "We've explained it to her, and she understands what we're saying, but then she forgets till it happens again... its like her short-term memory has a short in the wiring"

"That's bc her brain is trying to rewire itself to get past the sink hole where the bad memories were" said Andrew "next time that happens, call me, bc I may have to put those memories back... KI don't want to, but I wont know till I can see where the problem is"

"Okay" said Pamela

"Wait... you took Jessie's bad memories?" said Becca

"Yes... she asked me to" said Andrew "they were causing her to have anger issues and severe panic attacks"

"Sweet Jesus... What happened to her PJ?" asked Becca

"David.. hurt her... repeatedly" said Pamela "Physically & emotionally to the point that she needs surgery if she ever wants to have children"

"Oh dear God" said Becca and crossed herself

""Are you serious?" said Simon "Jimmy... Did you know?"

"Shit" said Jimmy "Yeah, I knew... Jessie told me 2 weeks ago"

"And what?" said Simon "You lost my number?"

"No.. at the time that she told me, I was in Lawyer mode" said Jimmy "and as her lawyer, its my job to keep whatever she tells me confidential or I would've told you"

"So she told you not to tell me?" said Simon

"Yes" said Jimmy "she said it would kill you if you knew" as tears filled Simon's eyes

"You still should have told me Jimmy" said Simon softly "My poor baby"

"Simon" said Mack "Don't pity her, you know how she feels about that... just be there for her, listen when she wants to talk and give her a shoulder to cry on... that's all you can do"

"Yeah.. I know" said Simon and wiped his eyes "wait... Did Catherine know about this?... James Morris Burke, you tell me... Did Catherine know what David did to Jessie?"

"Not at first... Maggie suspected and told her bc Jessie was terrified" said Jimmy "that's why they tried to get Catherine & Jessie to Vancouver when the accident happened... Edgar & I couldn't do anything to get Jessie away from David without becoming targets, believe me we tried for 2 years and then I got the call that David was dead"

"Had I been able to find Jessie" I said "I would've punched David's ticket a long time ago... without being ordered to do so... trust me"

"HEY MOMMA... CHECK IT OUT" yelled Jessie "RAINBOW COLORED ACORNS!!"

"Okay you two, that's enough" chuckled :Pamela "If you keep doing that, the squirrels will starve"

"Okay Momma" said Jessie as they came back over the fence "Are you pokay Simon?"

"He knows Doodlebug" said Jimmy "I'm sorry"

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Simon

"Bc there was nothing you could do about it" said Jessie "all you would've done is feel sorry for me, gotten angry & drunk... I can do that on my own.. its not like I haven't gotten shit-faced before and I sure as Hell don't need or want your fucking pity... I'm here, he's not so get off the cross, build a bridge and get over it Simon"

"So what?... I'm supposed to forget what he did to you?" said Simon

"Yes Simon" said Jessie "This is why I didn't want you to know bc you have to talk everything to death... I don't need this shit, I NEED to get past it" and took a drink "its over so don't say another word Simon" and took another drink "I mean it... say something else and see what'll happen"

"Do it" said Simon "if it'll make you feel better, then do it" as Jessie set her drink down "I'm waiting Jessica"

"You're serious" said Jessie 

"As serious as a Heart Attack on Valentine's Day" said Simon "Do it"

"No" said Jessie

"I.. said.. Do it" said Simon

"No" said Jessie... Simon smacked her and Niall stood up

"Niall... wait, just wait" said Mack and held Ni "Trust me.. Simon knows what he's doing"

"Do it... come on, hit me" said Simon and smacked her again... that did it, Jessie went off

"YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH.. I'LL KILL YOU" yelled Jessie and started punching & beating Simon

"That's it darlin" said Simon "let it out and don't hold back"

"I FUCKING HATE YOU" yelled Jessie as she continued punching Simon

"What else?... Come on, tell me how much you hate me" said Simon "How much do you want to hurt me... tell me Jessica" and suddenle she stopped and started crying in his arms "let it out NeeNee, just let it all go"

"I hate him" cried Jessie "He took everything from me"

"I know NeeNee" said Simon "so what are you going to do to get it back"

"I don't know" cried Jessie

"Yes you do... its on your list" said Simon "#132.... What are you going to do NeeNee" Jessie stopped crying

"#1632?" said Jessie and pulled out her phone "Oh my God" and looked at Simon

"Do it" said Simon softly "You'll never know if you don't"

"But its not possible" said Jessie

"Why?" asked Simon

"He was cremated" said Jessie "There's no blood left to test"

"Yes there is" said Steven "at the morgue"

"What?" said Jessie in shock

"When an accident results in a fatality and the driver is at fault" said Steven "the Medical Examiner has to draw blood for a tox panel during the autopsy, before cremation... David's blood is at the morgue"

"So... I can find out if he even was my Dad?" saidJessie

"Yeah... I'll make the call, if you want me to" said Steven

"Yes please" said Jessie

"Okay" said Steven and pulled out his phone

"City Morgue... Jack speaking"

STEVEN: Jack, its Steven

JACK: Hey.. How's the job going Chief?

STEVEN: Its going... Hey, you still have that blood sample from David Aimsworth?.. two weeks ago, car accident, his fault?

JACK: Let me see *typing* yep, I still got it... why?

STEVEN: I need a DNA test done on it with the vic's daughter as a comparison... You think you could do that for her?

JACK: Sure, no problem... When do you want to do it? bc I was just locking up for the night

STEVEN: When are you available?

JACK: I can do it in the morning, all I need is a cheek swab from her and I can have the results by noon

STEVEN: Sounds great... You're a rock God Jack

JACK: *chuckling* Tell my wife that bc I'm in the doghouse for forgetting her birthday... again

STEVEN: You're on your own there Jack... you could always make her dinner

JACK: I tried that.. didn't work

Jessie closed her eyes, then opened them and walked over to Steven and whispered in his ear.. Steven nodded

STEVEN: Okay, Jack this is what you need to do... write this down

JACK: Um... okay, go Chief

STEVEN: Go to the Manchester Hotel and ask for Mr. Thompson... tell him you want to book the penthouse bridal suite for next weekend, that's Friday thru Sunday, and that you want the works... tell him Jessie Horan said to 'make it over the top special'... you got it?

JACK: *low whistle* you sure about this Chief?

STEVEN: Yep.. it guaranteed to get you out of the doghouse

JACK: *sigh* Okay... I take it that this is who I'm running the test for?

STEVEN: Yep.. She's the Godmother to Hannah & I's babies

JACK: Ahh so she's family

STEVEN: Yeah she is

JACK: You got it Chief.. tell her I said Thank you and I'll let you know if it worked

STEVEN: Okay Jack... I'll see you in the morning with that sample

JACK: Okay, see you then

and hung up "You're all set Jessie, we just need a cheek swab" said Steven as Liam came out of the house and walked over to Jessie

"Open up princess" said Liam as Jessie opened her mouth and used a big Q-tip and rubbed the inside of her cheeks and put it in a plastic tube and gave it to Steven "Here you go Chief"

"Thanks Liam" said Steven

"Do you have another one of those Liam?" asked Simon

"Yeah... why?" asked Liam

"Run mine against hers too" said Simon

"Are you sure?" asked Jessie

"I'm sure Jessie" said Simon "I need to know" and looked at Ni & Pamela "You're still her parents, I just need to know for sure"

"Okay" said Pamela as Liam came out with another swab

"Open up Simon" said Liam and rubbed the inside of his cheeks and put it in a plastic tune "I'm putting Simon's name on this one" and then gave it to Steven

"Thanks" said Steven "As soon as I know, I'll text you Jessie"

"Okay" said Jessie and looked at Simon "relax old man.. I know if you were, Mom would have told you"

"No she wouldn't NeeNee" said Simon "I may not like it or understand why she wouldn't, but trust me, unless it was life or death, ALL of Catherine's personal secrets went with her... She never kept a journal or confided in anyone about anything... ever"

"Yes she did" said Jessie and pulled out her phone "What's Jeffrey's number?" as Simon told her, Jessie called him on speaker

JEFF: Yo!.. your dime, my time, you got 10 seconds to speak your peace before I hang up...10

JESSIE: You hang up on me and I'll unleash a long distance can of whup-ass on you Jeffrey Lucas Dalton

JEFF: NeeNee?

JESSIE: Yeah, its me

JEFF: Oh Thank God... sorry carebear, I've been getting some fucked up phone calls this week... What do you need honey?

JESSIE: Ahh okay... I got a big time game of scavenger hunt for ya.. you busy?

JEFF: Nope.. just doing paperwork, as usual... What's the objective?

JESSIE: Find Gammie's Journals

JEFF: That's not good... How many journals are there?

JESSIE: 1 per month from August 1984, when Mom was in England up till the accident

JEFF: You're joking... right?

JESSIE: No, I'm not joking... why?

JEFF: NeeNee, I found a shit ton of them in your bedroom closet when I was boxing up the clothes from you, Catherine & Maggie's closets last Monday

JESSIE: Are they still there?

JEFF: Hell yeah.. I wasn't crazy enough to wade thru that crap without your permission... I may be a bit nutso at times, but I'm not 'mental ward' crazy ya know

JESSIE: And you left them there?... untouched?

JEFF: Yepper-do baby

JESSIE: Damn... How did that feel?

JEFF: Awful... it made me jumpy for 2 days

JESSIE: Well you can relax now babydoll... Go to Gammie & Pappie's and call me when you get there and KI'll give you the code for the alarm.. Okay?

JEFF: Okay... Is this your number?

JESSIE: Yeah... so put your paperwork back where it goes and put your gloves on Jeffrey bc we got some deep crap to uncover.. Okay?

JEFF: Uh-oh... How deep?

JESSIE: I cant say till we start looking

JEFF: Does this involve your Mom & Simon?

JESSIE: Jeffrey... Did you read some of them already?

JEFF: Mmm maybe?

JESSIE: Jeffrey?

JEFF: Yes.. I read one and I really wish I hadn't bc I had to get drunk just to go to sleep that night... There's some things about William & Maggie, that not even God should know

JESSIE: Dayum.. well we can skip over those pages babydoll.. they aren't relevant to what we're looking for, okay?

JEFF: Yes ma'am... I'm leaving now and should be there in 15.. give or take, but I'll call ya care bear

JESSIE: Okay... Drive safew please

JEFF: Yes ma'am

and hung up "What do you think we'll find?"asked Simon

"Answers we both need" said Jessie "the test will either confirm them or lead to more secrets... You with me on this?"

"Till one of us says 'enough' " said Simon "You think you can handle what we find out without having a meltdown again?"

"Yeah, I can handle it" said Jessie "lets sit down.. its going to be a bit before Jeff calls"

"Yeah okay" said Simon as they took a seat


	135. Chapter 135

Chapter 135

MARCUS'S POV (Continued)

"Did I hurt yopu?" asked Jessie

"Nah.. I'm good darlin" said Simon "Sorry about that Ni.. everyone"

"Next time, warn me first" said Ni "Are you okay poppet?"

"I'm fine Papa" said Jessie "Sorry for swearing again Papa"

"Simon, why did you do that?" asked Pamela

"Bc Jessie needed to get out of her head" said Simon "When Jessie gets 'mentally stuck', she gets this kind of weird look on her face, like she's not quite in the present... its like she's in between 2 planes of existence, so I hit her reset button.... as I said before, Jessie's brain isn't wired like everyone else's"

"Yeah okay.. I'm with Ni on this one" said Pamela "warn us next time"

"Yes ma'am" said Simon as Jessie's phone rang

JESSIE: Okay Jeff.. you ready?

JEFF: hit me care bear

JESSIE: 621-435-824-111 and hit 'disarm'

JEFF: Okay, I'm heading up... Okay, the first one says August 1984... what date in particular am I looking for?

SIMON: March 17th, 2000... just before Catherine & David got married

JEFF: Damn Simon... you remember the date?

SIMON: Just look for it Jeff and don't ask questions till you find it, please

JEFF: Okay Si, sorry... Man, Maggie sure liked to write, didn't she?... Okay, I found it... MARCH 17- Today Cathy & the boys are going to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Boston. Its nice to see her getting out for a while, she's been so quiet lately. I know something is wrong, but she wont talk to me... Maybe she'll talk to Simon.... MARCH 18th - Cathy finally broke down and told me she's pregnant, but wont say who the Father is. I pray its not David, there's something about him I don't like and William wont listen to me. I'm going to go to confession and pray that my suspicions are correct.

JESSIE: So Gammie knew David was a rotten egg... I wonder why Pappie wouldn't listen to her?

JIMMY: Bc when it came to Catherine, William had a bad case of 'tunnel vision',,, William was fuious when Catherine told him.. If she had said Simon was your father, William would've killed him, figuratively speaking.. but David would've killed Simon, literally

JESSIE: But that doesn't explain why Pappie didn't listen to Gammie... I watched them all the time and Pappie ALWAYS listened to Gammie... So why was this time different?

JEFF: Um guys?... um... I've been reading while y'all were talking and it seems... oh boy

JESSIE: What?

JEFF: David was blackmailing William

JIMMY: Seriously?... with what?

JEFF: Photos.. of Catherine.. I'm looking right at them.... I'm guessing Maggie found them or he was blackmailing both of them bc they were in her journal... damn Simon

SIMON: Well that explains whyu Catherine stopped talking to me and why she didn't tell me she was pregnant till after they got married

JEFF: There's a letter

JESSIE: Read it

JEFF: Dear Jessica, If you're reading this, then the shit rolled downhill and took us with it. I am so sorry that I didn't protect you as I should have and no explanation I can give will make things better. Please forgive me for allowing David into our family. Your Mother & Grandmother were my whole world.. and then you came into my life, and I tried to keep you safe. Though our time was short, you were my ray of sunshine when I was burdened by pain & sorrow. Tell Simon that I am so sorry that I kept him from his daughter.... This is my last will & Testiment, I, William Davis Foster, leave everything to Jessica, the last surviving member of this household... To my beautiful niece Mary Williams, I leave the house in Savannah and the inheritance that Gwen gave up... On my computer is a document under Jessie's username, that details the estate that Gwen walked away from.. Find the document and tell Mary that she can find it hidden in the floorboards ups in the Attic... Jessica knows the secret code to get up there.... DUDE, its notarized by Edgar, dated January 1st, 2009

JESSIE: Holy shit... Jimmy call Tessa and tel her to pull the house off the market

JIMMY: I am Doodlebug

JESSIE: Jeff, go to Pappie's study and find the document

JEFF: Yes ma'am... which way do I go?

JESSIE: Go back to the staircase, go straight ahead to the last hallway and turn right, its the first door on the left

JEFF: Found it

JESSIE: Turn on the computer

JEFF: Username... hit me

JESSIE: wh1st13_d1x13

JEFF: Password?

JESSIE: all caps... JRFA01012001 and go to the documents

JEFF: I'm in... damn, there's a lot of documents... which one am I looking for?

JESSIE: Read them off, I'll know it when I hear it

JEFF: Hide & Seek... Bubba... Cherry Blossom...

JESSIE: That's it.. click 'Cherry Blossom'

JEFF: Okay... bingo-bango... it reads like a history book... wait, here's something, it says that Gwen's half of the estate was held in trust till December 2008, at which time it was renamed to Mary Williams and the trust was moved to an account in England to be made available... on her Wedding day

JESSIE: Does it say how much is in the trust?

JEFF: Um yeah... Fort fucking Knox baby... $8.5 Billion

JESSIE: *crossed herself* Holy Christ-almighty... Who was in charge of the trust up until 2008?

JEFF: It doesn't say, but I'll bet Edgar knows

SIMON: I'll call him

JESSIE: Okay Jeffrey... right click on the document and hit 'copy', go to your email, right click and hit 'paste' and send it to me

JEFF: Okay... What's your email address?

JESSIE: all lower case... hurricane_jessie@gmail.com... subject - cheery blossom

JEFF: Its sent *doorbell*

JESSIE: I got it... Now you're gonna go on a treaure hunt babydoll, so get a duffle bag out of the study closet

JEFF: Oh this is gonna bed fun.... Where do I start?

JESSIE: *closed her eyes* Go to the Kitchen and grab the crowbar from the storage pantry

JEFF: Okay... crowbar, crowbar... I don't see it

JESSIE: Tippy-top shelf on the wall behind the door

JEFF: Damn.. think its up high enough?... got it

JESSIE: Go back to the stairs, go up the right-hand staircase, you see that door at the end of the hall with the electronic keypad?

JEFF: Yeah

JESSIE: It needs a 13-digit code... here we go 45-22-16-99-18-11-4 *Welcome home Jessica*

JEFF: Whoa, that's creepy... Holy shit... How in the Hell am I gonna find it? This attic is huge

JESSIE: Turn on tghe light switch to the right of the stairs

JEFF: Oh okay, that's better

JESSIE: You see that burned out light bulb by the crescent-shaped window?

JEFF: Yeah

JESSIE: That's my window that looks out over the garden, walk over to it and stand with the window at your back... What do you see?

JEFF: Oh wow... there's 4 portraits up here... Maggie, Catherine, and 2 Women I don't recognize.. all in Wedding dresses

JESSIE: You want the one of the young girl, blond, green eyes, that's Gwen... go over to that area and find the creeky floorboard, it should be just about dead-center of the cedar hope chest

JEFF: Damn, you're good

JESSIE: I should be, I played dress-up & hid from Mr. Aimsworth all the time up there

JEFF: Ah okay... Hey, I found it

JESSIE: Use the crowbar and pry it up

JEFF: Okay.. wow, that came up easy... Ho-ly shit

JESSIE: What's in there?

JEFF: The deed to the house... purchase receipts for 75 acres, all in the name of Mary Williams... There's a letter... Dear Mary, This house has been in our family since 1732. I repurchased the 75 acres that had been sold over the years. Now, I realize that you have a life in England, and if you choose to sell the house & property, please do so, If not, then I hope you are as happy here as we were. Love always, your Uncle, William D. Foster... There's also stock options... 10 red velvet boxes, I'm guessing its jewelry... a dress box... photo albums... about 15 blue satin purses... 4 pairs of baby shoes... 4 christening gowns... its like a time capsule in here

JESSIE: Oaky, put it all in the duffle bag and send it to Mary, express delivery, next-day shipping

JEFF: Yes ma'am, I'm heading back to the study... what's the address?

JESSIE: Mrs. Mary Styles.. S-T-Y-L--E-S... 4132 Apple Grove Lane, Holmes Chapel England

JEFF: Got it.. I'll sernd it out as soon as I leave here, its almost 2pm, so it should get there by 2 tomorrow afternoon

JESSIE: Perfect... Thanks babydoll, don't forget to reset the alarm

JEFF: Yep.. 621-435-824-111 'arm' and lock the deadbolt... all done... talk to you soon carebear

JESSIE: Absolutely babydoll... Have a good day 

and hung up as Jessie opened her eyes "Are you okay baby?" asked Pamela

"Yeah, I'm okay Momma" said Jessie "Man, Izzie's gonna flip when she hears all of this"

"I cant believe William left her the house" said Beth

"I can" said Jessie "Had Gwen not given up her birthright, the house would've gone to her as the oldest child when Grandma Rosalind died, but she did, so it then went to Pappie... It seems he did right by Izzie and left her the house and Gwen's inheritance"

"Do you still want Jack to run the DNA test?" asked Steven

"Yeah" said Jessie "I want confirmation"

"You got it Jess" said Steven "Are you okay Simon?"

"Yeah, I'm still trying to process everything" said Simon "I'm not mad at William, just a bit confused & a little stunned"

"Confused about what?" asked Steven

"If Catherine never told Maggie I was Jessie's father, How did William figure it out?" said Simon "And how in the Hell did David get photos of us?" as Roger's phone rang

"Its Davies" said Roger and put it on speaker

DAVIES: Roger my boy, how the Hell are ya laddie?

ROGER: Hey Davies, I'm good... You?

DAVIES: Not too shabby... I got yer message.. How can I help?

ROGER: Well, you could tell me what Catherine Walker did when she worked there

DAVIES: Is this line secure?

ROGER: Yeah.. go ahead

DAVIES: Catherine was an Intel Analyst and did a couple of undercover assignments.. Why do you ask?

ROGER: Bc her daughter was going thru her papers and found one of your files... unredacted

DAVIES: On who?

ROGER: David O'Malley

DAVIES: Aw Jesus Christ... She was ordered to let that go

ROGER: Well, obviously she didn't, so why don't you fill me in bc I'm looking at a ton of Intel she gathered on him

DAVIES: David O'Malley was her first assignment. Her cover name was Catie Foster and she was a money launderer for the Irish Mob in Boston. We had an informant pose as one of her associates and she was to get the bank records & get in close with to the IRA to find out where they were getting their money & guns from... She was undercover for 18 months, when she had everything, we faked her death and pulled her out

ROGER: What happened with O'Malley after that?

DAVIES: We heard thru the grapevine that he had died in an explosion, but Catherine said that he wasn't dead bc he WAS the explosives expert and wouldn't let it go, so we moved her out of Intel and into field work 6 months later to keep her away from his file, then she went undercover and stayed there till she left the Agency in 1998

ROGER: What was the assignment?

DAVIES: Classified... and way above my pay grade laddie... Are ya back home?

ROGER: No, I'm in England with my family helping Catherine's daughter make sense of all of this... Are you ready for a bombshell?

DAVIES: Is anyone ever ready?... Lay it on me laddie

ROGER: Catherine married David O'Malley

DAVIES: Are you bloody serious?... When?

ROGER: June 2000... He went by David Aimsworth at the time

DAVIES: Oh dear God, she was right.. :Poor Catie... wait.. you said that her daughter was going thru her papers?... Catie's dead?

JESSIE: Yes sir.. 2 years ago, along with my Grandparents in a car accident... David killed them

DAVIES: What's your name lassie?

JESSIE: Jessica Renee Foster-Aimsworth-Horan... you can all me Jessie

DAVIES: I'm so sorry for your loss Jessie, truly... Your Mother was a fine woman and smart as a whip... How long are ya in England for laddie?

ROGER: Till Ms. Jessie as all of her answers... probably a month or two... why?

DAVIES: Would ya like some help? I owe Catie for not listening to her, and I taught her everything, so I know all of her hidie holes

ROGER: That would be great, Thank you Davies... I'm in Holmes Chapel, so call me when you get here

DAVIES: Aye, I will... Take care of yer family and I'll see ya in a few days

ROGER: See ya soon

and hung up "Her seems really nice" said Jessie "and his accent is really thick too"

"Davies is Scottish" said Roger "We met a few years ago and became instant friends"

"We better head home darlin" said Steven "its almost 11 and I want to see the babies before they go to bed"

"Okay" said Hannah and hugged Jessie "be patient sweetie, the answers will come and good luck tomorrow"

"Okay... Thanks for coming" said Jessie and kissed her cheek "give the babies a kiss for me"

"I will" said Hannah as Jessie hugged Steven

"Go easy on Simon kiddo" whispered Steven and kissed Jessie's hair

"I will" said Jessie

"I'll walk you out" I said as wewent in the house

JIMMY'S POV

"May I have this dance... Dad" said Jessie and held out her hand

"I'd love to darlin" said Simon as they went to the gazebo and danced

"So when do you think He'll call your Momma and tell her she has a granddaughter?" asked Mack

"When he knows for sure" I said "Man.. Momma's gonna blow a gasket... $80 bucks says she's here by Wednesday"

"A $100 says she & Dad move here" said Mack

"You're on" I said as we shook hands

"I've never seen Simon so happy, yet so sad" said Mack "Is he gonna be alright?"

"He'll be fine Pooh bear" I said "just give him a few days"

"Holy shit... PJ, do you know what this means?" said Becca

"What, what means?" asked Pamela

"Mom & Haz are set for life" said Becca "Now they can train therapy dogs, like Mom was talking about yesterday"

"Oh gosh" said Pamela "Jessie's right... Mom's gonna flip"

"Or pass out from shock" said Louis "I'm guessing Option 2, only bc she hasn't passed out since the day you were born and saw that you had the same color eyes as Grandma Mary"

"Well I'm off the hook" I said "Bc when Momma tells Edgar, he's gonna shoot Simon, then Aunt Angie is gonna shoot Edgar"

"Oh shut up Jimmy" chuckled Simon "No one's gonna get shot, they'll all be passed out from shock... it wont be the first time and it definitely wont be the last... trust me" as Jessie went in the house, then came out and went to our house, then came back out and sat down

"Jessica... What did you do?" asked Mack

"Nothing... I just had something I've been wanting to give Simon" said Jessie "Relax Pooh bear"

"Mhm" said Mack "You're up to something... I can smell the smoke from the gears spinning in your head"

"Oh whatever Pooh bear" said Jessie and rolled her eyes "I'm too happy right now to argue.. believe me or don't, I don't care, I just got to dance with my real Dad and I'm in total bliss"

"Okay care bear" said Mack and smiled "I'll let it go"

"Thank you" said Jessie and laid her head on Marcus's shoulder "For the first time since I got here, I feel like I'm Home... I have a family I Love, loving parents, I found my real Dad, I'm engaged and I'm FINALLY getting answers... Now the secrets don't seem so bad"

"She does seem more relaxed" said Maura

"And I feel like playing" said Jessie as she started to get up

"Sit down Jessie.. We got this" said Damian and they disappeared

"What did that mean?" asked Jessie

"I don't know baby" said Pamela


	136. Chapter 136

Chapter 136

JIMMY'S POV (Continued)

"Um, guys?" said Charlie and pointed as the guys reappeared in the yard with the piano "Holy shit"

"Jessie... the night is yours" said Damian and led her to the bench

"Oh wow... How?" said Jessie

"Ah, Ah, Ah.. don't ask, just play" said Damian

As Jessie sat down, she popped her knuckles and neck, as the CD player stopped. She played every song in her head, the songs for the music festival and took requests. She played the songs she knew and put the ones she didn't in her phone to look up later... Sarah & Jessie even played 'Chopsticks', It was the perfect ending to an absolutely perfect day.  
After everyone left, the guys put the piano back in the house and went home. Becca & Charlie stayed along with Beth and the patio was put back inplace as we sat and visited before bed.

"You were amazing Jessie" said Becca "Have you thought about learning to read music?"

"I tried once, but the notes didn't make sense" said Jessie "So I went back to listening to the music... its easier for me to learn the songs that way"

"Ah, okay" said Becca "So Simon.. now that you & Beth are together, and Jessie's here, are you going to relocate here permanently?"

"Yeah, I am" said Simon "With my job, I can work any where, it doesn't matter"

"That's great" said Becca

"I just need to find a place for Beth & I first" said Simon "then we can start making plans for the future"

"When's the Wedding gonna be?" asked Louis

"More like, WHERE will it be?" said Mack with a chuckle

"Who knows" said Beth "When we know, you'll know.. Don't rush us.. We haven't eben been together 24 hours Louis"

"We're just happy for ya darlin" said Mack "take your time Beth"

"Thank you Mack" said Beth

"Jessie, can you take my hair down please" said Sarah

"Sure petal" said Jessie as Sarah sat on her lap and started removing thr bobby pins, bows & hair tied "There you go, all done"

"Thanks jellybean" said Sarah and rubbed her head "Oh God, that feels better... there was a bobby pin that was starting to bug me"

"You should've said something" said Jessie "I would've fixed it"

"I told Mom and she fixed it, but then it started bugging me again" said Sarah

"Oh okay... Tomorrow we're wearing our hair down, so it wont bother you" said Jessie

"Oh good" said Sarah "I'm gonna go get ready for bed"

"Okay" said Jessie as Sarah went inside "Man, is she nervous... Are you ready for tomorrow Papa?"

"Yep, and I've got Sarah & Mary's songs down cold" said Ni "We'll do a vocal run thru to work out the nerves in the morning"

"Are you ready Pooh bear?" asked Jessie

"Nope, but I will be... after I throw up" said Mack

"Seriously?" said Ni

"Ni, I haven't sung on stage in 14 years" said Mack "I'm scared shitless"

"You'll be fine Pooh bear" said Jessie "just relax"

"Yes I will be.. after I throw up" said Mack "If it doesn't stop, then we can panic"

"You keep thinking like that and you'll make yourself so sick, you'll end up in the hospital" said Jessie "so stop it Mack"

"I'm trying" said Mack "I've been trying since yesterday" and held out his hands "they haven't quit shaking since it started yesterday afternoon" and put his hands down "I tried going to my calm place, that didn't work... I tried a bubble bath, nope... I tried drawing, zilch... I tried watching a movie, no dice... so now, I either get shit-faced or throw up... option 2 please"

"When was the last time you had your back popped?" asked Jessie

"William did it 2 weeks before the accident" said Mack

"There's your problem" said Jessie "move it mister.. in the grass on your stomach and I'll pop & align your back"

"Oh God... Yes ma'am" said Mack and did as he was told

Jessie straddled Mack's butt "Now inhale on 1... hold it on 2... and exhale on 3" said Jessie "Got it?"

"Yep, got it" said Mack

"Here we go, just relax Mack, I got this" said Jessie "1.. 2- pop, pop, pop.. 3, again... 1... 2- pop, pop, pop, pop... 3, three more times... 1... 2- pop, pop, pop... 3... 1... 2- pop, pop, pop... 3, last one... 1... 2- POP...3... How's it feel?"

"Oh God... almost there" said Mack

"Okay... Momma can you come hold my hands please" said Jessie

"Sure baby" said Pamela as Jessie took off her shoes and stood over Mack's hips

"Okay Mack, I'm gonna dig out your muscles" said Jessie "If I use too much pressure or not enough, let me know and don't move or you'll hurt us both"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack as Jessie stood on his back and started digging her heels and toes into his muscles "Ow, Ow.. right there, not so hard... that's it"

"You've got a lump there Mack" said Jessie "How did you get it?"

"I lost my balance and hit the bedroom doorknob when Jeff & I were packing up the condo" said Mack as she lifted his shirt

"Sweet Jesus Mack, its black & blue" said Jessie "Why didn't you say something?"

"It didn't hurt till you stepped on it" said Mack

"Fine, but you better say something if it keeps hurting" said Jessie "You could've bruised your kidney"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack

"Roll over and hug your chest so I can align your spine" said Jessie "don't move and breathe normally"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack as Jessie cradled his head and braced her feet on his shoulders

"Here we go" said Jessie and pulled "Uh-oh, that didn't sound good... Mack, I'm gonna gently lay your head down and we're gonna do a body check, okay?"

"Okay" said Mack as she laid his head down and then stood over him

"Now when I said a word, I want you to move that body part.. Okay?" said Jessie

"Yep" said Mack

JESSIE: Head, side to side and nod gently - okay good... shoulders - good... arms & fingers - good... gently lift you hips off the ground - good... lift & bend each leg - good... wiggle you toes - very good

"Oh Thank God" said Mack and slowly sat up "Hey, my neck doesn't hurt any more" and rubbed the back of his neck "huh that bump is gone too.... I think the alignment is what I needed most"

"Your hands aren't shaking any more" said Jessie as Mack stood up "Maybe what you thought were nerves was just physical stress from not having your back loosened up"

"Could be" said Mack "I'm still scared shitless, but at least I don't feel like puking"

"Well that's an improvement at least" said Jessie "I wonder what Haz & Mary thought of the bridal suite"

"I know Mary was floored" said Sarah "I didn't read any further with it being their Wedding night"

"Hey.. Floored works for me" said Jessie "I just want them to have the perfect ending to their big day"

"Well, you did it" said Sarah "I'm just sorry that they missed seeing you play"

"Oh they'll see it" said Pamela "I recorded it and sent it to them"

"Oh good" said Sarah as Pamela's phone rang and put it on speaker

MARY: WHY IS MY PIANO OUTSIDE!!.. HOW IN THE HELL DID IT GET OUTSIDE!! *calm down princess*

PAMELA: Mom, calm down before you have a stroke... Andrew & the boys brought it outside and put it back, its perfectly safe

MARY: Oh okay... Just don't let them do it again and I'll talk to them tomorrow

PAMELA: Yes ma'am... Goodnight Mom, Haz... don't call again unless someone's bleeding... We Love You

and hung up "Are you gonna learn to read now?.. or run the risk of getting yelled at again?" asked Louis

"I haven't decided yet" said Pamela

"You wanna know why she was so upset?" asked Louis "That was Grandma Gwen's piano... Mom said that when she died, Grandma Mary never touched it, then when they died, Dad had it brought to the house and Mom taught us how to play... Then when she moved here, she had it shipped over"

"Oh damn... Why didn't you say something? I didn't know" said Pamela "I always thought it was Grandpa's piano bc he would play it when he couldn't sleep... Mom only played it at Christmas"

"Li... You never told her?" said Louis

"No.. Pamela never wanted to learn to play so I never told her the story" said Liam "I just figured Mom or Dad had told her at some point"

"Aw crap... sorry Pamela" said Louis "I always thought you knew"

"That's okay" said Pamela "I know now and its not leaving the house again unless Mom & Haz move or... you know"

"Yeah I know" said Louis

"When did you suspect that David wasn't your Dad?" asked Becca

"The night Zayn found out he was pregnant, Marcus sent David to find me" said Jessie "My Mom went up against him... it was something she said that got me thinking"

"What did she say baby?" asked Pamela

""Well when I was yelling at David, he said 'she's coming with me, the bitch is mine' " said Jessie "then Mom said 'No she isn't, she's 'HIS' and you know it'... at first, I thought she meant Marcus, but that didn't make sense bc I didn't have our memories, then later that night, it hit me that may be he wasn't my real Dad, so I put it on that list I started that night after I had that blow up with Louis"

"Ahh... the list of things to do now that you weren't leaving" said Pamela

"Yeah, that one" said Jessie "Then when Jeff read the journal & Pappie's letter, the puzzle piece's started to click... but never in a million years did I ever think that Simon was my Dad... that was a surprise"

"I suspected as much, but Catherine wouldn't tell me and after they got married, David never left her alone" said Simon "I stayed away from the house after Jessie was born, unless I was with Jimmy or David was working late.. and on those few times that Mack & Jimmy had Jessie over to their place, those were the only times I saw her"

"We had fun tho" said Jessie "taking pictures, playing dress-up, having tea parties... pranking Mack"

"Yeah.. we had fun" said Simon and smiled

"You remember when we re-arranged his kitchen, laundry room & both bathrooms?" said Jessie

"Oh that was fun" chuckled Simon "He couldn't find anything... it took him a week to find it all"

"What did you do?" asked Ni

"We took everything from Mack's bathroom and put it in the guest bathroom" said Jessie "Then we took all of the cleaning stuff from the kitchen and put it in the laundry room & put the laundry stuff in his bathroom"

"Where was Mack?" asked NI

"He was out getting pizza & junk food for our sleepover" said Jessie "We got bored waiting, so we had a little harmless fun"

"Harmless?.. Is that what you call it?" said Mack "Y'all made my OCD kick in.. I had to go shopping the next day bc I couldn't find anything"

"Yeah, but you eventually found it all didn't ya?" said Jessie "and you gotta admit Pooh bear, you had fun finding it all... like an indoor scavenger hunt"

"If you say so care bear" said Mack "I got you back tho.. didn't I?"

"Yes you did" said Jessie "you cleared out my entire bedroom and painted it Chartreuse aka baby puke yellow" said Jessie "Do you know how long it took Pappie to repaint my room?... 2 weeks"

"Yes.. I know" said Mack "After I told William & Maggie what you did, they gave me permission to do it... I bought all of the paint too so na-nana-boo-boo" and stuck his tongue out at Jessie

"Na-nana-boo-boo?... Seriously?... Are you 2?" said Jessie

"What can I say" said Mack "You bring out the 2 year old in me"

"Yeah whatever Pooh bear" chuckled Jessie "kiss my ass"

"Um.. nope" said Mack "not for all of the tea in China"

"And on that note" said Sarah and stood up "I'm going to bed" and gave everyone a kiss & hug goodnight

"Goodnight petal... we'll be up in a bit" said Jessie

"Okay... Goodnight jellybean" said Sarah and went inside

Becca laid her head on Charlie's shoulder and sighed "What a day" said Becca "if I didn't know better, I'd say the jetlag finally hit"

"Yeah I know" said Pamela as her phone dinged "huh?" and pulled out her phone "I got an email from Josie"

"Open it" said Becca

"I am" said Pamela "Oh yay!... Mike woke up"

"Oh Thank God" said Becca and crossed herself

"Josie says he keeps trying to leave his room" said Pamela "Her Dad got there yesterday, so her Mom finally got some rest... I'll send her an email tomorrow"

"I think I left my phone in the house" said Becca "I'll check mine in the morning"

"Are you tired sweetie?" asked Charlie

""A little, but I'm fine for now" said Becca and kissed Charlie's cheek

"Okay" said Charlie and kissed her hair

"Don't worry Charlie" said Louis "I told Maura & DEvan I'd drive the three of you home"

"Oh okay" said Charlie "so other than the festival, what is everyone's plans for tomorrow?"

"Jessie & I are getting the food for Sunday" said Mack

"Beth & I are going to the department store for sandals & things" said Becca

"I'm sleeping in" said Pamela "I want to be here when Mom & Haz get home and I also need to go thru the fridge bc we're running low on food containers"

"You want me to pick some up?" asked Becca "Its no problem PJ"

"Yeah Thanks" said Pamela "call me and I'll give you the sizes and how many we need"

"Sounds good" said Becca "and when we get back you can show me the bridesmaids dresses for the Wedding... I hope it fits, I've lost some weight since graduation"

"If it doesn't we can either go exchange it or I can take it in Becca" said Mack "Jessie knows where she got it from"

"Sounds good" said Becca & Pamela in unison

"Jinx" said Becca & Pamela together

"Double Jinx" said Becca & Pamela and started laughing

""Jesus.. stop that" said Louis "Its freaky"

"Sorry Louis" said Becca "We're syncing up again"

"Again?" said Gem

"Yeah.. When we were in school" said Pamela

"We'd finish each other's sentences" said Becca

"Or answer in sync" said Pamela & Becca in unison

"No Jinxes... let it go" said Louis

"Yes sir" said Pamela & Becca in unison

"That's so weird" said Gem

"It drove our professor's crazy" said Becca and looked at Pamela "you remember when Professor Morgan thought separating us would make it stop?"

"Yeah.. boy, was he wrong" chuckled Pamela "It only made it worse"

"Bc I'd still finish your sentences" chuckled Becca

"And vise versa" said Pamela

"Would you two stop?... please" said Louis and rubbed his temples "its like a mental game of ping-pong"

<;p>"Now you know how I felt with your mental game of 20 questions Louis" said Jessie "Hurts don't it?"

"Yeah it does" said Louis "Sorry munchkin, I'll never do that again... I promise"

"Apology accepted" said Jessie

"Lets ease up on him Becks" said Pamela "We'll get him on Sunday"

"Yeah okay" said Becca "Yes Louis, we can turn it off... we just liked to make our professors crazy... sorry about that"

"Yeah okay" said Louis "you two... damned bobsie twins... warn a guy first"

"Oh now what fun would that be" said Becca "you should exercise your brain twice a week and make it do a mental obstacle course to help you stay focused in high-stress situations or you could go catatonic"

"You two ARE a high-stress situation" said Louis "that was mean"

"Yeah, well get used to it" said Becca

"Bc the bobsie twins are back bitches" said Pamela and smacked their hands together

"OORAH" said Becca & Pamela in unison

"Oh God" whined Louis & fake cried "Liam make them stop.. they're being mean to me"

"Oh quit your whining Lou" said Liam "Okay you two, ease up already"

"Damn.. no more PJ" said Becca "Big Daddy has spoken"

"Thank you Becca" chuckled Liam "and since when did I become 'Big Daddy'?"

"When you popped Pops' cherry" said Becca "You go boy"

"BECCA!!" said Pamela "You bitch... Seriously? You just had to go there?"

"Hey... The man asked a straight-forward question" said Becca "You cain't lie to a question like that, you know that PJ... 'Does this outfir make my butt look too big?', you lie your ass off just so you can live for another 24 hours... Tell me I'm wrong" Pamela didn't say a word "Yeah, just sit there and don't answer bc you know I'm right... pick your battles wisely PJ, bc I got the ammo to shoot your ass out of the water... call me that again and I'll straighten those curls and don't think I wont"

"Yeah, sorry... Just watch what you say around Jessie, please" said Pamela

"Momma, its fine" said Jessie "Its not like I don't know how babies are made... Mom had 'the talk' with me a long time ago, so relax please"

"Yeah Momma, relax" said Becca

"Oh shut up Becca" chuckled Pamela "Okay baby, I'll try"

"Thank you Momma" said Jessie as Becca's phone rang

JESSIE'S POV

"How in the Hell did my phone get out here?" asked Becca

"Don't look at me" said Momma and looked at me "Jessie?"

"It wasn't me, I swear" I said "I cant do long-distance floats"

"You better answer it Becks" said Momma

BECCA: Hello?

NANA KAYE: Rebecca Alexandra Johansen, what's the big idea forgetting your phone when you knew KI'd be calling you today?

BECCA: Nana, I've had my phone with me all day, except for the Wedding & Reception.. What are you talking about?

NANA KAYE: Maura answered your phone and said to call back in 5 minutes and that she'd get your phone to you... Didn't she give it to you?

BECCA: Oh Geez.. no she didn't, I'll explain later... What's up?

NANA KAYE: Your Mom called me and said that you found that young man you told us all about

BECCA: Yes Nana, I found him

NANA KAYE: Well when were you going to tell me young lady?

BECCA: Nana, I just got here yesterday & met him.. I was gonna call you tomorrow, it almost midnight here

NANA KAYE: Oh, sorry sweetie, I'm not used to the time difference... Were you sleeping?

BECCA: No Nana... PJ's Mom got married today, so I was just visiting with the family for a while

NAN KAYE: Its about time... That girl is too young & pretty to be single... Is he a nice man?

BECCA: Yeah, he is... apparently they've known each other for years.. they're soulmates

NANA KAYE: Oh wow, good for them

BECCA: *Watch this, whispered Becca* And he's younger than Ms. Mary too... a lot younger

NANA KAYE: A lot younger?... How young is he?

BECCA: Um, lets see... He's 2 years younger than PJ... Yeah, he's 17... 18 in February

NANA KAYE: Are you serious?

BECCA: Yep... Deadly serious

NANA KAYE: Oh dear Lord... How is her family taking that?

PAMELA: We're Aces over it Nana... Mom & Haz are 100%-head-over-heels-to-the-moon-and-back- In Love... Are you sitting down?

NANA KAYE: No dear, I'm elbow deep in the oven cleaning it bc Max & Duncan damn near destroyed my kitchen making dinner last night... My kitchen is a trash heap and reeks of curry & saffron & they cant clean a kitchen without infesting the whole house... I'm about 10 minutes away from committing mayhem on them with a ball-peen hammer upside their damn heads for this

PAMELA: Damn Nana, call Garrett, He'll make them clean it properly... you shouldn't have to clean up after them

NANA KAYE: I'm not talking to him till he apologizes for taking my passport.. like I'm a damn child... If he wasn't so damn tall, I'd've tanned his hyde like I did when he was shorter

PAMELA: Don't you mean younger?

NANA KAYE: No, I mean shorter... He didn't get that tall till he was 19.. up till then I still whipped his ass when he tried to strong arm me

PAMELA: Oh okay Nana, well take a break bc you need to be sitting for this next bit of news

NANA KAYE: Is it that good or that bad?

PAMELA: Oh, its good, its just going to be a bit of a shock is all

NANA KAYE: Oh Okay... Well I'm sitting on the sort of clean floor, so lay it on me PJ

PAMELA: Mom's pregnant with twins, due Mid-April

*No answer*

PAMELA: Nana?.. Nana, just breathe

NANA KAYE: WOOHOO!! BOUT DAMN TIME!!!... So it true? About your Daddy & Pops being pregnant too?

PAMELA: Yep... How did you know about that?

NANA KAYE: Oh please.. When Heaven's in a tizzy, the whole world knows about it... I've been listening to the angel network for decades and Heaven hasn't been this talkative since 1987 when one of them went ballistic on a whole group of angels

Momma looke4d at me and I looked at Marcus, he nodded "Oh my God" I whispered and covered my face

NANA KAYE: Whoa.. What was that?... Okay Pamela Jane Williams, what's going on?... It just went dead-air quiet in Heaven and Who is Jessie?

PAMELA: I want to tell you the whole story, but it looses some credibility over the phone Nana... If you can be patient, I'll explain when you get here, I promise

NANA KAYE: Yeah Okay, but who is Jessie?

PAMELA : Jessie is Niall & I's daughter that we adopted 2 weeks ago

NANA KAYE: Oh screw this, I'll be there on Wednesday... Don't say another word PJ, you've got a crap ton of explaining to do

PAMELA: Yes ma'am

NANA KAYE: Duncan James Johansen, Maxwell Graham Johansen, you two go near that door and I'll torch your car with you in it... Get in here and clean what used to be my kitchen... NOW!! *Yes ma'am* *Sorry Nana, forgive us* Yeah, that depends on how clean my kitchen is when you're done and you better hope & pray your Great-GrandDaddy doesn't kill you for this when he gets home *Yes ma'am* I've been up since 4am trying to clean this mess, so Max you can finish cleaning the oven and it better look as clean as the day it was bought while Duncan cleans the vent hood and it had better shine like a brand new copper penny... I'm going to have a cup of coffee and finish my phone call with Becca & PJ *Yes ma'am*

BECCA: Where's Papa at Nana?

NANA KAYE: He's in Houston for a trial till Sunday. He's been gone all week, so I've had Tweedledum & Tweedledee staying here with me while he's gone *hey, we're not stupid* No, just lazy *Pops had us all busy over at Uncle Bo & Cousin Matt's places, blame him* Shut up and get back to work *Yes ma'am* You missed Mimi's baby shower yesterday

BECCA: I know, I sent her gift last week.. I'll be there when the babies are born... Can I call you back in 10 minutes Nana? I'm heading back home in a few minutes

NANA KAYE: No, don't sweetie, I've talked long enough and you need to get some sleep.. besides I've got things to do around here, its almost noon... Have a goodnight sweetie, I Love You

BECCA: Okay Nana, have a good day & be safe... I Love You too

NANA KAYE: I will sweetie... bye now

and hung up as Damian appeared

"Sorry Becca" said Damian "I thought you were sleeping... Maura called me bc she had grabbed your phone by mistake and asked me to bring it to you"

"Oh.. that's okay Damian, Thank you" said Becca

"You're welcome" said Damian "I gotta go" and disappeared

"Is it just ne, or did Damian seem a little nervous?" asked Becca

"You know that incident you Grandma mentioned in 1987?" I said 

"Yeah, what about it?" said Becca

"That was me" I said "I went off on Davis, Collin & Stuart and, well, Damian tried to break it up and I kind of kicked him... in the crotch... accidently"

"How do you 'kind of kick someone in the crotch... accidently'?" asked Becca

"He came up behind me and tried to physically remove me from the fight, so when my feet were off the ground, I donkey kicked him" I said "I didn't know it was him till he dropped me"

"Sweet Jesus" said Liam

"Damn" said Becca

"I've apologized, hundreds of thousands of times" I said "but we don't talk about it... We're slowly becoming friends again"

"I see" said Becca "and he heard what Nana said"

"All of Heaven heard what Nana said" I said "That's why it went 'dead-air quiet'... I'm kinda like a two-way radio... We talk to each other and they hear what I hear"

"Oh.. boy" said Becca slowly

"Yeah.. exactly" I said 

"What did you mean by 'long-distance floats'?" asked Becca

"I can make things float" I said "but not from like Grandma's house" and made Becca's phone float into my hand "See what I mean?"

"Yeah.. whoa, your eyes are purple" said Becca

"Yeah, that happens" I said and closed my eyes, shuddered and opened them "and then they go back to blue... I did it once when my brain felt like tapioca and instead of turning blue, they turned green... Haz said it was bc my brain was wonkey"

"That is so cool" said Becca "Do your eyes turn red when you're angry, like PJ's do?"

"No, mine turn black" I said "Momma's turn red bc her eyes are purple"

"Ahh okay" said Becca and yawned "Oh gosh.. sorry about that"

"That's alright" I said and yawned "Damn... I guess we should all head off to bed" and chuckled

Becca groaned "I don't want to go home" said Becca and gave a fake pout

""You need your sleep sweetie" said Charlie

"I know.. I just don't want to leave, no offense Beth, but its just too quiet at Maura's house" said Becca

"None taken dear, I agree" said Gran 

"Why don't you two stay with us tonight" said Mack "The peach room is empty, so you two can sleep in there"

"Are you sure?" asked Becca

"I'm sure darlin" said Mack "Beth?"

"Sure, why not" said Gran "I need to go home and get my nightgown & a change of clothes first"

"Nonsense" said Momma "I'll be right back" and went in the house

"Now I don't want to leave" chuckled Charlie

"Nice try Charlie" chuckled Louis "Evan would kill me if I let you say the night.. especially after he finds out that Becca stayed the night"

"Yeah, I know" said Charlie and sighed "Man, leaving is hard"

"I know it is" said Becca "But if we give in now, it'll be 10 times harder when I have to report for duty bc I wont be around all of the time"

"I know and then Evan would kill me" said Charlie as Momma came back out

"I don't have any nightgowns Beth, but I have a pair of sleeping shorts with a matching shirt you can wear" said Momma

"Oh Thanks Pamela" said Gran 

"You're welcome... and Becca I've got the ones we used to wear at school for you" said Momma and handed the pajamas out

"Oh Yes!! Man, I missed these" said Becca "fuzzy pajama pants & a hoodie... you I tried to find these Pajama pants in California, but no one carries them"

"I got them online" said Momma "I'll give you the website tomorrow"

"Oh cool.. Thanks PJ" said Becca

"You're welcome" said Momma as Gran pulled out her phone

"Maura dear, sorry to wake you... Becca & I are going to sat over here tonight... yes dear... We'll see you in the morning... I Love You too sweetie" said Gran and hung up "There, now she wont worry when she sees we're not there in the morning"

"Well, I'd better go" said Charlie

"I'll meet you out in the car" said Louis and went in the house

"I'll walk you out" said Becca "I'll be back in a few" and they went in the house

"Those two need a date night and fast" said Mack "before they snap and give in"

"Yeah.. no kidding" said Gem


	137. Chapter 137

Chapter 137

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"I heard Charlie say he gets his schedule tomorrow" I said "So if we find out when his days off are, we could set up an awesome date for them... What do you think Pooh bear?"

"Yeah.. That could work" said Mack "She's right too.. It will be 10 times harder when she has to report for duty"

"Well when that happens, Charlie will be back in school and working on the weekends at the store, so maybe it wont be that bad" I said 

"Yeah, lets hope" said Mack as Becca came back out and sat down "Are you okay Becca?"

"Nope" said Becca as a tear ran down her face

"Don't cry darlin" said Mack softly and sat next to her & laid her head on his shoulder "Tell Pooh bear what's wrong"

"I want him to stay" said Becca softly "and I don't want to have to leave him in 6 weeks"

"I know darlin" said Mack "and right now, 4 years feels like and eternity away, but you watch, it'll fly by and you & Charlie will see each other when you get your breaks from duty"

"Its just so hard right now" said Becca softly "I want to.. you know.. but Charlie's not ready, he says he is, but he isn't"

"Do you trust him?" asked Mack

"Yeah... its me I don't trust" said Becca "If work finds out about our age difference, I could be charged with conduct unbecoming, get a dishonorable discharge and possible prison time for child abuse... I'm starting to think that maybe it would've been easier if we hadn't met so early" and started crying again

"Shh.. it'll be alright darlin" said Mack softly "You need to tell Charlie what you just told me and trust him.. He'll understand"

"I don't want to hurt him" cried Becca

"It'll hurt him more if you don't tell him" said Mack "He trusts you to be honest with him and he cant do what's right, if he doesn't know the ramifications darlin"

"You think so?" said Becca

"I know so" said Mack "now wipe you eyes and get some sleep... things will be clearer in the morning"

"Okay" said Becca and kissed Mack's cheek "Thanks for listening Mack"

"You're welcome darlin" said Mack as Becca went inside "Damn.. She's a hot mess" as Louis came back out

"Yeah well, Charlie isn't much better" said Louis and sat down "That poor kid's hormones are all over the place and his brain... lets just say his physical age & his mental maturity are at War with each other and unless there's a cease fire, someone's gonna loose"

"How can we help them?" asked Mack

"Well they definitely need to talk.. that's a given" said Louis "Once they do that, then we'll know what we need to do to help... Till then, all we can do is watch & wait"

"Okay" said Mack "so till then, its life & business as usual"

"Yep" said Louis "and on that note, lets get some rest.. we've got another busy day tomorrow"

"Agreed" said everyone and went our separate ways

I started the dishwasher, locked the doors and went upstairs, grabbed my pajamas & brushed my teeth and went to bed "I was wondering" I said 

"About what angel?" asked Marcus

"If Becca & Charlie were to have the same rule as we have, if it would make things easier for them" I said "I know we've had our issues with it, but its different for them bc they don't have a previous relationship to hang them up"

"It could work" said Marcus "wait till they talk to suggest that to them tho... If you tell them before then, it could be taken the wrong way"

"Okay" I said "I'm sorry for being distant today"

"Tell me" said Marcus "What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything... it was me this time" I said "I had another dream about us, and it felt so real, that I.. Oh God... I took advantage of you while we were sleeping and when I woke up, it was confusing bc I couldn't tell where the dream ended & reality began"

"Why didn't you say something?" said Marcus

"I didn't know what to do" I said "I didn't know if the rule had been broken intentionally, accidently or what... all I knew was it felt wrong and I didn't know why"

"Oh angel... Did you tell Pamela?" said Marcus

"No, I couldn't... I told Mack" I said "I felt so bad, bc breaking a promise is as bad as breaking the rules... I do knpw he told Momma, bc she forgave me and said that when we're asleep, we have no control over what we do in our dreams... forgive me"

"Always angel" said Marcus "Will you teel me from now on please... this is a partnership, what affects you affects me and vise versa"

"I will, promise... just be patient with me" I said "I know that's asking a lot, but with these dreams creeping in & out of my head, that's what I need while I figure this out"

"Okay angel, if that's what you need, then I can do that" said Marcus "just don't ever keep things like that from me please"

"Okay" I said "I Love You Marcus"

"I Love You too Jessie" said Marcus and we drifted off to sleep

IN THE MORNING...

I woke up to Chelsea & Trudy barking, so I checked the time... it was 10o'clock.. Haz & Mary will be home soon.

"Oh God" I said and got out of bed and went downstairs "Okay pretty babies, I'm up, I'm up... Are you hungry?"

"Arf, Arf, Aroooo, Aroooo" they barked & howled

"Shh... not so loud" I said as I got them out of bed "lets go potty while Mommy gets your breakfast" I let them outside, dished up their food and took it out to the patio "Come on girls, its time for breakfast" as they came running and sat down "Good girls... eat it all gone and then you can go play" and went inside to start the coffee & make breakfast when the door opened

"Morning" said Mary

"Morning" I said as I gave them each a hug "Welcome Home"

"Thanks peanut" said Haz

"So? What did you think of the bridal suite?" I asked

"It was amazing" said Haz

"It was so beautiful Jessie" said Mary

"I don't want details.. just yes or no" I said "Did you have a good time?... Make some memories?... Have some fun?"

"Yes, Yes & Yes" said Mary and smiled

"Good" I said "Why do you go unpack your bag and relax for a bit... everyone's still sleeping & the girls are outside eating"

"Okay" said Mary "Come on Haz"

"Okay princess" said Haz as they went upstairs and I started making breakfast as everyone came downstairs and thru the backdoor

"Morning... Coffee & water for tea are ready and breakfast will be in 20 minutes" I said 

"Morning baby" said Momma "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good... You?" I said 

"Same... it actually felt really good not having to get up early for once" said Momma "Are Mom & Haz home yet?"

"Yep.. they're upstairs unpacking" I said "They got here a couple of minutes ago"

"Oh wow.. okay" said Momma "Have the girls eaten?"

"Yep.. they're outside playing" I said "I made the shopping list Pooh bear.. check it over and see if I forgot anything"

"Okay" said Mack and picked up the list "You forgot the onions"

"I'm not using them this time" I said "Becca's family are joining us tomorrow and her Dad is allergic to them"

"Ahh okay... then you've got everything" said Mack "Do you want to add things for the house too? bc we can get them and save a trip"

"I put somethings for the house on there" I said "but if anyone wants us to pick some thing up, they can add it"

"Decaf Coffee" said Zayn "I had some the other day and it was the best cup of coffee I've had in weeks"

"Okay" said Mack "We'll need to get a second coffee maker"

"Oh, don't do that, instant coffee is fine... really" said Zayn

"Are you sure Grandpa?" I said "getting a second coffee maker isn't a big deal and we can store it after the babies are born, unless you want to stay with decaf"

"Jessie's right Zayn" said Mary "get the second coffee maker"

"Okay" said Zayn and gave her a hug "Welcome home... How was the bridal suite?"

"Thanks sweetie" said Mary "It was so beautiful... it has a jacuzzi bath tub, a private swimming pool, an en suite with a fireplace & a king size bed that feels like you're sleeping on clouds"

"Oh wow" said Zayn "It sounds more like a vacation than a bridal suite"

"It felt like one" said Haz "It was amazing and breakfast on the balcony as the sun came up, was incredible... it was just... wow" and pulled out his phone "Check it out"

"Oh wow... Is that the view from the balcony?" asked Momma

"Yeah and the whole wall is nothing but windows with sheer white curtains" said Haz "and the pool is on the roof.. its one of those infinity pools so it looks like it goes on forever"

"No way" said Papa "How do that keep it from freezing in the Winter?"

"They have 2 bridal suites Papa" I chuckled "This one is for the summer & early fall and the other one is for Winter & Spring, with a private indoor pool and looks like a bungalow"

"Oh wow" said Papa "So which one is reserved for our Wedding?"

"Both" I said "If the weather stays like this, then you'll have the penthouse bridal suite, if not then the private bungalow suite... we'll know for sure when we check in 2 days before the Wedding"

"Oh okay" said Papa "So now are you glad Jessie booked the room for you two?"

"Hell yeah" said Haz "and to Thank you, we got you something Jessie"

"Oh come on you two" I said "you didn't have to get me anything, just knowing you had the perfect ending on your Wedding Day, is all I need... Seriously" and handed me a small box

"Just open it" said Haz & Mary in unison and opened the box

"A key?" I said "What's this for?"

"Your new store" said Haz "Courtesy of Mr. Thompson, his staff and all of us" my knees gave out and I fell to the floor in shock

""What?... Are you... sure?" I said slowly, my head was spinning "Where?"

"The building next to the Hotel" said Mary "It has 5 floors, 2 for Bridal, 1 floor for Bridesmaids & Men's, 1 floor for Planning & 1 floor for Designing & work.... It was inspected last week and is all up to code, it just needs to be furnished"

"Ho-ly shit" I said slowly as it started to sink in "Holy fucking shit" and got up off the floor and hugged them "Oh my God, Thank you.. all of you" and jumped into Mack's arms "Pooh bear.. we have a store... its all ours"

"Yes we do baby" said Mack "Evie will be here in 2 months with the inventory and as of October 1st, we're in business"

"Oh my God" I said "Well there goes all of my holiday projects... there's no way I can do them and the business, I'll end up in the crazy house"

"You'll still be able to do them": said Mack "You'll have a staff of assistant planners, a personal assistant, and a secretary to help you, and after January 1st, you'll have even more free time than you can handle"

"What about payroll, property taxes & all of that?" I asked

"That's what your Lawyer is for" said Jimmy "I may be a Corporate Lawyer, but I did all of that for Mack back home, and I'll do that for both of you here"

"Holy shits & giggles" said Becca "You two are gonna hit it big over here.. I can see it... a full service Bridal shop with all of the bells & whistles for the entire 'Dream Wedding' experience"

"Oh God" I said "This is really happening... Isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is care bear" said Mack "Now do you think you can stand? Bc you need to tell Mary what Edgar told you"

"Oh gosh.. I totally forgot about that" I said "Yeah, I can stand"

"Okay" said Mack and set me on my feet "Mary, you'll want to sit down for this bombshell darlin, bc its a whopper of a doozie"

"Okay" said Mary as she & Haz sat down "Get your breakfast first.. it can wait a second or two"

"Okay" I said "but I need to tell you what led up to our finding out"

"Go ahead sweetie" said Mary

""I kinda had a meltdown.. well, a couple anyway" I said "So I called Jeff to do some digging at my old house"

"I see.. Go on" said Mary as I sat down

"Jeff found Gammie's journals and in one of them, was a letter & Will from Pappie, dated Jan, 1st, 2009" I said "basically, he left me everything, as his heir, but he named you in it too and left you something"

"He did?" said Mary "What was left, if he left you everything?"

"He left you the house in Savannah & Gwen's Estate" I said "He gave the estate to Edgar in 1972 and it was held in trust till Dec. 2008, when it was transferred here and put in your name.. Edgar didn't know it was put in your name, we asked him.. to be accessed on your Wedding day, along with what was hidden at the house"

"What is in Gwen's Estate?" asked Mary

"The items that were hidden, are on their way here" I said "Edgar is going to send you the account information, but the part that's a 'whopper of a doozie', is how much is in the account.. So Haz, be prepared to catch he, bc she's either going to pass out, or flip out"

"Okay peanut" said Haz "I've got her"

"The trust started out with $900 Million" I said "We suspect that Pappie added to it when it was transferred, bc now there's... $8.5 Billion in the account"

"Oh my..." said Mary and passed out

"Are you serious?" said Haz in shock as he held Mary 

"Yep, I'm totally serious" I said 

"Holy shit" said Haz "Is she okay?"

"Izzie's fine Haz" I said as I got a cool ran and laid it on Mary's forehead, as she slowly opened her eyes "Welcome back Izzie" I said softly "just breathe slowly... that's it"

"I cant believe this" said Mary "Why would William do that?"

"Bc you're family and Pappie loved Gwen" I said "He may not have been a part of your life, but he made sure that you had your birthright... even if Gwen didn't"

"But the house should be yours" said Mary

"No, it goes to the first born" I said "When Grandma Rosalind died, it was supposed to go to Gwen, then your Mother and then to you... and according to Pappie's Will, if you want to sell it, you have his blessing, if not, then you can live there or pass it on to whoever you want"

"Oh gosh" said Mary as a knock came from the door

"I'll get it" said Mack and went to the door "Yes? Can I help you?"

"I have a delivery for a Mrs. Mary Styles" said the man

"Mary, the package from Jeff is here.... Do you want me to sign for it?" said Mack

"Yes please" said Mary

"If you could sign here sir, I'll go get it" said the man

"Of course" said Mack "Here you go"

"Thank you, I'll be back in a moment" said the man

"Oh gosh" said Mary and laid her head in her hand "I don't know how much more I can take"

"Just breathe darlin" said Mack 

"Here you go sir" said the man

"Thank you" said Mack "This is for you"

"You're welcome and Thank you sir" said the man

"You have a great day" said Mack

"You too sir" said the man as Mack closed the door

"Okay darlin, come to the Livingroom" sand Mack "and we'll open your package"

"Go on Mary, all of you" said Jimmy "I'll clean up the kitchen"

"Thanks Jimmy" I said "Come on Izzie, lean on Haz"

"I've got you princess" said Haz as they slowly went to the Livingroom and sat on the couch

"Can you open it Mack" said Mary "My hands are shaking too bad to do it"

"Of course darlin" said Mack and pulled his keys out of his pocket and ripped the tape "Oh Jeffrey.. Jessie, he included Maggie's journals"

"Just set those aside" I said "I'll go thru them later"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack as he removed the journal box, duffle bag and dress boxes "These were hidden in the attic Mary.. the only one to see them was Jeff"

"Okay" said Mary as she opened the bag carefully "Oh my God... papers, photo albums, jewelry boxes, satin purses, baby shoes, letter... this is what was hidden in the attic?"

"Yeah... along with Rosalind, Maggie, Catherine & Gwen's Wedding portraits" I said "There were 2 other protaits, but the were in portrait crates, so I never saw who they were of"

"How big were the portraits?" asked Mary

"Big... like in a museum big" I said "It would take 2 people to carry them out of the attic"

"Oh my God" said Mary

"There's also four dress boxes Mary.. with names on them" said Jimmy "Mary, Isabel, Elizabeth & Amanda... Who are Elizabeth & Amanda?"

"My Aunts" said Mary "They died when I was a baby"

"Wait... Grandma had sisters?" said Liam

"Yeah... Mom, Isabel, Elizabeth & Amanda were quadruplets" said Mary "That's what Mom told me when I found out I was pregnant with you"

"Elizabeth &Amanda's names aren't listed in the family Bible" said Liam

"Are you sure?" said Mary

"Yeah I'm sure" said Liam and went to the study, came out with the Bibles and opened them "See? Only Grandma, Isabel & you are listed"

"That's weird" said Mary "look thru them both and see if there's any letter or death certificates Liam"

"Yes ma'am" said Liam "Here babe, you loo thru this one and I'll look thru the other" and handed one to Zayn

"Okay" said Zayn as Mary went thru the papers, they started flipping thru pages "I've got a letter from Isabel" and read it aloud

Dear Mother,  


I talked to Lizzie & Mandy today, they're fine, don't worry. They're living with Mary & Jack for a while till Daddy calms down.  
Why is Daddy so upset? Its not like they're toddlers, so what if they aren't married? Being pregnant and not being married isn't the same as it was when you & Daddy met Mom... please ask Daddy to let them come home.

Love always,  
Isabel  
February 3rd, 1969

"1969?" said Mary "Mom said they died when I was a baby"

"Guess not Mom" said Zayn "Isn't that the year that Woodstock happened?"

"Yeah it was... I turned 5 that year" said Mary "but I don't remember them living with us.. ever... Why would she lie about that?"

"I'll bet they were living at a hippie commune" I said "I remember those"

"Hippie Communes?" said Gem


	138. Chapter 138

Chapter 138

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Yeah.. back in the late 60's, early 70's, kids like Elizabeth & Amanda, believed in peace & Love and didn't believe in societal norms, such as marriage.. They would gather and live together and socialize, like how we do here... that's where the saying 'it takes a village to raise a child' comes from. They would protest against the war in Vietnam, have children and pretty much do whatever they wanted without society telling them they couldn't" I said "Life was simpler back then"

"Oh wow" said Gem

""They were also known as 'flower children' " I said "Their philosophy was 'make Love, not War' "

"Damn" said Louis "I'll bet that's why Grandpa Jason was so pissed... They raised 4 daughters, and to have 2 of them say 'I don't believe in what you believe any more', it had to hurt them both... but to not put their names in the Family Bible like they didn't exist?... That's just wrong"

"I agree" said Mary "So we could have more family out there somewhere.. right?"

"Yeah, we could" I said "If our theory is correct, we could have lot of them... Its a good thing that Pappie left you the house in Savannah, bc if we find them, it would be the perfect place to hold a major family reunion... what do you think?"

"Yeah.. it would be perfect" said Mary "Lets see what all of these papers are, and you boys keep looking thru those bibles"

"Yes ma'am" said Liam & Zayn

"Jimmy, lets look thru these dress boxes and make sure there's nothing hidden in them" I said 

"Okay" said Jimmy

"Jessie, why don't you give the shopping list to Beth & I and we'll go get it while you go thru all of this" said Simon

"Okay" I said and went in the kitchen, got the list and gave it to Beth "Do you want some money to cover this? bc its not a problem"

"No, I've got this sweetie" said Simon "But I will needs to borrow a car tho"

"Take my car Simon" said Mary "Beth knows the roads around here, so you wont get lost"

"Thanks Mary" said Simon as she gave him the keys "I'll be right back.. I need my wallet"

"Okay" said Beth as Simon left and Charlie came in "Hey Charlie"

"Hey Beth" said Charlie "Is this all of the stuff Jeff found?"

"Yeah" I said as I opened one of the dress boxes "Okay, there's letters & photos in this one... I'll be right back" and went upstairs, grabbed a couple of photo boxes and went back downstairs "anything we find, we'll put in these to go thru later.. Okay Jimmy?"

"Okay Doodlebug" said Jimmy

"Okay Beth" said Simon "lets go get this done so we can get back in time to get ready"

"Okay... we'll be back soon" said Beth

"Okay.. Drive safe please" said Mary 

"Yes ma'am.. Always" said Simon as they left

"We don't have much time" said Haz "its almost 11, so we to think about getting ready bc we only have one shower"

"Shit" said Louis "Okahy, this is how we'll do this... I cant believe I'm about to say this, but we'll have to double up on the showers for today, so no funny business Jessie, Pamela... got it?"

"Yes sir" said Momma & I 

"Oh God" said Marcus and took a deep breath "Okay, come on angel, lets get this over with" and went upstairs

"Oh God" I said and crossed myself "God help me get thru this without cracking" and went upstairs

MARY'S POV

"Poor Jessie" I said 

"I know Mom" said Louis "Its not the best idea, but we don't have much of a choice" as they came downstairs and went next door "God? Don't even think about it, leave them alone"

"Okay, that's everything from the dress boxes" said Jimmy "Pooh bear, put these in the shipping box please" and handed the boxes tpo Mack

"Okay lovebug" said Mack as Marcus & Jessie came thru the door and went upstairs without saying a word "Damn.. they look traumatized" and started chuckling "sorry y'all"

"I know" said Pamela "I don't need to read to know that didn't go well"

"Yeah no kidding" said Gem "Come on Lou... we'll be back in a bit"

"Yeah okay" said Louis and they left

"Well Haz, its a good thing we showered before we left" I said 

"Yeah I know" said Haz

Sarah, we'll go wash your hair when Gem & Lou get back" I said 

"Okay Izzie" said Sarah as Marcus & Jessie came downstairs dressed

"Jessie... wow" said Becca "I love your dress"

"Thanks" said Jessie "It was a gift from Marcus... This is the first time I've ever worn it in public, I just pray I don't ruin it"

"You look stunning care bear" said Mack as Louis & Gem came back and gave a low whistle "You two are looking good"

"Thanks Mack" said Gem & Louis

"Okay petal" I said "lets go"

"Yes ma'am" said Sarah as we went next door

GEMMA'S POV

"Are you okay Jessie?" I asked

"Not really" said Jessie "and we are NEVER doing that again"

"Agreed" said Marcus "I'll move out before we have to shower together again... That was THE WORST idea you've ever had Louis"

"I know,, I know" said Louis "and I'm really sorry you two... Once the shower's fixed, this will never happen again, I swear"

"Well if it does ever happen again, I'm checking into the Hotel, bc this is bullshit... That was the worst shower of my entire life" and went out on the front porch

"It wasn't that bad, it was just uncomfortable" said Marcus "We've been trying to be mindful of the rules and not cross the line in regards to giving each other privacy & personal space"

"I know Marcus" said Pamela "be patient and she'll get over this soon"

"I will" said Marcus as Mary & Sarah came back

"Go get dressed petal and call me if you need me" said Mary

"Okay Izzie" said Sarah and ran upstairs

"Come on babe" said Liam as he came downstairs with their toiletries

"Okay babe" said Zayn as they headed next door.. Ellie arrived

"I'm here Mary" said Ellie "don't worry about the girls, they'll be fine"

"Thanks Ellie.. I appreciate this" said Mary "I don't know how long we'll be tonight... there's tons of leftovers from yesterday left, so help yourself, this is where we keep the girls' food and once they go to bed, you don't have to stay if you feel like going home"

"Nonsense dear" said Ellie "I'll stay till you get home, they're just babies"

"Oh okay Ellie" said Mary "They get one can, so put half in each bowl and they get fed out on the patio, so that they can run & play and wont have an accident in the house... this is their bed, they go to sleep around 9:30-10, so if they fall asleep, wake them up and say 'come on pretty babies, its time for bed' and they'll follow you to it and go back to sleep"

"Oh okay" said Ellie

"We have all of Jessie's movies, so if you feel like watching one, go ahead" said Mary "and don't worry about all of this, we'll clean it up before we leave"

"What is all of this?" asked Ellie as Liam & Zayn came back and Ni & Pamela left to go shower

"Just somethings that were my Grandmother's" said Mary "It seems that my Grandmother and Jessie's Grandfather were brother & sister, so Jessie had a family friend send them to me"

"You & Jessie are blood family?" asked Ellie

"Yeah.. we're cousins" said Mary

"Oh blessed be" said Ellie and hugged Mary as Ni & Pamela came back and went upstairs "This is wonderful news.. I'm so happy for you both"

"Thank you Ellie" said Mary "Okay, I need to go get dress.."

"PEACHES CAN YOU COME HELP ME PLEASE" yelled Zayn "I CANT FIND ANY DRESS PANTS THAT FIT RIGHT"

"Oh no" said Jimmy and ran upstairs

JIMMY'S POV

Its alright Zayn, we'll find you something darlin" I said 

"I didn't think I gained that much weight" said Zayn as tears ran down his cheeks "I cant even get then zipped up, let alone buttoned"

"Its okay darlin" I said and went to the stairs "Pooh bear, can you bring me my black suit from last year please"

"You don't wear that suit lovebug" said Mack

"Yes, I know.. its for Zayn" I said 

"Oh okay.. be right back" said Mack and left as I went back to Zayn's room

"Just breathe darlin, we'll get this worked out" I said as Mack came in with the suit

"*sniff* Okay" said Zayn 

"Here you go... oh darlin, don't cry" said Mack "Here, put these on"

Zayn put the pants on a relaxed "Oh Thank God" said Zayn

"There you go" said Mack "Now don't you worry darlin, I'll make you a couple of suits.. Okay?"

"Okay" said Zayn and wiped his eyes "Being pregnant sucks when nothing fits"

"I know sweetie.. I know" I said and helped Zayn into the suit jacket "There.. now lets undo a couple of buttons... that's better" and smiled "You look gorgeous Zayn"

"I do?" said Zayn 

"Absolutely" said Mack and made Zayn smile as Liam came in the room

"Babe... Wow... you look amazing" said Liam "Turn" as Zayn turned in a circle "You are so beautiful" and kissed Zayn

"You think so?" said Zayn "I don't feel beautiful, IK feel fat"

"Oh babe.. look at me" said Liam as Zayn looked at him "You're not fat... you're beautiful, sexy, pregnant and rocking this suit"

Zayn smiled "It is a nice suit, huh?" said Zayn and looked in the mirror as Becca came in

"Ooo Pops, damn you look fine" said Becca "and hot as Hell in that suit"

"Thanks Becca" chuckled Zayn "You look stunning in that dress"

"You think so?" said Becca "Red isn't really my color, but all of my good dresses are back home, so PJ let me borrow one of hers till mine arrive"

"Absolutely" said Zayn as Pamela came in wearing a black lace mini dress & boots "Wow Peaches"

"Oh wow" saiid Mack and crossed himself "Darlin, you look positively sinful in that dress"

"Thanks Mack... I'm not so sure about the boots... that was Becca's idea" said Pamela "I feel like a hooker in these"

"They look geat" said Mack "Has Ni seen you yet?"

"No.. He's downstairs" said Pamela "You two better go get dressed, we have to leave soon and Simon & Beth are back and getting dressed next door"

"Oh okay" said Mack "Come on Jimmy, before we're late"

"Okay Pooh bear" I said as we all headed downstairs to low whistles and Mack & I headed back home

NIALL'S POV

"Holy wow" said Charlie "You look amazing Becca"

"Thanks" said Becca "You look great too"

"Pamela" I said "You look... Wow"

"You think so?... I don't think I should wear the boots" said Pamela and started to turn towards the stairs "I'm not wearing them"

"No poppet" I said and stopped her "They look great, wear them, please?... for me?"

"Really?" said Pamela

"Yeah.. you look gorgeous in them" I said and she smiled

"Okay Ni.. I'll wear them for you" said Pamela and kissed me as Simon & Gran came in

"Mary, here's your keys" said Simon

"Thanks Simon" sand Mary and took the keys

"Where's Jessie & Sarah?" asked Simon

"They're out on the porch" said Mary "It was too crowded in here, so they went out for some air"

"Oh okay" said Simon as Garrett and his family came in

"Ladies & Gentlemen" said Garrett "Your cars are waiting"

"Aren't we driving?" said Haz 

"Not tonight" said Garrett "Harry, you & the boys will be in the first car with your dates... Jessie, Sarah & Mack are in car #2 with your dates... Simon, Beth and the parents are in car #3 and so on"

"Yes!!" said Becca "Nicew job Pops" and gave Garrett a high-5 "Way to knock em speechless"

"Thanks sweetie" said Garrett "Lets roll people"

JESSIE'S POV

"Damian.. Guys... come on" said Marcus "They'll ride with us Garrett"

"Okay Marcus" said Garrert as the guys appeared

"Sorry boss" said Damian "We've been busy all night... Andrew will meet us in the car"

"Oh okay" said Marcus "What happened?" said Marcus softly

"Mass injury at the prison" said Damian softly "Lots of escorts downstairs.. including that guy Meghan mentioned yesterday... the pedo"

"Ah okay" said Marcus as Andrew appeared

"Oh thank God, I made it" said Andrew and relaxed

"You okay boss?" said Marcus "You look tired"

"I'm fine Marcus" said Andrew "I had to wear my suit for the escorts last night... between that and the paperwork, I lost track of the time and hasd to change when you called us"

"Ahh... sorry boss" said Marcus "Did everything go okay?"

"Yes, it went as those always do" said Andrew "lots of praying, lots of crying, yadda, yadda, yadda"

"Yadda, yadda, yadda?" I chuckled "I'm sorry Andrew, I don't mean to laugh, its just that its strange to hear you say that"

"I know... sorry Jess" said Andrew "it just annoys me how criminals think that if they cry & pray, God will be like 'Oh, that's okay, I forgive you'... not likely Dude"

"Well try and relax and enjoy some music tonight" I said 

"I will" said Andrew "I've been looking forward to this all week"

"I know" said Davis "I've been dying to hear Sarah & Mack sing tonight"

"Well tonight's gonna be amazing" I said and opened my purse and handed everyone a handkerchief

"Why do we need these?" asked Damian

"Bc Zayn said that Sarah made him cry when she sang her song" I said "So keep them in your pockets in case she makes y'all cry too"

"Ah okay" said Damian and put it in his pocket "Thanks"

"You're welcome" I said as the car stopped and we all got out "Oh God... There's a lot of people here" I whispered

"Just breathe angel" said Marcus "Come on.. I see Tom & Brian" and headed over "Hey Tom.. Brian"

"Hey Marcus" said Tom "Everyone's inside... Linda asked us to wait for your car"

"Oh okay" said Marcus as we followed them into the Pavilion and backstage

"LINDA!!" yelled Tom "THEY'RE HERE!!"

"OH THANK GOD" said Linda and relaxed "I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET EVERYONE TOGETHER FOR A GROUP PRAYER, BUT ITS A MADHOUSE BACK HERE & EVERYONE'S IN A NERVOUS DITHER"

"I'VE GOT THIS LINDA" I said and grabbed a bullhorn "Y'ALL MAY WANT TO COVER YOUR EARS" and gave a loud whistle.. it went dead quiet and gave the bullhorn to Linda

"Can I have everyone gather around for a group prayer please" said Linda as everyone joined us "Join hands please... Jessie"

"Heavenly Father, we gather here today to celebrate with familhy & friends to share our songs and have fun. Bless us with your strength & grace to do our very best, Thank you for this beautiful day & for watching over everyone who traveled here to make today extra special... In Jesus name... Amen" I said 

"Amen" said everyone 

"WHERE'S MY ORCHESTRA!!" said Linda in the bullhorn as we all gathered around "There's been a change in our line-up"

"Why?" I asked 

"Bc I cant play today" said Linda "Our stage hand got food poisoning and someone needs to keep us organized so that there's no gaps in the music"

"What song will we be playing?" I asked "I'm guessing Rhapsody in Blue is out"

"That's just it, we don't have a back-up song" said Linda

"I have a song, but it'll have to be a solo bc I don't have music for it" I said "unless y'all have one that I know that we can play... We need 6 songs.. right?"

"Yes, we need 6 songs" said Linda "Do you mind playing one of yours?"

"No, I don't mind" I said "As long as its not 'A Heart's Song'... its too emotional to play in public"

"Sweetie, you can play whatever song you want" said Linda "bc you're the first performance"

"Oh gosh" I said "Okay, I need 10 minutes of quiet" and put in my earbuds

"Use the dressing room sweetie" said Linda

"Okay" I said as I went in a dressing room and locked the door

NIALL'S POV

"Where's Jessie going?" I asked 

"Looks like in one of the dressing rooms" said Haz so I walked over to Linda "

"Linda.. What's Jessie doing?" I asked

"She's listening to a song" said Linda "Dexter is out sick, so I have to man the backstage & cant play... Jessie's going on first... alone"

"Oh damn" I said "Is she okay with this?"

"Yeah, she offered as long as she didn't have to play 'A Heart's Song' " said Linda "I told her she could play whatever she wanted, so she's taking 10 minutes to get the song in her head"

"Oh okay" I said as we waited... A while later, Jessie came out

"Hey Papa" said Jessie 

"Are you okay with this poppet?" I asked

"Almost" said Jessie "I haven't played on stage by myself in almost 30 years... God, why did I say I'd do this" and closed her eyes

"Just listen to my voice" I whispered "Imagine, you're at home playing the piano, no one's there, its you, the piano & the music... When you go out there, I want you to take a deep breath and ignore the audience.. okay?" Jessie nodded "That's my girl" and kissed her head

""Jessie... Its time sweetie" said Linda

"I'm right here baby" I said as Pamela joined us

"Knock their socks off baby" said Pamela 

"How is everyone today?" asked Linda to cheers & applause from the audience "Our first performance is from a member of our Orchestra & a member of our extended family... Please welcome Ms. Jessica Horan" Jessie walked out to a thunderous applause

"Hey y'all" said Jessie "This is called 'A Heart's Song' " and started playing

"I thought she wan't going to play that?" asked Linda softly

"I guess she changed her mind" I said as she played

"Wow" said someone "She's amazing"

"Yes she is" I said as the song continued.. when it ended, Jessie ran into my arms "You did it poppet"

"Thank you Papa" said Jessie and kissed my cheek

"You were wonderful baby" said Pamela

Thanks Momma" said Jessie 

"This is your daughter Pamela?" asked Don

"Yes... Jessie, this is Don" said Pamela "Don, this is our daughter Jessie"

"Its nice to meet you Jessie" said Don

"Its nice to meet you too Mr. Henley" said Jessie and shook his hand "Did Izzie meet him yet?"

"Yes, she met him baby" said Pamela

"Oh good" said Jessie

"Ni... Are you & the boys ready?" asked Linda "bc you're next"

"Yep" I said and pulled out my phone "Haz, get the guys and set to the stage, we're next" and hung up "They're on their way" as I grabbed my guitar

"Ni, we're here" said Haz "Man, its crazy back here"

"That's why we have our phones" I said as we went out on stage and took our plaves

JESSIE'S POV

"Are they doing both songs now?" I asked

"Yes sweetie" said Linda as I gave her a hanky "Thanks"

HARRY: This song was written for my beautiful wifr, Mary Styles.. Its called 'Little Things'

and they started singing.. Man did they sound great as Linda, Momma & I cried

NIALL: This song was written for a very special young lady in my life, my daughter Jessica Horan... this is 'Story of my Life'

now everyone was crying.. even Don was crying, so I gave him and everyone around us a hanky. When the song ended, I was a hot mess and had to go to the bathroom to splash some water on my face and touch up my make-up.

The festival was incredible and everyone sounded amazing. When it was over, we headed home, got started filling up water balloons and I started the waterf for the macaroni salad and went upstairs to change. When I came down, Haz & Mary were snuggling on the couch and quietly talking to each other. I got out bags of frozen burgers, pizza slices & chicken.. the potato salad, Taco salad, and the green bean casarole & the cheddar broccoli soup.

"Hey if y'all are hungry, come get something to eat" I yelled fromt eh back door then got out plates and stuff as everyone came inside

"Oh wow" said Charlie

"Help yourselves, we've got plenty" I said "everything is on the table" and ate some warmed up pizza while I chopped up celery & eggs for the salad and everyone made their plates. There was still lots lof chicken leftover, so I pulled it off the bone, chopped it up and added it to the celery & eggs and put it in the fridge till the pasta was ready to be mixed.

"You're putting chicken in the macaroni salad?" asked Louis

"Yep" I said "When it comes to macaroni salad, you can add cooked Chicken, turkey or a can of tuna fish and it goes from a side dish to an all-in-one meal bc you have your egg & meat - that's your protein, add a little cheese for your dairy, your veggies, the pasta is your starch, then add the mayo - that's you healthy fats that your body needs to aide in the absorbtion of nutrients and it tastes good too"

"Ahh okay" said Louis "So what vegies are in it?"

"Celery, onions & peas" I said "but I'm not adding onions this time bc Becca's family is joining us tomorrow and Kyle is allergic to them"

"Oh okay" said Louis ""So how much would I need if I were to make this at home for me & Gem?"

"1-2 stalks of celery, 1/4 of a small onion finely chopped, half of a bag of frozen peas, 4-5 pieces of chicken or 1 large turkey breast or 1 can of tuna fish - in water, not oil, 6 hard boiled eggs, chopped, , half a box of elbow macaroni pasta, half a bag ogf shredded cheddar cheese and mayo" I said "It makes a lot, but that's enough for you two for a few days... its great for a light lunch or for late night munchies"

"Oh cool" said Louis "So why tuna in water, not oil?"

"Bc tuna in water is better for you" I said "tuna in oil has fats that lead to high cholesterol... not to mention, that it can give you really bad acid reflux if you eat too much"

"Oh wow.. yeah, that's not good" said Louis "I've been looking up a lot of recipes on line that are 'heart healthy' or low in calories, but they don't sound like they'd taste very good"

"Heart healthy foods are more for people with diet restrictions Lou" said Momma "Like senior citizens... Mom & Pops should be on a heart healthy diet, but bc they're pregnant, they need the good fats & calories for the babies"

"Oh okay" said Louis "Are you okay Zayn?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Lou" said Zayn "it just hit me how much weight I've gained in 2 weeks.. my suit didn't fit and I'm gonna be a blimp by the time Ni & Pamela get married" as tears ran down his face


	139. Chapter 139

Chapter 139

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Hey" I said softly "Its alright Grandpa, don't cry... I know its a bit of a shock right now, but just remember, this weight gain is for the babies.. you'll loose the baby weight fast, I swear... you need to stay positive bc negative thought lead to depression & stress, and you're not gonna be a blimp at the Wedding.. look at me Grandpa" as Zayn looked at me "Remember what Grandpa said? You are beautiful, sexy and pregnant and in 8 months you are going to have 3 beautiful little girls" and kissed his cheek "And I happen to think my Grandpa is the hottest pregnant man in England" that made him smile

"Thanks princess" said Zayn and kissed my cheek

"You're welcome" I said "now eat, those babies are hungry" and smiled

"Yes ma'am" said Zayn 

When we finished eating, I washed up the empty containers and drained the pasta, pouring the hot water over the frozen peas to thaw them (without cooking them) and rinsed the ;pasta in cold water till it was cool and finished putting the salad together. Once it was done, I put it in a container and set it in the fridge & went outside.

"How are the water balloons coming?" I asked 

"We're almost done" said Mack "We're putting them in crates lined with garbage bags and storing them in the garage till we leave tomorrow"

"Sounds good" I said "Haz... Were you able to get the wood for tomorrow?"

"No" said Haz "but I'll get it in the morning bc we need a couple of coolers & ice to keep stuff cold... Mom has one in the shed, but its not big enough for our group"

"Is there a sporting goods store around here?" I asked "they would have the size coolers we need"

"Yeah, there's one across the street from the cinema" said Papa "Remember Haz? We had to go there to get tents for our class camping trip"

"I remember" said Haz "The cooler had wheels & a handle... I think it was like 60 Gallons? all I know is that its huge"

"Then why don't I go with you Haz" I said "We can get the wood, sand, Ice & coolers"

"Sounds good" said Haz "What's the sand for?"

"To douse the fire pit before we leave" I said "Fire Safety 101 - if you put sand over hot coals, it prevents a forest fire and protects animals from harmful smoke"

"Ah okay" said Haz "We usually just pour water over it to put it out"

"Water causes smoke and smoke is bad" I said "Animals smell smoke and start running thinking there's a fire & end up running thru the fire pit and get hurt"

"Oh okay... We can get the sand peanut" said Haz "I don't have an issue with it"

"Okay" I said 

"They're finally done" said Mack "so what happens if we run out of balloons?"

"momma's got more balloons upstairs" I said "We'll take them with us"

"Why don't we just fill them up?" asked Mack

"Bc then there wont be any room in the tank or the truck to sit" I said 

"How much does Pamela have?" asked Mack

"10 cases" I said "We have enough for now Pooh bear"

"Sweet Jesus" said Mack "Okay care bear"

"We should go Becca" said Gran "We need to help Maira load the car for tomorrow... We'll be here at 10am Jessie"

"Okay" I said and gave her a hug "Have a good night Gran"

"You too sweetie" said Gran and walked over to Simon "I'll see you tomorrow Sy... I'll miss you"

"I'll miss you too Beth" said Simon and kissed her "I Love You"

"I Love You too Sy" said Gran and whispered something in Simon's ear and walked away "I'll wait for you in the car Becca"

"Okay" said Becca "I have to go Charlie"

"I know.. we're gonna have fun tomorrow" said Charlie and kissed her "I Love You Rebecca"

"I Love You too Charlie" said Becca "try and get some sleep tonight.. Okay?"

"Yes ma'am" said Charlie

"Come on Charlie, I'll drive you & Meghan home" said Louis "I'll be back soon honey"

"Okay" said Charlie

"Okay" said Gem "Drive safe please"

"Always" said Louis as they left

"Is the salad all set?" asked Mack

"Yep, its in the fridge chilling as we speak" I said "We atill have lots of leftovers, so we'll take what's left of the Taco salad, potato salad & burgers and we'll take a container of muffins... Haz & I are going to the wood & stuff in the morning, so we should be packed up and ready to roll out by 11, if we can get them and be back by 10:30"

"Well all of the stores pretty much open at 9am" said Haz "so if we leave here by 9-9:30, we can get everything and be back by 10 to start loading up"

"Sounds good" I said and pulled out my phone , checking my list of things we need to pack up "if y'all have an old pair of tennis shoes, that you don't mind getting trashed & muddy, you may want to wear them so you don't tear up your feet and ruin a good pair of shoes"

"Yes ma'am" said everyone

"What time does the War begin?" asked Haz

"At 2o'clock.. right after lunch" I said "When we get there, we'll unload & setup, have lunch, and the battle starts after we have a group prayer & establish the rules of engagement"

"What happens if there's no loser by the time we have to make dinner?" asked Haz

"I don't know Haz" I said "I guess we'll just have to wait & see what happens.... you good with that?"

"Yeah, I guess" said Haz "I just like to have a contingency plan in case we're all still standing when dinner time comes"

"Ahh I see" I said ""Lets not worry about that right now Haz, lets just have fun and play it by ear... Okay?"

"Okay peanut" said Haz

"Haz.. Describe the Bridal Suite" said Davis 

"It was amazing" said Haz "Everything was white - the walls, carpet, curtains, bed linens.. different colored rose petals on the floor.. candles lit all over.. soft music playing.. it has a jacuzzi bath tub... an infinity pool with lights so the water glows and the view from the balcony is just incredible" and took out his phone "That's the view from the balcony"

"Oh wow" said Davis

"It was so relaxing" said Mary "We had a couple's massage that was better than any trip to a spa, the bed was so soft it felt like we were sleeping on clouds and then we had breakfast on the balcony as the sun came up... it was bliss times infinity"

"It sounds like Heaven... literally" said Damian

"It felt like it" said Mary "I almost didn't want to leave this morning, so we booked the bungalow Bridal Suite for our first Valentine's Day"

"Ooo you go Mom" said Davis as a phone buzzed

"What's this?" said Mary and pulled out her phone "Oh, its Edgar.. he sent the account information and says he's here"

"In England?" asked Jimmy

No.. well yes, but he's HERE" said Mary and went inside and came back out with a man

"Edgar" said Simon and shook his hand and gave him a hug "How are ya?"

"I'm good" said Edgar "How's life treating ya Simon?"

"Life is great" said Simon "How long are you in town for?"

"I'm not sure yet" said Edgar

"Hey Edgar" said Jimmy and shook his hand "I apologize for not calling you back, there was a problem at the office and I wasn't aware that you had called till Mary called you the other night"

"That's alright" said Edgar "Tessa called me after she spoke to you and explained everything & apologized profusely for it and said that it would never happen again"

"Ahh okay" said Jimmy "Edgar, this is Ms. Jessica... Jessie, this is Edgar Walker, Simon & I's Uncle"

"Oh.. its so nice to finally meet you" I said and shook his hand "please, call me Jessie" and smiled

"Ms. Jessie.. Hlow have you been?" asked Edgar "I've been so worried about you"

"I'm fine... really" KI said "So much has happened in the past 48 hours, I don't know where to start filling you in or which questions to aske first" my phone buzzed "Its Steven" and looked at Simon "Its confirmed"

"Edgar, you should sit down" said Simon "bc there's a lot to explain since yesterday"

"Oh alright" said Edgar and sat down

"Mack, can you & Jimmy bring out everything that Jeff sent Mary please" I said 

"Sure care bear" said Mack "Come on Jimmy"

"We'll be right back Edgar" said Jimmy as they went in the house

"Edgar, this is my husband Harry" said Mary "We were married yesterday"

"Congratulations" said Edgar "Its nice to meet you Harry" and shook Haz's hand

"Its nice to meet you as well Edgar" said Haz 

"And this is Niall Horan, Pamela's finace" said Mary

"Niall, its nice to meet you as well and Congratulations" said Edgar and shook Papa's hand

"Thank you sir and its nice to meet you too" said Papa "How long have you known Mary & Jessie's family?"

"I met Mary in the early 80's after her parents died" said Edgar "My Father was the Foster Family Lawyer since William was born.. I met William in 1972 when he came to see me after his Mother died, by then my Father had retired and I was running his office" as Mack & Jimmy came out of the house "I didn't know Mary & Ms. Jessie were related till Eilliam & Maggie told me in 2007, and asked me to liquidate their & Catherine's assets and set up their estates for Ms. Jessie"

"Where did William's family get their money from?" asked Papa

"That's a mystery Niall" said Edgar "I've been trying to find out for years... all I know, is that William had lots of stock in about 30 different companies, he had his practice, and that he filed & paid his taxes on time every year"

"Well we think we figured out why William had that 'secret shipment' he found" said Jimmy

"Where did it come from?" asked Edagr

"It was David's" said Jimmy "We came acrfoss and Interpol file on a David O'Malley that Catherine had... from when she worked there"

"Catherine worked for Interpol?" said Edgar "For how long?"

"Yeah.. from 1985-1998" said Jimmy "She went by Catherine Walker when she worked there and David was her first assignment... He was a gun runner & explosives expert for the IRA in Ireland"

"Oh Dear God" said Edgar

"Mom did a massive background check on David" I said "I think he found out and that's why he put Pappie in the hospital... We also think he was blackmailing Gammie & Pappie bc Mom was pregnant with me before she & David got married"

"So David isn't your Father?" said Edgar

"No... I am" said Simon and handed Edgar the letter from Pappie

"Oh God" said Edgar "Have yoju told your Momma yet?"

"No, not yet" said Simon "I didn't want to tell her till we knew for sure... We just found out when you arrived... Jessie is my daughter"

"Jenny's gonna flip" said Edgar and pulled out his phone "If you're gonna tell her, you may as well do it now, bc she hasn't slept in 2 days bc she's been worried sick since Jimmy told her he & Mack were moving here and you didn't tell her you were coming with them... compound that with the fact that you haven't returned her calls & emails, she's on the verge of hysterics"

"You didn't...?" said Jimmy "Damn Simon, when you fuck up, you do it right the first time, don't ya?.... You better call her now, or Beth's not gonna have to worry about getting pregnant, cuz you wont be able to have any more kids if you wait"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" said Simon "God this is gonna be rough" and put his phone on speaker

JENNY: Hello?

SIMON: Hey Momma.. its Simon

JENNY: WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? I WENT TO YOUR OFFICE THE OTHER DAY AND BARBARA WAS PACKING UP YOUR OFFICE AND WOULDN'T SAY WHY

SIMON: Calm down Momma, I'm in England with Jimmy & Mack... I'm sorry that I didn't call and tell you, but I've got something pretty big to tell you, so I need you to sit down and listen, then you can yell at me.. okay?

JENNY: Okay... well you called me in the middle of my meditation, so I'm sitting on the floor, so at least I wont die if I pass out

SIMON: *chuckling* Okay.. well... God this is so hard and there's so much to explain

JENNY: Simon, take a deep breath and just say it... the explanations can come after sweetie

SIMON: Okay... I have a daughter... by Catherine

There was no response

SIMON: Momma?

JENNY: I'm here... I don't understand sweetie, Catherine died 2 years ago

SIMON: Momma, Jessie is my daughter... We had a DNA test done and you have a Granddaughter

JENNY: *crying*

SIMON: Shh, don't cry Momma.. please?

JENNY: *crying* I have a Granddaughter?... That beautiful little girl is my Grandbaby?

SIMON: Yeah.. she misses you... Do you want to talk to her?

JENNY" Oh God yes

JESSIE: Hi Grandma... Its Jessie

JENNY: Oh Jessie... How are you honeygirl?

JESSIE: I'm doing great... How have you been?

JENNY: I'm fine honeygirl, I've missed you so much... Have you been staying out of trouble?

JESSIE: I've missed you too... *giggling* You know me, if I don't look for it, it finds me

JENNY: *chuckling* Always... So how much trouble have you found lately?

JESSIE: Not much, I've been pretty busy lately... I found Pappie's family & I'm living with Aunt Gwen's Granddaughter Mary, I have a new Momma & Papa and we got babies popping all over the place here

JENNY: "Oh how wonderful honeygirl

JESSIE: I also have a fiance, Dad finally found his soulmate.. wait till you meet her, and Mack & Jimmy finally got engaged

JENNY: Oh Goodness gracious... I guess I'll need to find my passport and come visit everyone

JESSIE: Oh yes please... Are you gonna be coming soon?

JENNY: I hope so.. I just need to remember where I put my passport, or I'll have to get a new one

JIMMY: Momma, look in the China cabinet, top shelf in the blue cut-glass candy dish

JENNY: Okay.... oh gosh.. Ooo I found it... Thank you baby

JIMMY: You're welcome Momma... Do you want me to call Tessa and have her book you a flight?

JENNY: Yes please, I'm terrible at getting plane tickets, and your Daddy isn't much better... He was heading to Tennessee and got misdirected to New Jersey and had to call Tessa to get him back... He was supposed to be helping Martin with his trial

JIMMY: Why didn't he just drive?

JENNY: Bc your Daddy got his driver's license revoked bc he couldn't pass the eye exam... If you were here more, you'd know that young man

JIMMY: Damn.. Sorry Momma, I'll call Daddy and make sure he gets there before you leave, I promise

JENNY: Okay baby... Simon, we'll talk when I get there sweetie.. explanations are always easier face-to-face

SIMON: Okay Momma... Be safe and I'll see you soon... I Love You Momma

JENNY: Oh, I Love You too sweetie... I'll see you soon honeygirl

JESSIE: Okay Grandma

and hung up "I'm surprised Jenny didn't flip out" said Edgar

"She probably would have if she hadn't been so worried about Simon" said Jimmy "All things considered, she took that rather well"

"Wait till she meets Beth" chuckled Mack "Those two are gonna be thick as thieves.. you just watch"

"They're gonna be a trip" I said "You remember how Gran was when we were planning the ambush?"

"Yeah" said Momma "Why?"

"Bc Ms. Jenny is 10 times worse" I said "Where do you think Jimmy gets it from?... The apple didn't roll far when it fell from that tree"

"You're kidding" said Louis

"Nope" I said "Be grateful Ms. Jenny wont be here tomorrow, cuz she'd have dyed all y'all asses purple... permanently"

"She's right" said Simon "When Momma plays dirty, not even the Pope is safe"

"Oh Damn" said Papa

"That's bc we grew up on Army bases" said Edgar "Those guys pulled pranks on us kids all the time, till your Momma got them back, then they never messed with us again"

"What did she do?" asked Louis

"We broke into the barracks and trashed the place while everyone slept" said Edgar "We put shaving cream on everyone's heads & in their boots, doused their uniforms in itching powder, covered the floor in cow manure and released 3 skunks in the barracks before we left"

"Oh Dear God" laughed Momma "All bc they pulled pranks on you two?"

"Yep" said Edgar "It took us 2 weeks to pull that off bc we had to do everything at... Jenny caught the skunks while some friends & I raided the local farms for cow manure"

"Oh man" said Louis "How did Jenny catch the skunks?"

"Very carefully and with lots of rotten fruit & honey" said Edgar

"Oh wow" said Louis 

"Now do you see why I told Jimmy to leave Haz alone?" I said 

"Yeah" said Papa "You better watch yourself Jimmy.. we may be going up against the girls tomorrow, but we're supposed to be having fun, not possibly injuring someone"

"I know Ni" said Jimmy "Jessie already warned me about it and I promised to follow the rules of engagement"

"Smart man" said Momma "Then no matter what the outcome is, we should all come home relatively unscathed and in one piece... Agreed?"

"Agreed" said everyone

"What's going on tomorrow?" asked Edgar

"An epic water fight" I said "Men vs Women and the loosing team makes dinner"

"Wow" said Edgar "Well Men, I wish you Good luck bc if Jessie is anything like Catherine used to be at her age, you're gonna need it"

"Gee, Thanks Edgar" said Jimmy

"You're welcome" said Edgar "Now, lets see what we can make out of this mess William left behind"

"Sounds good" said Mary "I don't understand why William left me the house in Savannah.. I know Jessie explained it, but it just doesn't make sense, and why would he add to Gwen's estate when I already received my inheritance when she died"

"Bc this was Gwen's inheritance when Ms. Rosalind died in 1972" said Edgar "William said at the time, that he didn't care what happened between Rosalind & Gwen, that Gwen was his sister and as head of the Family, demanded that Rosalind's estate be divided in half and that if Gwen came back with her family, the house was hers"

"I see" said Mary "Now that makes sense and why Grandma never talked about her family... Do you know what happened between Rosalind & Gwen?"

"According to my Dad, after Mr. Jameson died, Ms. Rosalind & Gwen had a nasty bitter argument bc Ms. Rosalind tried to make an arranged marriage between Gwen & a wealthy man from England" said Edgar "Gwen left home and never went back"

"An arranged marriage?" said Louis "Seriously?... Who does that to their kids?"

"My parents had an arranged marriage" said Marcus "Regardless of how I was raised, my Father was completely & totally devoted to my Mother and loved her very much"

"Oh" said Louis "Sorry Marcus"

"That's alright Louis" said Marcus "You didn't know... back then, arranged marriages were common to ensure a Family's continuation & prosperity"

"That's just wrong" said Louis "I see why Gwen ran away at 15 and married my Grandpa Wallace"

"When Ms. Gwen left, Ms. Rosalind married the man and they died in a plane crash in 1972" said Edgar "10 years after William & Maggie were married... Catherine was 9"

"Damn" I said "That explains a lot"

"What does baby?" asked Momma 

"Why Gwen never came back home" I said "That house and what it represents, is exactly the same thing that Izzie's Aunts walked away from... A Conservative Elitist Society where you did as you were told and not as you wanted... Gwen, Elizabeth & Amanda, pretty much said 'fuck you' to everything... sorry Papa"

"Oh my God" said Mary "They did, didn't they"

"Yeah, they did" I said "I'm guessing that ypou Mom & Isabel were a lot like Jason and Elizabeth & Amanda were a lot like Gwen"

"Yeah.. they were in some ways" said Mary "Gwen was a very private person and didn't talk about her family or about William.... I cant see William staying away from Gwen, unless they had a falling out too"

"I don't know" I said "Pappie isn't very forthcoming when it comes to Gwen and Gwen just doesn't want to remember anything"

"Hmm" said Mary "Be right back" and went in the house

"Uh-oh" said Sarah "Mary's taking a page out of your book jellybean and is ripping God a new ass... This isn't good y'all"


	140. Chapter 140

Chapter 140

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Andrew.. come here please" I said as Andrew appeared

"What's wrong Jess?" asked Andrew

"Mary's iside ripping God a new ass" I said "What's going on up there between William & Gwen?"

"I don't know.. they were fine 2 days ago" said Andrew "Do you want me to find out?"

"Yes please" I said as I stood up "I have to go calm Izzie down before she hurts herself by reading too much" and went inside

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" yelled Mary

"Izzie.. shh, calm down" I said softly "You getting upset like this isn't good for the babies... just breathe"

"I'm trying, I really am" said Mary "but I know he's trying to keep me from finding out what happened between William & Gwen"

"I know Izzie" I said and whispered in her ear "Andrew will find out for us, please just calm down" and looked at her "just breathe Izzie.. slow & easy"

"I'm sorry sweetie" said Mary

"That's alight" I said softly "I know you want answers, but ripping God a new one, isn't going to work Izzie... its not his fault this time, its Gwen & William's"

"I don't understand" said Mary

"Andrew said they were fine 2 days ago" I said "So sometrhing happened between them in the past 2 days... Let Andrew see what's wrong, and he'll let us know... Okay?"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"Now lets go back outside so Haz can stop worrying about you & the babies" I said 

"Okay" said Mary as we went back out to the patio and sat down

"Are you okay princess?" asked Haz

"Yeah, I'm okay" said Mary and smiled "I'm sorry Haz"

"Its alright princess" said Haz and kissed her cheek "I know its hard to stay calm, but Andrew is talking to them now, so just be patient" and held her hand

"I'll try" said Mary as Andrew appeared

"They wont talk to me" said Andrew "Ms. Mary & Catherine are trying to talk to them in the Chamber and will call me when they find out what's wrong... as soon as I know, you'll know.. I promise"

"Thank you Andrew" said Mary "Can you tell him, that I'm sorry please"

"I will" said Andrew "Try and be patient Mom" and kissed her cheek, then disappeared

"Who is Andrew?" asked Edgar "And why did he call you 'Mom'?"

"Edgar" said Jimmy "You know that thing we don't talk about in front of Daddy?"

"Yeah.. What about it?" said Edgar

"That's Andrew" said Jimmy

"Oh... I see" said Edgar

"Andrew called me 'Mom' bc he's become a part of this family" said Mary "Andrew, Collin, Damian, Davis, Marcus & Stuart are like brothers, and bc Jessie & Marcus are engaged, they are his family"

"So Marcus was too?" asked Edgar

"Yes I was" said Marcus 

"Jimmy... How much does Edgar know?" I asked

"He knows everything Doodlebug" said Jimmy "You, Me... everything"

Edgar, Andrew is in charge of the souls that choose to be born and makes sure we get to where we are supposed to be" I said "Up until a week ago, that was Marcus's job, bc Andrew had retired... Marcus was with Mom, Gammie & Pappie when David faced his judgement in their deaths and its bc of David, that I cant have children without surgery"

"Oh God" said Edgar "I am so sorry that I didn't try harder to get you away from him"

"Its alright, we didn't know he wasn't my Dad" I said "the blame is on Mom's shoulders for not turning David in when she knew who he was to begin with... not you, Pappie, Gammie, Jimmy or Simon"

"Catherine wasn't always so secretive.. She was a lot like you when she was little" said Edgar "She told me once, that Ms. Rosalind's husband was 'a wolf in sheep's clothing and would meet his maker if he ever touched her again'... I didn't think much of it at the time, bc Catherine was only 7, but she always wore sweaters, even in the summertime and I could never figure out why"

"Rupert was beating her" said Marcus "and Rosalind didn't stop him bc he was beating her too"

"Oh.. this is messed up" said Louis "Let me guess.. Divine Retribution caused the plane crash that killed Rosalind and her bastard husband... right?"

"No" said Marcus "Rosalind finally fought back and killed Rupert, then caused the plane to crash... I don't know how that part happened" as Andrew appeared and sat down

"William & Gwen finally cracked" said Andrew

"What happened?" I asked 

"Apparently, Gwen has been angry that Mary's Mother & Aunt Isabel's names are in your family cookbook" said Andrew "and bc of what happened to you & all of the secrets you've uncovered, bc of William & Catherine, Gwen has finally reached her limit"

"Got it" I said "So what's Pappie's reason?"

"Fear & Guilt" said Andrew "They're writing letters explaining why Gwen never came back home & why Elizabeth & Amanda's names aren't in the family bible and William is, well... His letter is turning into a damned book bc that man has A LOT of secrets"

"Sweet Jesus" said Louis

"Sorry Papa" I said and went out to the picnic table and laid down

LOUIS'S POV

"Here we go again" I said "William's explanations had better be good, bc she is severely pissed off at him"

"She should be" said Andrew "William has caused a lot of resentment upstairs between Gwen & Mary and Catherine is doing her best to calm everyone down.... I don't like getting in the middle of family arguments, especially between William & Gwen bc they never end well"

"How bad is it Sarah?" asked Ni

"Its not too bad" said Sarah "She's only used 3... no, 4 swear words so far... oh geez... she's dropping the southern on him now... you remember when she dropped the redneck-hillbilly on you?"

"Yeah... why?" said Ni

"Bc shed just dropped it times 10 on William" said Sarah "oh crap... What does she mean by 'yo Mama'?"

"That's, well, its not a very pleasant slang" I said "basically, she just said that William is not different than his Mother"

"Oh Man" said Sarah "JESSICA!! THAT'S ENOUGH... APOLOGIZE"

"NO" yelled Jessie as Sarah went to the picnic table and smacked Jessie "HEY!!"

"APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW AND DON'T YOU EVER TELL ME NO!!!" yelled Sarah

"Damn" said Pamela "I've never seen Sarah hit someone before... whatever Jessie said must have been really bad"

"Yep... it was" I said "and its a good thing William's dead, bc if he was alive, he'd be on life-support right now" Gem's phone rang

"Hello?... This is she.... Is Cecilia alright?... Why wasn't I called before now?... No.... you shut up and listen, that child has been thru Hell... first, you didn't do a pregnancy test when she came in 8 months ago, and as a result, she didn't get the pre-natal care she needed, resulting in the death of her baby... then change your policy... then Monday morning, I'm filing a lawsuit against you & your hospital for Neglect, resulting in the death of an infant, Medical Malpheasance and whatever else I can think of and if you think I'm joking, you just try and stop me... No, you're not, I'll be there in 20 minutes, and if she's not in her room in the maternity ward, I'll have you arrested... Good-bye" said Gem and hung up

"What happened?" asked Pamela

"I have to go" said Gem and ran in the house 

"Louis go with her" said Mom "and csll when you get there & drive safe please"

"Yes ma'am" I said and hopped the fence, got in the car & left

HARRY'S POV

"Pamela pulled out her phone "Dr. Carlisle, its Pamela Williams, Is Cecilia alright?... How bad?... When did this happen?... Oh God... Gem's on her way... Will you stay with her please and don't let them move her... Thank you" said Pamela and hung up

"What happened poppet?" asked Ni as Jessie & Sarah joined us on the patio

"Um... Cecilia had a seizure" said Pamela and wiped her eyes "Apparently, she was really upset, so they gave her a sedative that caused the seizure"

"Oh God" said Mack "SWhy was she upset?"

"They brought the baby to her room, instead of the morgue" said Pamela "Jessie's right, that hospital is messed up... Whaty in the Hell were they thinking?" as tears ran down her face

"I don't know poppet" said Ni softly and held Pamela as she cried "Shh, its alright poppet... Gem & Lou are there, just breathe, slow & easy"

"Did Steven & Hannah leave Cecilia's clothes & things here yesterday?" I asked

"Yeah... I put them in the closet, in the peach room" said Mack

"Okay" I said and pulled out my phone "Hey Lou... Tell Gemma that if Cecilia is well enough, to bring her home... I'm sure, she'll feel better being around her things and will sleep better with all of us around to make her feel safe... Okay Lou.. call us before you leave" and hung up "They just pulled into the hospital parking lot and Gem is beyond livid... Don't be surprised if when they get back, Gem pulls out her laptop & law books bc she wasn't joking"

"If she does, I'll help her" said Jimmy "I've tried enough court cases to know suing a hospital will take more than 1 lawyer.. she's gonna need all of the help she can get" as Jessie pulled out her phone

"Hey Evan.. sorry to wake you... Who was the Judge that awarded the senior center to the church?... Judge Stanton?.. Okay thanks... bc Gemma is suing the hospital... Oh Okay, I'll tell her... see you tomorrow... goodnight" said Jessie and hung up "Evan said to call Judge Stanton in the morning and request a meeting with him on Monday morning bc he's fair and will request to be the Judge when it goes to trial"

"That's great" said Jimmy "The last thing Gemma needs is to loose this case bc of Judicial Ineptitude, like the last time"

"How many bedrooms does Gem & Lou have at their place?" asked Liam

"7" I said "When she bought it, she bought the flat above hers too and put in a staircase to connect them, so don't worry, she haas plenty of room... She uses the other flat as her back-up office when she works from home and Mom & I have used it during the holidays"

"Oh wow.. Okay" said Liam "I just don't want us all to feel like we're crowing in on them"

"You wont" I said "Gem & Lou will probably have you two staying in the other flat till the bathroom is done so that you two have privacy"

"Oh Okay" said Liam as my phone rang

"Hey Louis... Okay, just a sec" I said and put it on speaker

HARRY: Go ahead Lou

LOUIS: We're bringing Cecilia home.. Can someone heat up some pizza? She hasn't eaten since this morning, and Meghan is on her way over with Davis.. She's going to talk to Cecilia & explain what's going on... Gem thought she should have someone there that she knows when we get home

HARRY: Okay, we can do that... Do you want us to unpack some of her clothes and things?

LOUIS: No, just set her suitcase on the bed, Meghan can help her if she wants to do it... Dr. Carlisle & Gem are with her and are getting her dressed... Poor kid... seeing the baby scared her really bad and hasn't moved or signed anything since the seizure, so you may need to help her before she can go to sleep munchkin

JESSIE: I will teddy bear, don't worry

LOUIS: We'll be leaving in about 10 minutes or less, the doctor just went in with the discharge paperwork

HARRY: Okay, we'll see you soon.. Drive safe

LOUIS: You got it.. see ya soon

and hung up "I'll go heat up the pizza" said Marcus and went in the house

"Did you get the paper plates flor tomorrow, Simon?" said Jessie 

"Yep, and I got plastic cups so we don't have to worrhy about any glasses getting broken" said Simon

"Okay good" said Jessie as Marcus, Davis & Meghan came out of the house "Hey Meghan, sorry we woke you up"

"That's okay, Gem called me and told me what happened" said Meghan "I just want to see Cece and make sure she's alright"

"Louis said she hasn't moved or signed all day" said Jessie "So depending on how deep inside her head she is, I may need you help to bring her back"

"I'll try" said Meghan "I've never done that before"

"That's okay, I'll be there with you" said Jessie "Can Cece hear & talk when you've talked to her in her head?"

"Yeah, we worked on that when I taught her how to read" said Meghan as Gem & Louis pulled into the driveway

"Marcus, can you check on the pizza and get a vitamin & a ginger ale too" said Jessie "please"

"Okay angel" said Marcus as Gem & Louis came thru the back door, carrying Cece... Cece saw Meghan and held out her hand, Meghan took her hand and put it on her face

"I'm here Cece" said Meghan "They're friends, they'll help keep you safe.. you can trust them, okay?" Cece nodded as tears ran down her face "Shh, its alright... Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" Cece nodded again "Okay, lets get you some pizza and relax for a bit" and smiled as they all sat down and Marcus came out with the pizza & ginger ale "You can go home sweetie, and I'll see you in the morning"

"Okay" said Davis and kissed Meghan's hair "Call me if you need me"

"I will" said Meghan as Davis went in the house and disappeared... Cece looked around, saw Mack and started signing really fast

"Slow down darlin" said Mack as he signed "I'm happy to see you too" *I know Gemma, Meghan & Mary, but who is everyone else?* "This is Jimmy, Simon, Harry, Liam, Zayn, Louis, Marcus, Niall, Pamela, Edgar & Jessie... we're all part of Mary's family" as Meghan pulled out her phone

"Hey Evan... yeah, everything's fine, Cece's here... I'm gonna stay with her tonight... No, Davis went home.. Okay.. Do me a favor, and bring my one-piece pink bathing suit over in the morning for Cece please... Thanks Evan... I will... I Love You too, goodnight" said Meghan and hung up as Cece put her hand on Meghan's face "I called Evan, he's worried about you... Its alright, just relax & eat... its a vitamin to help your body get better... yes, Jessie knows how to read... you remember the bad dreams I had?" Cece nodded "Jessie got them to go away... Do you want Jessie to help you?" Cece nodded again "Okay... take your vitamin & eat and she'll help you when you're done" and did as she was told

"Is that how she reads?" asked Jessie

"Yeah, it helps her stay focused" said Meghan "She can read without touching, but its hard for her to concentrate with everything that goes on around her"

"I see" said Jessie and closed her eyes and listened "Oh gosh" and opened her eyes "Does she know Brian?"

"I don't think so, why?" asked Meghan

"Bc he's all over her memories" said Jessie "Like Davis was in yours"

"Oh wow" said Sarah "I'll bet that's why Brian doesn't know who his soulmate is yet... Cece's deaf, so he wouldn't hear her till she sees him"

"Damn" said Louis "Brian's gonna be shocked when he sees her tomorrow"

"I feel bad for Josephine Riley" said Sarah "Bc when Brian finds out Cece is his soulmate, he's gonna break up with Josephine"

"Oh Man" said Jessie "lets not think about that right now... we'll figure this out"

Did Cece come home with what she needs for the night?" asked Pamela

"She's set for the week" said Gem "Dr. Carlisle had one of the nurses go get her somethings"

"Okay" said Pamela "At least we don't have to rush out to the pharmacy in the morning" as Cece walked over to Gem and put her hand on Gem's face 

"What's that?" said Gem "No sweetie, you don't have to go back to the group home... You're going to come live with Louis & I... for forever" and touched Louis's face

"Yeah we mean it" said Louis "What's your favorite color?... How would you like a Red bedroom?... You got it sweetie, now you go with Jessie and let her help you, and then it'll be time for bed" Cece kissed Louis's cheek, hugged Gem and went over to Jessie and touched her face

"What do you want to do?" asked Jessie "I cant make you forget what happened, but I can make those memories a little less scary... Okay, lets go sit in the yard" and went out in the yard and sat in the grass facing each other

"God I hope Jessie can help her" said Ni "Okay Lou, show me how to read"

"Okay Ni" said Louis "Go inside your mind.. that's it.. see that door to your left?" Ni nodded "push it open... its okay, find Pamela's thoughts... you got it, now secure the door so it doesn't close and come on back"

"Damn that was loud" said Ni "whoa.. this is intense"

"Yeah, it'll ease up in a bit" said Louis "just relax Ni"

"Are you okay sunshine?" asked Pamela

"Yeah, I'm okay" said Ni "You gotta try this poppet, I can hear what Jessie & Cece are saying... its like they're talking normally, as if they were sitting right here with us... this is so cool"

"Okay Lou" said Pamela "Is it the same for everyone?"

"Yep, go for it" said Louis

"Okay" said Pamela and went quiet "Holy cow.. you weren't kidding how loud it is Ni... oh wow... I can hear the babies, all of them.. they're talking to each other"

"Its pretty cool huh?" I said 

"Yeah it is" said Pamela

"If you close your eyes Pamie, their thoughts will become clearer" said Sarah as Pamela as she closed her eyes

"Oh wow" said Pamela and opened her eyes "Mom.. I can hear Grandpa talking to Andrew"

"What are they talking about?" asked Mary

"They're talking about Grandma" said Pamela "She's locked herself in the Chamber with William & Gwen... Did Grandma ever loose her temper?"

"Just once" said Mary "Mom & Grandpa were having a heated discussion about Elizabeth & Amanda and went full Scottish on each other... why?"

"Bc she's going full tilt on both of them" said Pamela "I'm starting to think that Jessie & I's temper is an inherited trait bc Grandma is 10 times worse than Jessie & I combined"

"Ooo she's not kidding Izzie" said Sarah "Your Mom is scary mad... Even God is scared bc this has never happened before"

"Andrew, sorry to interrupt, could you come here a minute please" said Pamela

"That's alright Pamela" said Andrew "What's up?"

"Is there any way you can mentally get me upstairs?" asked Pamela "I think I can get Grandma to calm down"

"Yeah, but you'll feel disoriented for a while" said Andrew "You need to think about this Pamela, bc if you do this, your ability to read may not be able to be turned off"

Pamela went mentally quiet as she thought "If it happens, I'll deal with it" said Pamela "I'm ready when you are"

"Okay... Damian, can you come here please" said Andrew

"What's up boss?" asked Damian

"I'm going to help Pamela project upstairs and I need you to take her to the Chamber" said Andrew "Wait there with her till she comes out and escort her back please"

"Yes sir" said Damian "Pamela, when you get up there, do not touch anyone... you can talk to them, just don't touch them"

"Yes sir" said Pamela "I wont touch anyone.. you have my word"

"Okay.. I'll see you upstairs" said Damian and disappeared

""Are you ready Pamela?" asked Andrew

"I'm ready" said Pamela as Andrew stood behind her and put his hands on both sides of her head and closed his eyes

"Close your eyes and go inside your mind" said Andrew as Pamela closed her eyes "Now just relax and let yourself float... there you go,,, Do you see Damian?"

"Yeah" said Pamela "Lets go Damian... Why is everyone staring at us?... Oh okay... Mary Wallace-Williams, open this door... I'm your Great-Granddaughter Pamela, open the door... Thank you, now all 3 of you, come out here... not on your afterlife am I stepping one toe in there, get out here... You people act like a bunch of children, grow up.... Excuse me, did I say you could talk?... I'm Jessie's Mother, that's who I am, and if you & Catherine didn't keep so many fucking secrets, I wouldn't be up here saving your dumb ass from your Niece, so shut up Uncle William... Grandma, you don't have to forgive him, but Mom needs answers... Damian, shut him up please... Thank you... as I was saying, Mom needs answers and you need to calm down... I don't care, you're disrupting everyone up here and Grandpa is worried about you... That's enough Mary, go home and don't come back until you calm down... Gwen, you don't have to do it right now, but you two need to talk this thru, I don't care how angry William makes you, just remember, that you aren't innocent either, you've both made mistakes, so grow up and learn from them bc if either of you piss off my Mom or my daughter again, Mary's temper will be the least of your problems bc you'll have Me to deal with... Understood?... Okay Damian, take me home, I need Niall"

"Careful Pamela" said Andrew "Slowly open your eyes and just breathe normal" as Pamela opened her eyes "How do you feel Pamela?"

"A little woozie, but I'm okay" said Pamela as Damian appeared

""You did great Pamela" said Damian "Jack took Miss Mary home and William & Gwen are talking again... I also have some letters... 1 for Mom, 2 for Jessie & 1 for Simon" 

"Give me Jessie's" said Ni "I'll make sure she gets them when she's done helping Cecilia"

"Okay" said Damian and handed out the envelopes "I have to go now, but we'll see everyone in the morning"

"Okay" said everyone as Damian disappeared Sarah went in the house and came out with a juice, pain killers and a wet cloth

"Here Pamie, take these and drink some juice" said Sarah "I also got you a cool rag.. you'll feel better soon"

"Thanks petal" said Pamela "Thanks Andrew"

"You're welcome Pamela" said Andrew "Go easy till morning and get some sleep"

"I will, promise" said Pamela and laid her head on Ni's shoulder "I'm okay guys, just breathe"

"We're breathing just fine darlin" said Mack softly "What did it look like up there?"

"Its really bright, and where we were, it looked like a hospital waiting room" said Pamela "and that Chamber is intimidating... there was no way in Hell I was going in there"

"We heard" said Jimmy "What was William saying?"

"How dare you call me a child, Who in the Hell do you think you are" said Pamela "Then he started yelling at me, so I made Damian shut him up... What's wrong Simon?"

"Catherine wrote me a letter" said Simon softly "She says she's sorry for not telling me the truth about Jessie and to forgive her"

"That's a good thing... right?" said Meghan

"Yeah, it is" said Simon "I just wish she had told me before Jessie was born... I missed so much of Jessie's life when she was growing up" as a tear rolled down his cheek

"So make new memories with Jessie" said Meghan ""Be a Grandpa to Jessie's children and teach them what you would've taught her... that's all you can do"

"Meghan's right Simon" said Mary "You & Jessie have a chance to get to know each other as Father & Daughter, instead of Uncle & Niece... take this time to get to know her softer side"

"Yeah Sy" said Jimmy "You only know Jessie, in that she's like Catherine, so get to know that side of her that is like you, bc its there, I've seen it"

"You think so?" asked Simon

"I know so" said Mack "You & Jessie are two peas in the same pod... Think about it Simon, other than you, how many kids do you know that loves to take pictures, has a wicked sense of humor, and can drink the Pope under the table and still function normally?"

"I'll be damned" said Simon "Why didn't I see that before?"

"Bc you weren't ready to see it" said Edgar "just like you never found your soulmate till now, bc you weren't ready... don't feel bad Simon, I never found mine either... I know she's out there, I just haven't found her yet... and I've looked in every church in the entire United States"

"Why are you looking for her in churches?" asked Louis

"Bc every time I've seen her, she's always in a church" said Edgar 

"You need to have Jessie help you find her" said Louis "Jessie has a knack for finding soulmates"

"Really" said Edgar

"Yeah.. she found mine, my brother Charlie's & my brother Evan's soulmates" said Meghan

"She found Jimmy & I's too" said Simon

"Jessie also told Gem & I that we were soulmates" said Louis "Give it a shot Edgar" as Jessie & Cece came back and sat down

"How did it go poppet?" asked Ni

"It went good" said Jessie "We tidied up Cece's memories and locked up the scary ones, so she should be fine from now on... I told her to have Gem or Louis call me if they come back"

"Oh good" said Ni

"Is Momma Okay?" asked Jessie "She's not as clear as she usually is"

"Pamie went upstairs" said Sarah "Izzie's Momma went off on William & Gwen in the Chamber" as Jessie got up and went to Pamela 

"Who was with her?" asked Jessie

"Damian... why?" said Mack

"DAMIAN" yelled Jessie

"What's up boss lady?" asked Damian

"Who touched Momma?" asked Jessie

"No one touched her, I swear Jess" said Damian

"Who was in the shadows?" asked Jessie and touched their heads together

"Oh shit" said Damian "STUART!!"

"Yeah?" said Stuart

"Who was in the shadows while Pamela was upstairs?" asked Damian

"Just me.. why?" asked Stuart

"Bc someone touched her" said Damian

"That mother fucker" said Jessie "Damian, you & Stuart get the guys and bring me Rosalind's bastard second husband, and make sure he's solid bc he's got and ass kicking coming"

"Yes ma'am" said Damian & Stuart and disappeared

"Hang on Momma" said Jessie "Andrew!!"

"Jess?... What's happened?" asked Andrew

"Rupert touched Momma" said Jessie "Stay with Momma and bring her back... Rupert is mine" Jessie headed out to the yard as Damian and the guys appeared with another man


	141. Chapter 141

Chapter 141

JESSIE'S POV

I headed out to the yard, and turned my ring into the palm of my hand.

"We meet again Jessica" said Rupert "Or is it Svetlana?... or maybe its Gretchen?... I get confused"

"You Mother fucker" I said and slapped him, drawing blood "What the fuck is your problem Rupert?"

"You are my problem" said Rupert "You run the place like you own it... What makes you so fucking special?"

"I don't know what you are talking about" I said and crossed my arms

"Why do you get to be reborn and the rest of us don't?" asked Rupert

"Try asking God" I said "Bc that's beyond my pay grade Rupert"

"Bullshit" said Rupert "Marcus got to be reborn bc of you... Natalia got to be reborn bc of you... so did Jasper & Gordon, all bc of you... Why not me?"

"Oh, I get it" I said "You think bc I knew them, that I had something to do with it?.. So, what? You touched my Momma, thinking that would make me go to God on your behalf?... You fucked with the wrong person Rupert"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Rupert

"PAPA.. LOUIS" I yelled "COME MEET RUPERT" as Papa & Louis walked over to us "Rupert, this is my Papa, Niall and my Uncle Louis... fuys, this is my Great-Grandpa Rupert" as Papa & Louis both punched Rupert in the face at the same time

"Oh shit" said Davis as Papa went ballistic on Rupert and had him in a headlock

"Now Rupert, the boys are gonna take you back upstairs and if you EVER pull this shit again, I'll have God punch your ticket to Oblivion... Do you hear me? Nod if you understand what I'm saying" I said as Rupert nodded "Okay Papa, let him go" Papa dropped him "Go ahead and take him back guys and keep him away from my family... that includes Rosalind"

"Yes ma'am boss lady" said Damian as they disappeared and we headed back to the patio

"How is she Andrew?" asked Louis

""God gave her back" said Andrew "She'll be waking up soon"

"Come on poppet" said Papa softly as Momma slowly opened her eyes "There's my girl" and smiled

"Hey sunshine" said Momma softly

"How do you feel Pamela?" asked Andrew

"I feel like my head was under water too long" said Momma softly "What happened?"

"Someone upstairs touched you when Damian was bringing you back" said Andrew "God sent you back"

"God sent me back?" said Momma "You mean I died?"

"Almost" said Andrew "When an angel touches a human, without being solid like I am now, the soul gets disconnected from the body and is in limbo till the heart stops... Jessie figured out what was happening in time... I'm so sorry I didn't see it Pamela"

"That's okay Andrew, its not your fault" said Momma "I thought I felt something, but I didn't see anything, so I thought I had imagined it, bc I was trying so hard not to touch anyone... Do you know who it was that touched me?"

"Rupert... Ms. Rosalind's second husband" I said "Papa & Uncle Louis unleashed on him.. it was epic... Now, I need to go say Thank you, be right back" and went to the gazebo and knelt on the steps "I know I've been a bitch lately, but Thank you for sending Momma back and I'll try and ease up on the personal criticism & swearing... Amen" I crossed myself and went back to the patio and sat down "Are you okay Papa?"

"I'm a little on edge poppet, but I'll be okay" said Papa

"Grandpa? What's wrong?" I asked

"Its just been a long day princess" said Liam

I pulled out my phone and checked the time "Its almost 1am" I said "The War starts in 13 hours, why don't we all get some rest"

Meghan took Cece's hand and touched her face "Come on Cece, lets go get some sleep" said Meghan, Cece nodded, gave everyone a hug and waved goodnight as they went in the house... Mack ran to the back door

"MEGHAN.. CECE'S SUITCASE IS IN THE PEACH BEDROOM CLOSET" yelled Mack

"OKAY" yelled Meghan, then Mack came over to Momma

"Are you okay enough to walk darlin?" asked Mack

"Yeah, I think so" said Momma and slowly stood up, then sat back down "Oh God" she took a couple of deep breaths and tried to stand again "Okay, I'm up" and fell into Papa's arms "Damn it"

"I've got you poppet" said Papa "Are you alright?"

"Yeah... My head feels heavy and I cant seem to keep my balance" said Momma

"Mack, Can you help me get her in the house please" said Papa

"Sure Ni" said Mack "Come on Mommabear, put your arms around my neck" and picked up Momma "There you go darlin, I've got you... you'll feel better in the morning"

"God I hope so" said Momma as they went in the house

"Don't worry Mom, she'll be fine in a few hours" said Andrew "If not, then call me"

"Okay" said Mary and kissed his cheek "Get some saleep sweetie and we'll see you & the boys in the morning"

"Yes ma'am" said Andrew and disappeared as Mack came back outside

"Pamela's in bed now" said Mack and went to Liam & Zayn "Relax Li, she'll be fine"

"I'll try" said Liam as tears ran down his cheeks "She looked so fragile... She looked like Dani" and wiped his eyes

"I know Li" said Louis as they hugged "Don't think about that right now.. PJ is upstairs sleeping, safe & sound... Niall is with her, so relax, get some sleep and snuggle your babies"

"Come on babe" said Zayn "Lou's right.. shh... Peaches is stronger than you think.. she'll be fine" as they went in the house

"Edgar, join us tomorrow and I'll help you find her" I said 

"Thank you Jessie" said Edgar and kissed my cheek "Get some rest and I'll be here at 10am"

"Okay.. see you then" I said and smiled

"Mary.. I'll see you tomorrow" said Edgar

"Okay... Drive safe Edgar" said Mary

"Yes ma'am" said DEdgar and left

"Come on y'all, lets get some sleep" said Mack

I went in the house, started the dishwasher, looked in on Momma & Papa - they were sleeping, went to my room to put my pajamas on, and then went to brush my teeth. I was just about done when Marcus came into the bathroom with his pajamas.

"Oh.. sorry angel" said Marcus

"That's okay, I was just finishing up" I said as I swished out my mouth "There, its all yours my love" and went back to my room and got in bed "Goodnight petal"

"Goodnight jellybean" said Sarah as she put in her earplugs and laid down as Marcus came in and got in bed 

"Do you think Momma will be alright?" I asked softly

"She'll be fine angel, you'll see" said Marcus "but you should know, she finally learned to read before she went upstairs"

"Oh gosh" I said 

"Yeah, so you may not be able to turn it off, if it gets to be too much for her to handle" said Marcus

"Okay" I said "Jimmy & I will help Momma thru it if that happens... Thank you for telling me"

"You're welcome angel" said Marcus "How bad was Cece's head?"

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be" I said "Meghan taught her how to organize her thoughts & other memories, so we locked up the bad ones and re-organized her memories, then we sat and talked bc she had a lot of questions... about the baby, what sex is supposed to be, about Brian, about Gem & Lou & the family... and Louis was right"

"About what?" asked Marcus

"Cece is very smart" I said "She learns fast and I think Louis & Gem are just the family she needs... Anne is gonna flip when they tell her that they're going to adopt Cece"

"Yes she will" chuckled Marcus ""Garrett called Ni when Pamela was upstairs bc she disappeared.. He's very in tune with her and thinks of Pamela as a daughter"

"I know" I said "Do you think Rupert was right?"

"NO angel, I don't" said Marcus Not everyone gets to be reborn... It was just a fluke that Garrett, Jimmy & Sarah were reborn to be a part of your family... you had no part in that, and neither did I, I swear"

"I believe you" I said and kissed him "I Love You Marcus"

"I Love You too Jessie" said Marcus "lets go to sleep angel"

"O.. kay" I said as I snuggled into his arms and fell asleep

IN THE MORNING....

I woke up to my alarm going off, so I got up, put on my bathing suit, ratty old shorts, a strapless baby-doll top, brushed my hair and put it in a messy bun, grabbed my purse, money, phone and ratty old tennis shoes, then woke up Marcus and Sarah.

"Hey sleepyheads, its 9o'clock.. time to get up" I said "The battle starts in 5 hours"

"I'm up" said Marcus 

"I'm up" said Sarah and rubbed her eyes "What time is it?"

"Its 9am" I said.. I went and knocked on every bedroom door and opened them a crack, then stood in the middle of the hallway and made this announcement "ITS 9AM Y'ALL, BATTLE STARTS IN 5 HOURS.. LETS GO PEOPLE, RISE & SHINE SLEEPYHEADS... DON'T MAKE ME USE MOMMA'S AIRHORN"

"WE'RE UP... WE'RE UP" yelled Papa, Liam & Mary, so I went downstairs... first objective done

"Hey pretty babies.. time to get up" I said as they yawned and got them out of bed "Come on, lets go potty and Mommy will get your breakfast" as I opened the back door and they ran outside. I put their food in their bowls and took it outside as everyone came downstairs "Chelsea, Trudy, breakfast time" they came running and sat down "Oh, good girls" and set their bowls down "Eat it all up and then you can go play" and went inside "Morning Momma" and hugged her "How do you feel?"

"Morning baby" said Momma "I feel much better... I'm sorry I worried you"

"That's alright, its not like you planned it" I said "Marcus told me you finally learned to read"

"Yeah... Papa did too" said Momma

"If you start to feel overwhelmed by it, you tell me" I said "If we cant turn it off, Jimmy & I will show you how to shut it down for a while, okay?"

"Okay baby" said Momma "It was pretty quiet last night, so maybe it wont get that bad"

"Lets hope Momma" I said "Okay y'all, we got a lot to pack up today, and don't want to forget anything... Haz & I are going to get the coolers, wood & stuff, so we need to pack up the girls' bed, along with their toys & blankets and their food & bowls, so if they get unruly or tired, we can put them down for a nap... we need to pack all of the picnic stuff, foil, charcoal, lighter fluid, matches, plastic wrap, duct tape, water balloons, squirt guns, cameras, towels, blankets, don't forget your ratty shoes & hoodies, the stuff for s'mores & the bonfire skewers.... Am I forgetting anything?"

"That sounds like everything baby" said Momma

"We'll need some chairs" said Mary "bc all we'll have are the picnic tables to sit at"

"Okay" I said aand pulled out my phone and added it to the list "Call Linda, Anne & Maura and have them bring theirs, then call me and let me know how many we'll need"

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"Okay y'all, lets take our vitamins" I said and handed them out as Mack and everyone came thru the door

"Morning y'all" said Mack and started the coffee, tea water & started making breakfast

"Morning Pooh bear" I said and walked over to Cece, took her hand and touched my face "How are you feeling this morning?... Oh good... We're gonna spend the day at the lake and have a water balloon fight.. Do you want to be on my team with Meghan?" Cece nodded "Okay, here's a vitamin & get some juice, Mack is making breakfast... Haz & I have to go to the store and get a few things, just relax sweetie" Cece nodded again "Haz, I'm ready when you are"

"Okay peanut" said Haz and grabbed his phone, keys & wallet

"Momma, call Garrett, let him know you're okay, so he can relax & stop worrying about you" I said "also let him know we'll need every available car please"

"Okay baby" said Momma "

"We'll be back soon" I said as Haz & I headed for the truck and left

NIALL'S POV

"Hey Gem.. Did you call Anne yet?" I asked

"Not yet" said Gem "I was up all night writing up the lawsuit... I haven't been to sleep yet"

"Damn girl" said Pamela "Maybe you should let Louis drive today"

"I'll be fine, I just need about 3 cups of coffee" said Gem 

"Jessie called Evan while you were at the hospital" said Jimmy "He said to call Judge Stanton this morning to request a meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the lawsuit... He also said the Judge will request to be THE Judge when it goes to trial"

"Oh wow... Judge Stanton is the best... He's fair & does his job" said Gem "You want to be my co-council?"

"Absolutely" said Jimmy "I was going to offer my assistance, bc when suing a hospital, its good to have a Corporate Lawyer, to decipher thru the tons of files they'll have to turn over"

"I was thinking the same thing" said Gem as Cece touched Gem's face "Yes sweetie?... Strawberry waffles... they're really good" as Evan, Jordan & Charlie came thru the door

"Morning Mom" said Evan and kissed Mary's cheek

"Morning sweetie" said Mary "Morning Jordan.. Charlie... get some coffee or tea and have a seat"

"Morning Mary" said Jordan and kissed her cheek "How was your night?"

"Eventful" said Mary

"Are you okay Pamela?" asked Charlie "You had a close call last night... I was worried"

"I'm fine Charlie" said Pamela "Andrew helped me and after getting some sleep, I'm good as new" and smiled

"Oh good" said Charlie "Did you hear what happened to Rupert last night?"

"No... What happened?" asked Louis

"God punched his ticket" said Charlie

"No way" I said and crossed myself

"Yep.. that snapped William's anger with Pamela to pieces" said Charlie "Collin told William to tread lightly or he could be next"

"Oh Damn" said Marcus "Did anything else happen?"

"Mr. Anderson faced his Judgement & Sentencing last night after everyone went to sleep" said Charlie "That's why it was so quiet upstairs last night... everyone thought God was cleaning house" and took a drink of coffee "Its crazy up there this morning... its like now that Rupert is gone, everyone can relax and have a little fun"

"I know" chuckled Pamela "Gramps is having a mental stroke right now"

"Why?" I asked "I cant read that far"

"Bc Gran... Oh God" laughed Pamela "Gran bought a bikini bathing suit"

"Are you serious?" I said and crossed myself

"Yep" said Pamela "Becca & Gran went shopping this morning, so be prepared Ni, bc Gran is having the time of her life, and now that she's 30 years younger, she's jumping head first in the deep end of the pool"

"Oh Damn" I said and closed my eyes "Okay Ni, don't go mental, just breathe" and crossed myself as Becca, Mom & Gran came thru the door "Morning Mom.. Morning Gran" and kissed their cheeks

"Morning sweetie" said Mom

"Damn PJ, you look like shit" said Becca "You've got more bags under you eyes, than Samsonite has luggage"

"Gee... Good Morning & Hello to you too Becks" said Pamela "If you had the night I had last night, you'd look like shit too"

"Why?... What happened?" asked Becca

"Pamela went upstairs last night" said Charlie "and one of the angels touched her"

"Oh shit" said Becca and crossed herself "No wonder you don't look so good... Did you call Pops yet?"

"No, not yet" said Pamela "I was about to, I just wanted to get some coffee in me first" and pulled out her phone "Hey General... I'm fine sir... Jessie said to tell you we need every available car... She & Haz went to get the wood, coolers, chairs & stuff... about 20 minutes ago... What are you doing?... Ahh okay, well we'll see you soon sir... peace out" and hung up "Garrett & everyone will be here soon, they're buying bathing suits"

"Have a seat y'all, breakfast is ready" said Mack and started setting out plates

"Damn Mack, these look good" I said 

"They're to die for" said Jimmy as Cece took a bite and moaned, then started signing really fast

"Thank you darlin... I'm glad you like them" said Mack as he signed and chuckled "Okay, eat your breakfast darlin, we can talk later" Cece nodded and stopped signing

Louis & Gem chuckled "It looks like you have a fan Mack" said Louis and took a bite "Oh wow.. these are good"

"I know" said Sarah "We had these last Thursday while you guys were in London"

"Damn" said Louis "We had scrambled eggs"

"Aw poor teddy bear" said Sarah "That's what happens when YOU get to go somewhere fun and WE have to stay home"

"Good point petal" said Louis as Haz & Jessie came thru the door with 4 huge coolers "Damn munchkin, think you bought enough?" as Damian and the guys came in with lots of bags of ice

"Yep" said Jessie "I told y'all we had a lot to pack up.. Weren't you listening?... Sheesh" and rolled her eyes

"Yes, I was listening" said Louis "But I don't think we need 4 coolers"

"Don't think Louis" said Jessie "You could pull a muscle"

"Don't say it Lou" said Haz seriously "The trip to get these didn't go well"

"What happened baby?" asked Pamela 

"The damned clerk was making lewd comments about me, to me from the minute we walked in the door, all thru the store and up to the checkout" said Jessie "We tried to ignore him, but he just wouldn't shut his fucking mouth, so Haz went to report the guy to the Manager, and the minute Haz was gone, that mother fucker put his hand in my shorts and grabbed my ass, so I beat the shit out of him, then Haz pulled me off the guy and I accidently punched Haz in the stomach... hard"

"Are you okay Haz?" I asked

"Yeah.. I'm okay" said Haz "The clerk isn't... She messed him up bad and there was blood everywhere" as Jessie went upstairs "I've never seen her so angry before and the guys face looked like a pile of raw burger when I pulled her off him... and with as much blood as there was, I know she broke something in the guys face"

I got up as Jessie came back down in clean clothes and hugged her "Just breathe poppet" I said as she held me tight

"I'm sorry for swearing Papa" said Jessie

"That's alright poppet" I said "Try and relax so that we can have some fun today, okay?"

"Okay Papa" said Jessie and wiped her eyes

"Go wash your hands" I said and plugged my nose "You've got blood all over your knuckles & ring"

"Aw crap" said Jessie and ran to the sink and started scrubbing her hands, face, arms & neck "I'm sorry Papa"

"Jessie.. its alright poppet, stop apologizing" I said as she dried off, and I unplugged my nose as Garrett and his family came thru the door

"Just breathe Admiral" said Garrett

"I'm trying General" said Jessie and started opening bags of ice and filling up the coolers and loading them up with what we need "Haz, get some breakfast, and try and eat slowly so that you don't get sick"

"Okay peanut" said Haz and got a plate and some coffee and sat down, took a bite and moaned "Oh my God... damn, I see why these are Jimmy's favorite, I could eat these all day, every day"

"Ms. Jenny gave me the recipe" said Mack "Anne loves them too"

"Mom loves anything with strawberries in it" said Haz "I made her some strawberry truffles for Mother's Day and the way she acted, you'd think she won the lottery"

"Damn Haz" said Jessie "What else do you know how to make?"

"Eggnog custard, Shepherd's Pie, Mincemeat Pie, Swedish Meatballs and Cheese, Potato & Broccoli Perogies" said Haz 

"Damn" said Louis "Why don't you cook more?"

"Bc I tend to burn things when I get distracted or feel pressured" said Haz "Like last Monday when Jessie got sick and I burned the eggs"

"Ahh Okay" said Louis 

"That's why I listen to music when I cook" said Pamela "it helps me relax and it also helps if everyone stays out of the kitchen too"

"I like cooking while everyone's sleeping" said Haz "Last month when Mom was sick, I made dinner while she took a nap... I liked the peace & quiet"

"Making custard is tricky" said Jessie "I tried to make it once and it didn't turn out right.. it was awful"

"That's bc you added the eggs too fast" said Haz "you turn your heat down to simmer, and add the eggs a little at a time, while constantly stirring till its all gone... if your heat is up too high, it'll scorch and turn into runny scrambled eggs"

"Huh... Thanks Haz" said Jessie "Next time I attempt to make it, you can talk me thru it"

"Okay peanut" said Haz "You're welcome"

"Okay, the coolers are loaded" said Jessie "Lets clean up the kitchen and load up the truck & the tank" and went upstairs and came back with blankets & towels, went back upstairs and cam down with her camera bags and several tote bags "Haz.. Where's the storage bag for the play yard?"

"Its hanging on the back of the storage pantry door with the girls' leashes" said Haz 

"Oh okay" said Jessie, got the bag and folded up the girls' dog bed and put6 it in the bag "Momma, we're gonna need all 10 cases of balloons please"

Okay baby" said Pamela and went upstairs and came down with 5 boxes "Do you have the squirt guns?"

"Nope, not yet" said Jessie as she looked thru her camera bags, then went upstairs "MARCUS... WHERE ARE THE SQUIRT GUNS?" yelled Jessie

"COMING ANGEL" yelled Marcus and ran up the stairs

Marcus & Jessie came back down with 2 boxes & a duffle bag and started ripping open boxes and took out the squirt guns and put them in the duffle bag

"Holy shit" said Matt "How many of those do you have?"

"8... each team gets 4 guns" said Jessie "We also have 3 cases of water balloons filled and ready, and 10 extra cases of balloons in case we need them, we can fill them there"

"Sweet Jesus" said Roger & Gary, then walked over and patted Marcus on the shoulders

"Good luck Man" said Gary

"You're a dead man my friend" said Roger

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence guys" said Marcus as Anne & Robin came thru the door

"Hey Mom" said Haz and kissed Anne's cheek "Hey Robin" and shook his hand "Are you ready to have some fun?"

"Oh Yes" said Anne "I could hardly sleep, I was so excited... How was the Bridal Suite?"

"It was amazing" said Haz and pulled out his phone "That's the view from the balcony" and showed Anne

"Oh wow... its gorgeous" said Anne as Gem, Lou & Cece came thru the back door "Gemma... Oh.. Who is this?"

"Mom, this is Cecilia" said Gem and took Cece's hand and touched her face "Cece, this is my Mom, Anne and my Dad, Robin.. your new Grandma & Grandpa" Cece hugged them and kissed Anne's cheek

"Grandma?" said Anne "Oh gosh" and held Cece tight as tears ran down her cheeks "How old is she?"

"She's 12" said Gem as Cece wiped Anne's eyes and shook her head "She's trying to tell you dont' cry"

"I'll try sweetie" said Anne and kissed her head "When is her birthday?"

"January 12th, 1999" said Gem 

"Oh wow.. so is Brian's" said Sarah "Mine & Andrew's is August 15th" as Linda, Tom & Brian came thru the door.. Cece saw Brian and fell to the floor covering her mouth and pointing at Brain

"Is she alright?" asked Brian as Jessie went to Cece

"I know" said Jessie as Cece touched Jessie's face "That's Brian Jeffries, Sarah's brother... let me ask" and looked at Brian "Can you read?"

"Yeah, Sarah showed me how... Why?" said Brian

"You remember when I said that we would find your soulmate?" said Jessie

"Yeah, I remem...." said Brian and stopped and looked at Cece "Oh my God... Really?"

"Yeah... you're all over her memories" said Jessie "Do you ever remember seeing her?"

"Yeah" said Brian "but I never heard anything, so I thought she was just a dream"

"That's bc she's deaf Brian" said Sarah "You both have the same birthday too"

"Holy shit" said Brian softly and went to Cece and she touched his face

"Read her Bry... then you can hear each other" said Sarah

"Hi" said Brian "You are so beautiful... whoa, did you feel that?" Cece nodded "Oh wow... this is amazing" and kissed Cece's head as they hugged "Jessie, you rock lady"

"Thanks Bry" chuckled Jessie "I don't mean to break this up, but we need to start loading up the cars" as Edgar came thru the door

"Wow... its standing room only in here" chuckled Edgar

"Perfect timing Edgar" said Simon and took Gran's hand "This is Beth... Beth, this is my Uncle, Edgar Walker"

"Its nice to meet you Edgar" said Gran and shook his hand

"Its nice to meet you too Beth" said Edgar "You are stunning... Your Momma is going to love her Simon"

"I hope so" said Simon "Bc Beth has stolen my heart"

"Okay Men" said Garrett "Lets start hauling this stuff out to the truck"

"Yes sir" said all of the guys

"Put the boxes & bags in the back of the tank General" said Jessie 

"Yes ma'am" said Garrett

"Kara, you can hang out with Zayn & I" said Mary "bc we're pregnant, Jessie doesn't want us getting hurt"

"Sounds good.. Thanks Mary" said Kara

"You're welcome" said Mary 

"Sarah, can you get the girls' leashes and put them on them please" said Jessie as shed gathered up the dogs food, bowls & treats

"Sure jellybean" said Sarah and got them and went outside as we continued hauling stuff outside

JESSIE'S POV

Once everything was loaded up, everyone gathered in the Livingroom. "Okay, who all still needs to go put on their bathing suits?" I said 

"We do" said Momma, Papa, Haz & Mary

"Then go do it cuz we're leaving in 10 minutes" I said as they all went upstairs "Does everyone have a towel & a hoodie?"

"Yep" said everyone as Papa & Haz came downstairs

"Okay... Momma & Papa will drive the tank with Andrew & the guys... Louis, Gem & Cece will take Gem's car... Liam & Zayn will take Lou's car with Mack & Jimmy... Simon & Beth can drive Haz's truck... Haz will drive Mary's car with Me, Marcus & the girls... and Sarah, you can go with your Mom & Dad... I think that's everyone... right?" I said

"Sounds like it poppet" said Papa as Momma & Mary cam downstairs ""Do you have your purse poppet?"

"Yeah" said Momma

"Okay y'all, lets move out" I said I checked the back door and turned off the coffee pot and headed for the cars as Mary locked the door "DID Y'ALL REMEMBER THE WATER BALLOONS?" I yelled

"OH SHIT!!" yelled Papa and got the cases of balloons and put them in the back of the truck and closed the garage "YOU'RE ALL SET SIMON"

"THANKS NI" yelled Simon as we all pulled out of the driveway and headed to the lake


	142. Chapter 142

Chapter 142

PAMELA'S POV

"Ni, get my phone, put it on Spotify and put it on 'beach music' please" I said 

"Okay poppet" said Ni and got the tunes playing as he hooked it to the car

"Oh wow... this takes me back" said Davis "I love the tunes Pamela"

"Thanks" I said "I like listening to the Beach Boys when I drive.. it makes the time go by faster"

When we reached the lake, we unloaded the cars while Robin got the grills lit and cooked the chicken while Mom, Kara & Jessie set the table. Haz was unpacking the play yard & chairs when his phone rang

HARRY: Hello?

ELLIE: Hi Harry, its Ellie

HARRY: Hey Ellie... What's up?

ELLIE: We finally got that big delivery from Jessie unpacked and found some letters & boxes in some of the garment bags, so I came by to give them to Jessie, but I must've just missed you

HARRY: Come on over... We're at the lake over by the horse stables, just look for the truck

ELLIE: Oh Okay... I'll be there in 15 minutes

HARRY: Okay Ellie

and hung up "Hey Jessie" said Haz 

"Yeah?" said Jessie as Haz walked over

"Ellie just called" said Haz "They finally got the boxes Jeff sent unpackede and found some letters & boxes in some of the garment bags, so Ellie's bringing them over to you... she's on her way"

"Damn" said Jessie "Thanks Haz"

"You're welcome peanut" said Haz "just relax... It'll be Okay Admiral" and smiled

"You're a dork Haz" chuckled Jessie

"Yeah... but I'm your dork peanut" said Haz 

"Yes you are" said Jessie and kissed his cheek "I'm really sorry Haz"

"Hey... its alright, I'm not mad" said Haz "Next time, I'll just hit your reset button and run for my life... no problem" and smiled

"That's probably safer Haz" chuckled Jessie

"Mary, would you like a cold burger before I warm them up?" asked Robin

"Yes please Robin" said Mom "Is everything ready?"

"Yep, we're just waiting on the burgers" said Robin "and it should only take a couple of minutes to take the chill off them"

"Then we'll say Grace while they warm up" said Mom

"Sounds good" said Robin

"Everyone, lets say Grace" said Mom "Join hands" and Cece put her hand on Jessie's face "Jessie"

"Heavenly Father, bless this food with all of the love that went into making it.. Thank you for bringing Cece into our family, bless Brian & Cece with your Love & patience as they begin their Love Story.. and as we begin our battle, grace us with you strength & wisdom in our quest to have fun on this beautiful day... In Jesus name... AMEN" said Jessie

"Amen" said everyone as Ellie walked over to us

"Hey Ellie" said Jessie and hugged her

"I'm sorry to just show up like this Jessie" said Ellie

"That's okay" said Jessie as Ellie handed her a tote bag

"Oh my God" said Edgar "She's here"

"Who Edgar?" said Gran 

"The girl I've been looking for" said Edgar "She's talking to Jessie" and Beth looked at Jessie

"That's Ellie" said Gran "Jessie... Don't let Ellie leave just yet"

"Why Gran?" asked Jessie as they looked at Gran 

"Bc Edgar needs to talk to Ellie" said Gran as Edgar walked over to Jessie

"Its you" said Ellie

"Yeah... I thought I'd never find you" said Edgar

"Are you kidding me?" said Jessie "Oh, this is getting crazy y'all"

"Edgar Walker, this is Ellie Winthrop" said Mom "Ellie, call Grace and tell her that you'll be back soon"

"O-okay" said Ellie and pulled out her phone "Grace?.... um... I'll be home in a little while... yeah, everything's fine.. I found him... Okay, I will... bye now" and hung up

"Ellie, just breathe sweetie" said Mom

"I'm trying" said Ellie and put her hand on Edgar's chest "Oh dear Lord" and hugged him "Oh God, you're really here" and started crying

"Shh... I'm here beautiful" said Edgar softly as Ellie cried "Its alright, just breathe Ellie" as they parted, Edgar wiped her eyes and kissed her forehead "Are you okay now?"

"Yeah.. I think so" said Ellie "Where do you live?"

"I live in the States, in Michigan" said Edgar "Where do you live?"

"At the church down the road from Mary's house" said Ellie "I'm a Nun"

"Seriously?" said Mack, Garrett, Matt, Kyle, Roger, Bo & Gary all in unison

"Way to go Edgar" said Simon "Leave it to the one man in America who doesn't attend church, to fall in love with a Nun"

"Oh shut up Dad" said Jessie "Just bc they're soulmates, doesn't mean that they stop being human... Being a Nun was Ellie's path laid out by God, till she fell in love, so now she writes the story of how the rest of her life goes... That's how this works"

"You mean this was supposed to happen?" said Mack

"Yes, it was supposed to happen" said Jessie "Bc Ellie pledged her life to the church & to God, Fate stepped in, bc Fate can do that... Think of God & Fate as two sides of the same coin... Bc God gave us free will, he can only write the story that our lives take till we fall in love, then the rest is up to us.. The Good, the Bad and everything in between... Fate plays the Law of Averages and 9 times out of 10, bets the house and wins... To Fate, Love is like a roulette wheel and soulmates always make Fate a winner"

"So if Ellie leaves the church, and she & Edgar get married and have kids, that's the rest of the story?" said Charlie

"Yep... And they lived happily ever after" said Jessie "The End"

"Oh wow" said Charlie as Jessie's alarm went off

"Battle time y'all" said Jessie "Lets finish up and get this thang going" and grabbed the duffle bag and ran down to the lake

"Damn... Did anyone else get whiplash from the gears she switched or is it just me?" said Matt

"That's just how she rolls Matt" I said and chuckled "Don't try to understand it, just go with the flow" Jessie came back with the duffle bag and got in her tote bag

"Come here Brian" said Jessie "So I can waterproof your cast"

"How are you gonna do that?" asked Brian and sat in a chair

"Plastic wrap & duct tape" said Jessie "you cant go swimming, but it'll protect it from water balloons & squirt guns"

"Girl, that is so redneck" said Mack

"Yeah, but it works" said Jessie "Buster Brooks did this to his arm when Dustin drove their riding mower in the yard when the sprinklers were on and got stuck in the mud"

"Damn.. she's good" said Gary

"There.. you're all set Bry" said Jessie "Okay, who all is joining in?" as everyone raised their hands, except for Simon, Bo, Ellie, Edgar, Kara, Mom & Pops "All of the ladies & Mack, behind me... Okay, we've got 10 extra people, so this is gonna be like picking teams for Dodgeball and we each get 5 picks... You pick first Marcus"

"I pick Garrett" said Marcus

"I pick Matt" said Jessie

"Damian" said Marcus 

"Davis" said Jessie

"Gary" said Marcus

"Roger" said Jessie 

"Collin" said Marcus

"Andrew" said Jessie

"Kyle" said Marcus

"Stuart" said Jessie "Each team gets 4 guns and 2 boxes of balloons... You only get 3 time outs to refill your guns, so make each shot count... Got it?"

"Yes ma'am" said everyone

RULE #1: If you get hit in the face, you're dead so go to the picnic table and shut up... Dead people don't talk

RULE #2: If you get captured, be a man or woman and prepare for immediate execution

RULE #3: Kick ass, take names and show no mercy

RULE #4: ALL BATTLE PLANS ARE TO BE DONE IN PRIVATE WITH AN ARMED LOOK-OUT

RULE #5: If you get hurt, yell 9-1-1 and I'll call a 10 minute cease fire... Are we clear on the rules?

"Yes ma'am" said everyone

"Simon, get the video camers out of my bag and show Zayn & Izzie how to use them please" said Jessie 

"Yes ma'am" said Simon

"Join hands for group prayer" said Jessie as we joined hands "Heavenly Father, we ask that you watch over us as we battle for supremacy in a quest to have an epic amount of fun... Keep us safe, give us strength & your abiding wisdom... In Jesus name... Amen"

"Amen" said everyone

"You have 2 minutes to put your phones at the table and make your battle plan... Good luck" said Jessie, took off her shirt and grabbed a box of balloons, as did Becca... I took my shirt off and grabbed 4 squirt guns, then we walked away

MARCUS'S POV

"Oh my God" I said "Is that her bathing suit?"

"Yep" said Jimmy

"There's nothing there... She may as well be naked" I said 

"Now may be next time, you'll keep your shirt on" said Ni "Bc that's what started this whole mess"

"Come on" said Garrett "We've got less than 2 minutes to form a plan before we get ambushed" and walked away with our stuff

JESSIE'S POV

"What's the plan Admiral?" asked Becca

"Divide & Conquer" I said "I know it doesn't work all the time, but they aren't organized and don't have a clue what to do... we'll split off in teams of 2 and blitz attack them... Always remember to hit them in the face, bc if you hity them anywhere else, they can still get you... Who all can throw, other than Momma & Beth?"

"We can" said Becca, Matt & Roger

"I can" said Mack

"Okay, use your shirts to carry balloons" I said "Sarah, you too" I took Cece's hand and touched my face "Can you throw a balloon and hit someone in the face?" Cece nodded "Can you be sneaky?" Cece nodded "Good.. I want you to stay with Meghan and hit as many of the guys in the face as you can, okay?" Cece nodded "If you get hurt, I want you to whistle, okay?" Cece nodded "Good luck" as Cece dropped her hand

"You too" said Cece, took off her shirt, loaded it with balloons, and took Meghan's hand and went in the water and into the tall grass

"Did Cece just speak?" said Gem

"Yep" said Mack "She trusts us and that's important to her"

"Okay, Maura, Anne, Linda & I will take the squirt guns... MAura, you're with Becca... Matt, you're with me... Roger, you're with Linda, and Anne, you're with Mack... Andrew, Stuart, Davis, you are our secret weapons" I said 

"You want us in the shadows?" asked Davis

"Yeah... take out Garrett, Marcus & Louis" I said 

"Yes ma'am" they said as they took their shirts off, loaded them up with balloons and disappeared

"Okay, lets load up and remember, aim for the face at all times and if you get hurt, yell 9-1-1" I said "Good luck"

"Yes ma'am" said everyone as we loaded up our shirts with balloons and split up into our teams

MARCUS'S POV

"Wouldn't it be easier to just ambush them?" asked Damian "Bc you knowJessie is playing it hardcore dirty... Whatever she's said before now, do the opposite"

"That could work" said Kyle

"Divide & Conquer doesn't always work Kyle" said Garrett

"That's true, but Becca, Pamela, Matt & Roger know all of your strategies from our Wargames" said Kyle "So how much you wanna bet they'll use some of them?"

"He has a point Dad" said Gary

"You boys better get your asses in gear" said Kara "Its been almost 10 minutes" as she headed for the bathrooms"

"Shit" said Louis "Okay, lets just wing it... If you see any of them, aim for the face bc anywhere else, they can still get you"

"Oh God" groaned Ni "God, pleaser don't make me have to hit Pamela" and crossed myself

MEGHAN'S POV

"Here they come" whispered Cece and handed me a balloon "remember to hit their face" I nodded... We counted to 3 on our fingers and threw our balloons and hit Niall & Haz in the face

"DAMN IT" yelled Niall & Haz and gave us their balloons and squirt gun

"Bye boys" I said as they walked to the table and sat down "High-5" and smacked our hands together, then hid behind some bushes for our next target

"Damn... NI & Haz got killed already?" said Damian

"That's not good" said Evan

"I don't see any of the ladies" said Damian

"Lets just hangout here till we see one of them" said Evan

"Yeah Okay" said Damian

We each got a balloon, looked at each other as I counted to 3 on my fingers, stood up, and threw our balloons, hitting Damian & Evan in the face

"What the Hell?" said Evan

"Oh shit" said Damian... We took their balloons as they went to the table and sat down

"We're good" said Cece

"Yes we are" I said as we hid behind trees and bushes

Louis & Marcus got hit, but we didn't see who hit them, so we took their balloons & gun and hid... Now we had lots of balloons and 2 squirt guns... we were on a roll.

"Sweet Jesus" said Jimmy 

"I wonder who got them?" said Liam

"I don't know, but this isn't good" said Jimmy 

We quietly walked up behind them, tapped them on the shoulder and hit them in the face as they turned around.

""Goddamit" said Jimmy

"Damn" said Liam and gave us their balloons, then headed for the table as we high-5'd each other and hid again

We were just about to move, when 6 balloons flew and hit Jordan, Collin, Kyle, Gary, Charlie & Brian all in the face... all that was left was Garrett & Robin. We hid and waited as 2 balloons sailed thru the air and hit them... It was over and we won.

"BATTLE OVER!!" yelled Jessie "WE WON!!"

"WOOHOO!!" cheered everyone as they climbed out of the trees and we came out of hiding, then Andrew, Davis & Stuart appeared

"You two are good" said Jessie "High-5" and smacked our hands together

"Thanks" I said as we all headed to the table

"So what did y'all learn from this?" asked Jessie

"Meghan & Cece are sneaky Pete's" said Jimmy and crossed his arms

"Thank you" said Cece "Yes, I can talk... I can read lips too"

"No way" said Charlie "Did you know?"

"Yes, I knew" I said "and the reason I didn't say anything, is bc Cece asked me not to"

"I don't like to talk till I feel comfortable around the people I'm with" said Cece "Meghan is the only person that I've ever talked to, bc she doesn't treat me like I'm stupid... People think bc I cant hear, that I cant be smart"

"That's my girl" said Louis and smiled "You tell them sweetie" that made Cece smile

"What things are you interested in?" asked Anne

"I like to read, paint, sometimes Father Donnelly lets me help him do oil changes on the delivery van, and he showed me how to change out the spark plugs & adjust the timing belt" said Cece "I can also play the guitar & do Origami"

"What kinds of food do you like?" asked Louis

"Anything with chicken, pizza, fish, rice noodles, spinach, avocados, guacamole, Vegetarian Lasagna & anything spicy" said Cece "I hate lima beans, burgers, tripe, salmon & liver... yuck"

"Why are you so muddy?" asked Evan

"We were hiding in the tall grass in the water" I said "That's when we hit Niall & Haz... our first victims"

"What's thst on your leg?" asked Charlie

"I don't know" IK said and tried to brush it off, but it wouldn't move

"Don't touch it" said Jessie and went to her bag "Its a leech" and grabbed a can and sprinkled salt on it, then it moved and fell off my leg "Come on, we need to make sure there aren't any more.. on both of you" and we headed for the bathrooms

HARRY'S POV

"What are leeches?" asked Ni

"They're blood suckers" said Jimmy "They look kind of like snails, but they don't have a shell, eyes or antennae" as Charlie picked it up with a napkin

"Oh that is disgusting" said Charlie

"MOMMA... BRING ME THE 2 OTHER CANS OF SALT FROM MY BAG" yelled Jessie

"Oh God" said Pamela, grabbed the 2 cans and ran to the bathroom and went inside, then stepped back out "GEMMA.. BRING ME CECE'S BAG!!" as Gem grabbed the bag and ran to the bathroom

"Jesus... What's going on?" asked Damian

"Female issues Damian" said Davis "She just had a baby 2 days ago.. figure it out Dude"

"Give it a rest DUDE" said Damian "The way Pamela sounded, its like it was life or death"

Gem, Meghan & Pamela came out of the bathroom.. Pamela was carrying Cece.

"Is she alright Pamela?" asked Mary

"Yeah... we found one where is shouldn't be" said Pamela

"Oh no" said Mack 

"She'll be fine guys" said Pamela "Its not the first time in the History of Evolution, that a leech went to 'No Man's Land' "

"Come on y'all" said Jessie and took off her shoes & shorts "Last one in is a rotten egg" and ran at a dead run for the dock, dove in and hopped up on the raft "COME ON POOH BEAR... FIFTY BUCKS SAYS YOU CANT DO A BACK FLIP!!"

"Oh.. its on" said Mack and took off his shoes & shirt, ran for the dock, dove in and hopped up on the raft

Mack was standing with his back to the water and was just about to jump, when Jessie pushed him in, then dove in and swam for shore, running up to us with Mack right behind her.

"Momma... save me" laughed Jessie

"Nope, you started it, you finish it" said Pamela as Mack picked Jessie up, threw her over his shoulder, carried her back to the lake, and threw her in, making her land in the water on her stomach

"Oh Damn... That's gonna hurt" said Matt as Jessie came up out of the water & onto the dock to rest.. Mack went to help up, when she spun Mack around & flipped him into the water, then ran to shore, grabbed 3 bags of balloons and climbed a tree and hid as Mack came up on shore and ovwer to us

"Where is that little shit" panted Mack

"Up in that tree with about 3 bags of water balloons" said Davis

"DAVIS, YOU SNITCH!!" yelled Jessie as a waterballoons sailed thru the air and hit Davis in the face

"How did she make that shot?" said Jimmy "She can throw, but not this far"

"She has my sling shot" said Sarah

"Oh Damn" said Garrett as another balloon hit Jimmy in the back of the head

'HEY JELLYBEAN" yelled Sarah

"YEAH?" yelled Jessie 

"COME ON DOWN AND WE'LL SHOW GARRETT THAT THING" yelled Sarah

"OKAY" yelled Jessie and climbed out of the tree and came over to Pamela "Momma, I need the keys to the tank"

"They're in my purse baby" said Pamela as Jessie got the keys

"Come on petal" said Jessie as they ran to the parking lot and came back with the big metal box and target "You ready Momma?"

"Yep" said Pamela "Where do you want the target at?"

"Let Garrett choose where to put it" said Jessie

"Its your call sir" said Pamela

"Next to the building with the bathrooms should do" said Garrett

"Yes sir" said Pamela and ran to the bathrooms, step up the target and ran back as Jessie opened the box to a chorus of low whistles

"Sweet Jesus" said Becca "Those aren't real... right?"

"No... they're custom made AR-15 assault paintball guns" said Jessie "This one was my Mom's and that one was my Grandpa's... What color do you want?"

"Orange please" said Pamela

"Petal?" asked Jessie

"Neon Green please" said Sarah

"Okay... and I'll take the Hot Pink" said Jessie ""You want to change it up this time?"

"Yeah... I'll go high, let Sarah go mid-level and you go low" said Pamela as she put the scope on her gun... they got into their positions "ON 3... 1... 2... 3!!" There was a dull thud as 3 different colors appeared on the target

"Ho-ly shit" said Kyle, Matt, Roger Gary & Bo as Sarah & Pamela came out of the trees and back over to us

"What do you think sir?" asked Sarah

"Nicely done ladies" said Garrett

"Thank you sir" said Sarah

"How many times did you practice that?" asked Bo

"We didn't" said Pamela "We only did that one time and that was last Monday to mess with the guys bc Ni & Marcus leaked part of their strategy"

"Yeah" chuckled Mack "I told them 'If you want to live a long life, don't mess with a woman that can shoot a gun' "

"Damn" said Matt "Dad, you better apologize to Nana for taking her passport, bc if you don't, you may not live long enough to see your remaining grandchildren be born"

"Yeah Pops" said Becca "I talked to her the other night and she was on the verge, and I quote 'I'm about 10 minutes away from committing mayhem on Max & Duncan with a ball-peen hammer upside their heads for damned near destroying my kitchen'.. end quote"

"What did they do?" asked Garrett

"They tried to make dinner... Nana said that the kitchen reeked of saffron & curry and was head & shoulders deep in the oven" said Becca "They trashed that kitchen Pops... When Nana called, it was almost noon there and she had been cleaning since 4am bc 'they cant clean without infesting the whole house' "

"Those dumb asses" said Garrett and pulled out his phone and put it on speaker

DUNCAN: Hey Pops.. What's up?"

GARRETT: Why was Momma cleaning up a kitchen that you trashed?

DUNCAN: Bc she told us to leave it... Nana went Scotch-Irish on us Pops, she scared Max so bad, he had an asthma attack

GARRETT: Did you finish cleaning it?

DUNCAN: Yes sir, but it still reeks and she ain't happy about it either

GARRETT: Get your toothbrushes & the spray bottles of bleach and you two start scrubbing that entire kitchen till it smells of bleach... AM I CLEAR?

DUNCAN & MAX: SIR, YES SIR

and hung up


	143. Chapter 143

Chapter 143

HARRY'S POV (Continued)

Garrett made another call on speaker

NANA KAYE: Yes?

GARRETT: I'm sorry Momma, for taking your passport

NANA KAYE: Apology accepted... Now can you make Duncan & Max clean my kitchen correctly please

GARRETT: They will, I already called them, but you may want to order dinner for the next couple of days bc they're deep cleaning it with their toothbrushes & bleach

NANA KAYE: Alright honey... Tell Becca that I got all of her clothes boxed up & shipped out today, they should be there by 4o'clock Tuesday afternoon

GARRETT: Okay Momma... When are you & Mimi arriving?

NANA KAYE: We're shooting for Friday, but if Mimi gets everything settled at the office early enough, we may be there by Wednesday

GARRETT: Oh Okay.. When is Dad coming?

NANA KAYE: He'll be coming around the 28th of August, he has a couple of trials he beeds to close out and a few cases to re-assign before he can leave

GARRETT: You sound tired Momma

NANA KAYE: I'm fine honey.. I've just been listening too much lately and my head feels like Swiss cheese

GARRETT: Do you want help shutting it off for a bit?

NANA KAYE: Honey, I've been trying to do that for 75 years... If I haven't learned to do it by now, I never will

JESSIE: I can help you ma'am, if you want me to

NANA KAYE: Who is this?

JESSIE: Oh.. sorry ma'am.. This is Jessie... Momma told you about me the other night

NANA KAYE: Oh, now I remember.. sorry sweetie, if you can help, I would like that please

JESSIE: Yes ma'am... Just relax and don't hang up

NANA KAYE: I wont

JESSIE: *closed her eyes* Go inside your mind... that's it... there... How do you feel?

NANA KAYE: *sigh* Its so quiet... Thank you Jessie

JESSIE: You're welcome... Now, close your eyes and find that moment in your life when you felt really calm & relaxed... Do you have it?

NANA KAYE: Yes

JESSIE: That's your calm place, now I want to you to go there and breathe slow & easy... that's it... as you remember, lower your heart rate... there you go... let that feeling wash over you, like raindrops on a lazy summer day... feel the breeze glow your hair as it carries away all of your worries... there they go... now you're totally relaxed... I want you to stay like this for 5 minutes, then call Garrett back when you're ready

and hung up "Whoa... What did you do?" asked Bo as Jessie opened her eyes

"I gave her a calm place" said Jessie "Once I closed the door in her mind, she needed a calm place where she could go to re-charge and clear her mind, so don't be surprised if she doesn't call back right away, she may fall asleep"

"Do you do that a lot?" asked Kara

"Yeah... I helped Momma, Papa, Anne, Liam, Zayn, Mary, Meghan & Mack find a calm place where they can go to relieve stress & anxiety... I use a calm voice and breathing to get them to relax and I can do it face-to-face or over the phone" said Jessie 

"Here Jess" said Damian and handed her a banana, pain killers & a water "Marcus had me go to the house to get them"

"Oh, Thanks Damian" said Jessie and took them "You two need a calm place more than Nana Kaye did... You need it bc you're pregnant, and Kyle needs one bc he's about 2 minutes from a caffeine crash"

"If they need it, then go ahead Jessie" said Becca 

"Okay... Come on Kyle, we'll get you settled first" said Jessie

"Okay" said Kyle and followed Jessie out in the grass

JESSIE'S POV

"Sit down cross-legged in front of me and hold up your hands, palms facing me" I said and touched our hands together "Close your eyes and breathe slow & easy.. that's it.. now remember how it felt when you & Becca went skydiving and how peaceful it was floating thru the air... Do you see it?"

"Yeah" said Kyle

"That's your calm place, Okay?" I said, Kyle nodded "I want you to go there, and as you remember, let that feeling of floating wash over you, like raindrops on a lazy summer day... let the wind carry all of your fears & anxiety away as you lower your heart rate... there they go... watch them drift further & further away as you let your hands drop to your lap" and dropped his hands "and now you're totally relaxed... I want you to stay like this for 5 minutes and then slowly open your eyes" I got up quiet ly and went over to Kara "Are you ready?"

"Yeah" said Kara as we went near Kyle and sat down

"Hold up your hands, palms facing me and close your eyes" I said and touched our hands together "breathe slow & easy... that's it... now I want you to remember how you felt the first time you held Becca in your arms... Do you see it?" Kara nodded "That's your calm place, now I want you to go there, and as you remember, let that feeling wash over you, like raindrops on a lazy summer day... let the raindrops wash away all of your fears, stress & anxiety as you lower your heart rate... there they go... watch them float away as you let your hands drop to your lap" and dropped her hands "and now you're totally relaxed... I want you to stay like this for 5 minutes and then slowly open your eyes" I quietly got up and joined the group and sat down

"Girl, you are good" said Becca

"Thanks" I said "its a combination of meditation & hypnosis and now that they know how to get there, they can do it on their own any time or anywhere"

"Does everyone have the same calm place?" asked Matt

"Sometimes... it depends on the person" I said "Anne & Kara have the same calm place, bc it the pregnancy that has Kara's mind & body in knots" there was a dull thud out in the grass "I was wondering how long it would take Kyle to fall asleep"

"I tried Hypnosis before, but it didn't work on me" said Roger

"That's bc it was done in a doctor's office" I said "If it had been done in a place where you felt relaxed & comfortable, it would've worked" there was another dull thud as Kara fell over asleep

"Damn" said Becca "They're out cold" as Garrett's phone rang

GARRETT: Hey Momma... How are you feeling?

NANA KAYE: Oh my God, I feel 10 times better and my head is so clear

JESSIE: I'm glad you feel better and if your head feel like that, you can go to your calm place any time you need to

NANA KAYE: Thank you sweetie

JESSIE: You're welcome and when you're ready to turn it back on, call me... I'll have Garrett send you my cell number

NANA KAYE: Okay sweetie... I have to go, I wanted to let you know

GARRETT: Okay Momma... be safe and I'll see you soon... I Love You

NANA KAYE: I will... I Love You too honey

and hung up "Wow... I haven't heard Momma this excited & relaxed since Becca was born" said Bo

"I know" said Garrett "That's why I took her passport... with everyone being able to read, I didn't want her to get overwhelmed & agitated"

"I know you worry about her, but you seriously need to back off Garrett" said Bo "If you keep trying to make her stay put, and she's gonna get a step ladder, just so she can punch you in the mouth"

"Yeah... your Momma isn't as fragile as you think she is" I said "Regardless of how tall you are, she WILL demote you in rank if you try and strong arm her again... God help you when that day comes"

"You think so?" chuckled Garrett

"Don't laugh" I said "I was reading your Momma when she & Becca were talking the other night, and if you had been there, she would've taken that ball-peen hammer upside your head... She brought you into this world, and she wont hesitate to take you out... trust me... DON'T mess with you Momma" as Kyle came over and sat down "How do you feel?"

"Oh my God... I feel great" said Kyle "How long was I sleeping?"

"Almost an hour" I said "Any time you feel like that, you can do it on your own and if you need help getting there, just call Momma"

"Thanks Jessie... How long has Kiki been sleeping?" asked Kyle

"You're welcome" I said "Not quite 45 minutes... the shock from finding out she's pregnant, took a toll oh her physically... You need to make her go to her calm place once a day from now till her next doctor's appointment and get her some journals to write in, bc when she isn't working, she needs a project"

"Jessie got Li & I some journals" said Zayn "One is a pregnancy journal, that I can write things I want to ask my doctor & foods I've eaten so that we can track my weight properly, and the other journal is for my personal thoughts, stories, poems, any thing I feel like writing and its so relaxing"

"I never thought about making a project for Kiki" said Kyle

"Projects help occupy the mind and keep negative thought from taking hold and causing stress" I said "and these are projects that you can do too Kyle... if you're relaxed & positive, then Kara will be too"

"Hey sweetie... How are you feeling?" asked Kyle

"I feel great" said Kara and hugged me "Thank you Jessie"

"You're welcome" I said "I want you to do that once a day till your next doctor's appointment to help keep your stress & blood pressure down and to help you sleep at might"

"Yes ma'am" said Kara

"I also want you two to make time for a date night, at least once a week" I said "so that you have some private time alone to relax & have some fun before the babies are born"

"Yes ma'am" said Kyle

"Come on everyone" said Meghan "We've sat around long enough, lets go swimming"

"Yeah okay" I said 

"I'm going to head back to the rectory" said Ellie "I need to talk to Grace and think things thru... Can I call you?"

"Of course" said Edgar and gave her his number "Take all of the time that you need, I'm not leaving for a while and we can talk whenever you want.. Okay?"

"Okay" said Ellie as Edgar kissed her hand

"Drive safe and we'll talk soon" said Edgar

"I will" said Ellie and headed to the parking lot, got in her car and left

"Are you okay Edgar?" asked Davis

"Yeah, I'm okay" said Edgar "She's so beautiful and when she smiles, her face lights up... She's stolen my heart"

"I know the feeling" said Davis "I feel the same way about Meghan"

"Come on pretty babies, lets go play in the water" I said as I untied their leashes and took them down to the lake. Chelsea didn't want to go in the water till Trudy went in, then she was swimming right alongside Trudy.. Cece sat on the dock with Brian, talking to Tom & Linda "So Louis, are you ready to be a Dad?"

"Yeah.. I've been ready for a long time" said Louis "I just didn't think my first child would be a teenager" and looked at me "I don't have a problem with it, I just don't know her very well just yet"

"Well, she's a lot like you, in that she learns fast and likes to work on cars" I said "Maybe she could teach you sign language and you could teach her how to cook & how to drive"

"That's a great idea munchkin" said Louis "Thanks"

"You're welcome" I said as we headed over to Gem "Becca, Meghan, Sarah & I are taking Beth shopping tomorrow, so do y'all want us to take Cece with us and get her some new clothes & things? Bc its not a problem"

"That would be great" said Gem "When we get back home, Cece and I will go thru her suitcase and I'll text you a list of what she needs"

"Sounds good" I said "and while we're shopping, if Louis has time, he can go get some groceries & stuff seeing as y'all are gonna have a full house"

"Good point" said Louis "Damn.. my to-do list just gets bigger & bigger every minute"

"I know" I said "My to-do lists never end... welcome to the world of organized chaos" and chuckled

"Cece likes the color red, so I'm gonna do up her room like we did yours" said Louis "She's gonna flip when its done"

"Oh wow" I said "send me pictures when its done"

"I will" said Louis "Oh.. Hey Jimmy"

"Yeah?" said Jimmy

"There's a couple of apartments for sale in our building" said Louis "You & Mack should come check them out"

"Oh cool" said Jimmy "How many bedrooms?"

"One has 5 bedrooms & 2 bathrooms and the other has 3 bedrooms & 1 bathroom" said Louis

"Oh wow" said Mack "Do they have carpet?"

"Yeah, in the upstairs hallway & bedrooms" said Louis "You can have carpet put in the downstairs if you want, but they both have fireplaces, so you may want to use just area rugs"

"Oh okay" said Mack "Thanks Louis"

"You're welcome" said Louis "Let me know when you want to come check them out, and I'll come pick you up"

"Okay, will do" said Jimmy

"HEY... SORRY WE'RE LATE" yelled Steven from shore

"You're here now" I said as I got out of the water "Y'all missed the water fight... We won"

"Damn" said Steven "Congratulations... How long did the War last?"

"About 30 minutes" I said "Meghan & Cece took out 6 of the guys in 5 minutes... It was sweet"

"Oh wow" said Steven "Way to go Meghan"

"Thanks" said Meghan "We'll tell you about it over dinner... It was a total victory"

"Sounds good" said Steven "How was Cece last night?... Amelia called and told us what happened"

She was fine... I worked with her for about an hour and Meghan came over and stayed the night with her" I said "So it was pretty quiet... Momma had a close call"

"What happened?" asked Hannah "I know she went upstairs, but I didn't see her after she left"

"My Great-Grandpa Rupert touched Momma as she was leaving Heaven" I said "so Momma got stuck between here & Heaven, then God sent her back... top it all off, Momma & Papa finally learned to read, but now Momma's ability is permanent... I haven't told her yet bc I don't want her to get agitated, and after the night she had, she could got off the 'mental' deep end"

"We wont say anything kiddo" said Steven "Let us get the kids settled and then we'll come join you"

"Okay" I said as we parted ways and I went back in the water "Maura, Alex is here"

"Oh Yay!!" said Maura and ran out of the water, grabbed a towel and ran for the parking lot

"Damn" said Papa "I haven't seen Mom get this excited since Greg & Denise got married"

"Alex loves her" I said "You know that feeling Papa, it doesn't matter what your age, Love makes you feel like a teenager falling in Love for the first time... Granma loved Grandpa, and still does, but they blame themselves for what Greg went thru and that's why they split... Yes, Maura told Alex and he doesn't blame her for the break-up, his parents are divorced too"

"Wow... He's perfect for her" said Papa "I think that's why Mom never dated, bc she didn't want to be judged for the break-up" as Maura & Alex joined us

"Alex, this his my son Niall, his fiance Pamela, and their daughter Jessie" said Maura "Everyone, this is Alex Hayes"

"Its nice to meet you properly Alex" said Papa and shook his hand

"Its nice to finally meet you too Niall" said Alex "So Jessie, this is how you knew I went out on a date with Maura?"

"Yep... I told ya Holmes Chapel wasn't that big" I said "How's it going?"

"Yes you did" chuckled Alex "Everything is good... How is Cece? I heard what happened... news like that runs rampant thru the hospital"

"She's doing good" I said "A friend of hers from school stayed the night with her and she helped us girls win our water fight"

"That's great" said Alex "She looks better, but make sure she takes it easy for a few days"

"We will" said Louis "Hi, I'm Louis, Jessie's Uncle"

"Hi Louis" said Alex and shook his hand "Its nice to meet you"

"You too" said Louis "Cece will be living with my fiance & I while we work on her adoption... My fiance, Gemma is Cece's lawyer and they've gotten pretty close in the past few weeks"

"Congratulations" said Alex "Its nice to see her finally have a family... When I met her she was reading a 'How to' book on car engines and said she was doing research bc Father Donnelly was going to let her help him do an oil change"

"Wow" said Louis and looked at Cece "Damn, she's smart" and went over to Cece "Do you remember everything you read?" Cece nodded and started signing

"She's amazing" said Alex "I cant wait to see what she does with her life"

"I think she'll amaze us all" said Maura

"Have you decided what you're going to do Jessie?" asked Alex

"Not yet" I said "I'm still on the antibiotics, so once I finish them, I'll decide"

"Let me know and I'll be there" said Alex

"I will" I said "Come on, lets go swimming"

"Yes ma'am" said Alex

When we finished swimming and dried off, we got the bonfire started and the guys prepped the potatoes & green beans.

"Mary... How was the Bridal Suite?" asked Hannah

"It was amazing" said Mary "We were in the Penthouse Bridal Suite and had a couple's massage, went swimming in the private pool and had breakfast on the balcony at sunrise... It was beyond anything I could have imagined"

"Oh wow" said Hannah "It sounds amazing"

"It was.. and it has an en suite with a fireplace" said Haz "It also has a wall of windows with sheer white curtains covering them and everything was white... the walls, curtains, carpet & bed linens... Ir was so beautiful"

"Oh wow" said Kara as my phone rang

"Its an unknown number" I said and put it on speaker

JESSIE: Hello?

"This is Agent Abigail Monroe, may I speak to Jessica Horan please" said the woman

JESSIE: This is she, How can I help you?

AGENT MONROE: I got a message from someone named Nathaniel with this number, and said that I should call you... Do you know what this is all about?

JESSIE: Yes ma'am, I do... I've been going thru my family's private papers and came across a letter & DVD that my Grandpa made about an unmarked shipment he found

AGENT MONROE: What was in the shipment?

JESSIE: An arsenal... Guns, Ammunition, Rocket Launchers, Rockets, and lot of Explosives... We think it was David Aimsworth's

AGENT MONROE: Holy shit... sorry about that... Do you know where it is?

JESSIE: That's alright.. Yes, but there's a lot to show you & explain... Can you come to England?

AGENT MONROE: Absolutely.. I can be there by Wednesday, if that works for you

JESSIE: That would be great... I live in Holmes Chapel and you can reach me at this number if you need me

AGENT MONROE: Alright, sounds good... I'll see you soon... Have a great day Miss

JESSIE: You too ma'am, see you soon

I hung up and started typing "What are you doing baby?" asked Momma

"I'm connecting Nathaniel to my video chat" I said as I typed "He's got some explaining to do"

"Oh" said Momma "Just stay calm baby"

"That depends on what he says Momma" I chuckled as my video chat signaled

JESSIE: What in the Hell were you thinking Nathaniel?

NATHANIEL: I was doing my job

JESSIE: Your JOB is to assist Jimmy, not take over

NATHANIEL: But you were wasting time

JESSIE: Says you, I've been uncovering Pappie & Mom's damned secrets

NATHANIEL: Oh... I didn't know that, Jimmy hasn't talked to me since the Wedding, so I figured I'd call Agent Monroe... I left a message for her to call you.. Did she call?

JESSIE: Yes, she called... I've got you on my video chat, so from now on, you don't do a damn thing till you talk to me first, if you haven't talked to Jimmy... You got it?

NATHANIEL: Got it... Sorry Dixie

JESSIE: That's okay Bubba... Go on to bed and we'll talk later

NATHANIEL: Okay.. yap at ya later

and hung up "Jessie" said Garrett "Who is Nathaniel?"

"He's an A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) program that Pappie developed for me" I said "Nathaniel is the one who posted the video of me that went viral"

"A.I. doesn't exist yet" said Kyle

"It may not exist for the Military Industrial Complex, but it does exist" I said "Nathaniel is a fully functioning autonomous A.I. program that can access any network, anywhere, as long as he has permission first"

"Holy shigt" said Simon "Is that what William was working on?... He asked if he could borrow my back-up computer and had it for about 3 months"

"Yeah" I said "He put Nathaniel on our computer at home, Jimmy's laptop and your to keep tabs on y'all bc of David... Nathaniel was designed for me as a mental sparring partner... Do you want to meet him?"

"Yes please" said Simon

"Okay" I said and connected to my video chat

NATHANIEL: Hey Dixie, what's up?

JESSIE: Hey Bubba... access SCB07141976 please

NATHANIEL: Authorization code please

JESSIE: wh1st13_d1x13-JRFA01012001

NATHANIEL: Access granted... Hello Simon, I was wondering how long it would be till Jessie told you about me... How are you?

SIMON: Hey... I'm good, I guess... Why did William put you on my computer?

NATHANIEL: Bc William wanted you to know that Ms. Jessica was your daughter, when the time was right... At the time, William had just gotten out of the hospital and David was looking all over for the shipment William hid in his office, so he put everything for you into a sub-folder on your computer

JESSIE: You knew?

NATHANIEL: Of course I know... I know everything

JESSIE: Why dkidn't you tell me?

NATHANIEL: You never asked... I'm a program Dixie, not a mind-reader, if you want to know something you need to be specific ya dork... Geez-o-Pete's

JESSIE: DON'T call me names

NATHANIEL: Then get your head out of your ass Dixie and think... Why would William put me on Jimmy's laptop & Simon's computer without telling them about me or how to access my network?

JESSIE: I don't know

NATHANIEL: Yes you do... Get out of your head and think outside the box... What could be that important to William?

JESSIE: Outside of the box?... Oh my God

SIMON: What?

JESSIE: Access WDF041535-MEGF041535... Authorization code wh1st13_d1x13-JRFA01012001

NATHANIEL: Access granted... Do you want the audio file played?

JESSIE: Yes please

WILLIAM: Hey Dixie, its Grandpa... You're sleeping right now, so I'm recording this out in the car. I hope you never get this, but if you do, have Bubba send the document titled 'Cherry Blossom' and the name on Gwen's estate to Mary Williams and tell her to contact Edgar Walker. I apologize for all of the secrecy, but my Daddy told me on his deathbed, not to trust anyone with the whole truth, bc they'll turn on you in a heartbeat.. If we don't make it thru this ordeal, I need to meet my maker with a clear conscious, so here goes all of the major ones I can think of... Simon is your Daddy, not David, the proof is up in the attic under Maggie's hope chest. I know what you're thinking - How did I get Simon's DNA? I took the handkerchief he used on his nose when David punched him and had it tested with yours when you split your head open last week. Hey Mary, I'm so sorry I never got a chance to know you better... I met your sons Louis & Liam a month ago.. No, I didn't tell them who I was, bc I didn't want this mess coming down on you & your family.. You raised to fine young men and I talked to your Grand-Daughter, she said her name was PJ, she's stunning, just like your Mother and I was amazed to see that they have the same color eyes... God, this is so hard... *crying* All my life, I've done as I was told and kept the family secrets... God forgive me for what I've done... We never got our money from growing peaches Dixie, your Grand-Daddy Jameson Foster was an oil baron and that's where our money comes from... I killed my Mother & Rupert, I know I did, they wouldn't have been on that plane if I hadn't told them to leave and never come back and I drove away my Gewnie... I told her, if she loved me to stay, but she said that 'Love wasn't enough of a reason to stay, and that if she did, she'd die alone & miserable' so I told her she was a cold and heartless bitch for leaving me *crying* I miss her so much.. She was the only one who kept me sane after Daddy died... Dixie, when you grow up and fall in Love, promise me to never keep secrets, and find someone worthy enough to be your life partner... I have to go now, the sun is coming up... PJ was right, sunrises are so beautiful... I Love You Dixie, be good and watch that temper little missy...

NATHANIEL: That's the end of the file

JESSIE: Thank you Bubba *I wiped my eyes*

NATHANIEL: You're welcome Dixie... Is there anything else you want to know?

JESSIE: Not right now Nathaniel... Thank you

NATHANIEL: You're welcome Dixie, if you need me, just call... I'm gonna go back to sleep now

JESSIE: Okay... Nighty-night Nathaniel

NATHANIEL: Nighty-night Dixie

I hung up and called Jeff

JEFF: Hey care bear, how did the War go?

JESSIE: Hey babydoll... We won... Can you do me a favor when you get a minute?

JEFF: Always... What ya need?

JESSIE: I need you to clean out the attic in Gammie & Pappie's house

JEFF: What do you want done with it all?

JESSIE: Go thru it all and send me any papers, letters, photos & photo albums you find and put everything in storage please

JEFF: Okay

JESSIE: Write this part down babydoll

JEFF: Hit me

JESSIE: 45-22-16-99-18-11-4... so to the area with Gammie's portrait, under her cedar hope chest, there are some papers, make sure those get sent to Simon at my address

JEFF: You got it... Do you want me to open the portrait crates and take pictures of all of them and send them to you?

JESSIE: Yes please... Do you need the alarm code again?

JEFF: Nope, I remember it... Did Mary's box get there safe?

MARY: Yes it did... Thank you Jeff

JEFF: You're quite welcome ma'am, it was my pleasure and if you need anything, you have Jessie call me any time

MARY: I will... promise

JESSIE: Thanks babydoll... talk to you soon

JEFF: Are you okay care bear? You sound a little off

JESSIE: I'm fine babydoll, I just have a lot on my mind is all

JEFF: Okay... Talk at ya soon

I hung up and went down to the lake to think.


	144. Chapter 144

Chapter 144

GARRETT'S POV

"Is she Okay Dad?" asked Matt as Marcus went down to the lake and held Jessie

"She'll be fine Matt" I said "She may hate all of her Family's secrets, but she loved her Grandpa very much... They were really close"

"I still don't understand why William put Nathaniel on my computer" said Simon

"Bc William knew Jessie could survive anything and would find us" said Jimmy "David may have been a vile bastard, but he knew that if anything happened to Jessie, he'd never find the money or the shipment"

"My God, she's been thru a lot" said Becca "How is it that she never cracked?"

"She did crack" said Mack "After the funeral, she didn't eat, sleep or talk to anyone for 5 days, then she picked the lock on the liquor cabinet and got so drunk, she passed out and slept for almost 4 days"

"Dear God" said Alex "How old was she?"

"She was 8" said Mack "We called Doc Walters and he came to the house, to make sure she was alright, and told us to keep an eye on her and that if anything changed, to take her to the hospital... Doc Walters knew Jessie didn't like hospitals, so as long as she was breathing on her own, he let her stay at home"

"Well that explains how she could drink 4 bottles of rum without getting shit-faced" I said "I'll explain later boys" as Jessie & Marcus came back "Are you Okay Jessie?"

"Yeah, I'm Okay" said Jessie and smiled "Okay Men, its time to make dinner" and went to her camera bag "I need Momma & Papa for a minute or two"

"Okay baby" said Pamela & Ni

"Mack show them how to make the hobo dinners, and Gem knows how to make the steam pockets If I'm not back" said Jessie "The foil is in the box with the plates & cups, so is the salt substitute & pepper and the butter is in a plastic bag in the cooler with the burger"

"Okay care bear" said Mack as they walked down to the dock and Mack got out all of the stuff "You want a good size piece of foil, but not too big... take a handful of burger and make it look like a small meatloaf, put some green beans on one side and some potatoes on the other... sprinkle a little salt sub. & pepper on the beans & potatoes, and just pepper on the burger... use a knife and put 2 pats of butter on each of the potatoes & beans and its ready to be folded... Gem, your turn darlin"

"Okay" said Gem "Take your foil, going length-wise, and bring your sides together, and fold it twice to form a seam, then fold your ends twice and you have a steam pocket"

"That is so cool" said Brian "How are we cooking these?"

"We put them in the bonfire" said Mack "Some people call these hobo dinners or campfire dinners"

"Oh wow" said Brian

"You can also do these with chicken, fish & pork chops" said Mack "but if you do the fish, put your potatoes & veggies in a separate steam pocket bc if ypou put them in with the fish, they'll taste like fish"

"Ew, that's just wrong" said Zayn as Ni, Pamela & Jessie came back.. Cece whispered in Brian's ear

"Can you make one with just beans & potatoes in it?" asked Brian "Cece doesn't like burger"

"Sure" said Louis and looked at Cece "Do you want a piece of chicken for dinner?" Cece nodded "Okay sweetie" that made Cece smile

"If there's any burger left when you're done, wrap it in foil and put it in a plastic bag before you put it in the cooler" said Jessie "and put what's left of the beans & potatoes in the same bag and put it in the cooler too"

"Yes ma'am" said Louis "What do we have to go with these?"

"We have macaroni salad, potato salad, & taco salad" said Jessie "Kyle, the potato & taco salads have onions in them, but the macaroni salad is onion-free... just so you know"

"Thanks Jessie" said Kyle

"You're welcome" said Jessie and put her camera away "Um... Jordan, Evan, can I talk to you two in private please"

"Sure" said Evan & Jordan and went with Jessie down to the dock and sat down

"What's that all about?" asked Meghan

"She's telling Evan that she knows" I said 

"Ok okay" said Meghan and looked at Charlie "Its okay scooter.. Jordan knows"

"Okay turtledove" said Charlie "Evan's not gonna like this"

JESSIE'S POV

"What's up Jessie?" asked Evan

"I know what happened to you" I said "I knew before you called me Tuesday night... before you blow up at me, let me explain first... alright?"

"Okay, go ahead" said Evan

"After what happened with Charlie & Meghan, we were all talking, and Garrett said that it sounded like Charlie needed a parent and that you needed help" I said "I read Meghan's memories, and found that there were no memories of your Dad in them"

"I don't understand" said Evan "Why are there no memories?"

Bc when your Mother did what she did to you, she got pregnant with Meghan & Charlie" I said "bc of that, when she died, God permanently wiped her memory as punishment for her crime against you... and he blocked that memory in your mind"

"So Meghan was right?" asked Evan "When I came home and she called me 'Daddy'?"

"Yes, she's right" I said "I am so sorry Evan... I didn't know how to tell you" as tears ran down my face "Its been tarring up my insides trying to figure out how to tell you without you going off the deep-end, that I raided the alcohol and got drunk on 4 bottles of rum, and then you called, and you were so scared & upset, it broke my heart bc I knew... Please forgive me Evan for not saying something sooner"

"Why were you looking for memories of their Dad?" asked Jordan 

"I searched Meghan's memory, thinking that if I could find their Dad, that he could help Evan raise them" I said and wiped my eyes "When I could find him in her memories, I thought maybe he had left the family before they were born or had died, but NEVER once considered that Evan was their Dad, I just couldn't undeerstand why Cassie didn't have other family raise them, and then I knew" and looked at Evan "You were Cassie's soulmate... I know... it sounds fucked up, but its true"

"Was she my soulmate too?" asked Evan

"Yes... I found out on Friday, that a person can have 2 soulmates, bc Beth & Maura both found their 2nd soulmates and then the puzzle pieces started to fall into place" I said "You & Jordan are connected on a deeper level than you & Cassie were and it bc of that connection, that Fate brought you two together with my help, to get your life back on track so that you two would have your happy ending"

"Man... This is messed up" said Evan and ran his fingers thru his hair

"I agree" I said "Bc you 'loved' Cassie, but weren't 'in Love' with her, God kept writing your story till you met Jordan, now, its up to you both as to how this story ends"

"Thank you Jessie" said Jordan "Would you mind giving us some time to talk.. please"

"Sure" I said and got up and went back to the group

JORDAN'S POV

"Are you okay Evan?" I asked

"Yeah, I'm okay" said Evan "It all makes sense now"

"Are you mad at Jessie for not saying something before now?" I asked

"No, I'm not mad" said Evan "If I had been in her place, I don't know if I would've said anything either

"I Love You Evan" I said 

"I Love You too Jordan" said Evan and kissed me

JESSIE'S POV

"Are you Okay baby?" asked Momma

"Yeah.. I'm Okay Momma" I said as she hugged me

"You did good baby" whispered Momma and kissed my haed

"Thanks Momma" I said "How are you with it being permanent?"

"I'm okay baby" said Momma "I'll tell you if that changes and we'll deal with it.. I promise"

"Okay Momma" I said "Okay y'all, while the food is cooking, lets have some fun" and grabbed a water balloon as Evan & Jordan joined us, and threw the balloon at Louis

"Oh... you're gonna get it now munchkin" said Louis and picked up several balloons and hit me "That's payback for Friday night"

Gran hit Haz with 5 ballooons in a row "That's for decapitating my snowman Haz" said Gran and ran away laughing as Papa hit her with 2 balloons in the butt

"That's for hitting me with a perfume bomb Gran" Laughed Papa as Gran hit him with 2 balloons in the face

"Haha Niall... I got ya again" said Gran 

Cece picked up 5 balloons and started running as she threw them, and hit Louis, Brian, Charlie, Simon & Garrett, made her way back to the box, picked up 5 more and hit Becca, Meghan, Davis, Andrew & Damian, then ran for the lake, dove in and hopped up on the raft.

"YOU CANT GET ME" yelled Cece

"Damn she's fast" said Damian

"That's my girl" said Louis & Brian in unison

"That's what she thinks" said Davis as he, Andrew & Damian each picked up 2 balloons and disappeared, then reappeared on the raft and bombed Cece

"Oh shit" said Becca and started laughing

"Come on jellybean" said Sarah and looked at me "You know we can do it"

"Oh Hell yeah" I said as they all came back and we walked over to the box "How many?"

"I think just 2 each" said Sarah "any more than that and we could hurt ourselves"

"Okay" I said as we grabbed 2 balloons each

"What are they talking about?" asked Robin

"You'll see my love" said Anne "On 3 ladies... 1... 2... 3!!"

We did 2 cartwheels with a round-off and threw a balloon each, hitting Haz & Papa, then did 2 back flips, throwing out balloons and hit Simon & Jimmy, landed in front splits and did a High-5.

"YESS!!" yelled Sarah & I

"Nailed it on the first run" said Sarah

"Damn we're good" I said as we got up

"Oh good God damn" said Matt "They're lethal"

"Danka" said Sarah & I in unison

They're good" said Momma & Becca in unison "But not as good as us" and grabbed 4 balloons each

"Hmm... Tree flip & toss with back-flip catapaults? or Basic cartwheels?" asked Becca

"What the Hell.. lets do both" said Momma "I'll take the first one and you do the second"

"No way PJ" said Becca "You do the second one"

"Why?" said Momma

"Bc you just learned to read and if you do too much flipping till you're used to it, it'll fuck up your equilibrium"

"Oh... Okay" said Momma "I do so enjoy being able to walk on my own"

"Hand in" said Becca and held Momma's hand "On 3"

"OORAH!!" said Becca and Momma together

"Oh shit" said Roger "The bobsie twins are back Men... RUN!!"

"1... 2... 3!!" yelled Momma as Becca ran up a tree, flipped backwards, throwing 2 balloons as Momma did 4 cartwheels, throwing each of her balloons as Becca threw her last 2 balloons up in the air and did a back flip hitting the balloons with her feet resulting in Matt, Roger, Gary, Kyle, Bo & Garrett getting hit with balloons.

"GOD DAMN IT" yelled Bo "That's it... You two better run" they each picked up 5 balloons and nailed Momma & Becca repeatedly with balloons till they were drenched

"OORAH... BEAT THAT LADIES" yelled Garrett as they all did a 6-way High-5

"Holy shit" said Charlie & Brian together

"Oh God" said Momma and ran at a dead run for the lake and threw up 

"Oh Damn" said Matt as Papa, Liam & Garrett ran after her

"JESSIE.... WE HAVE A PROBLEM" yelled Garrett as we all ran over to them

"What's wrong?" I asked

"Two souls just settled inside Pamela" said Garrett

"Holy shit" said Papa and passed out into Garrett's arms 

'No.. No,, No,, No" said Momma and started crying "This cant be happening.. We're not married yet and we used protection every time"

"Shh... just breathe Momma" I said and touched her belly and closed my eyes as a third soul settled inside her "Holy shit" and opened my eyes, looking at Momma "Momma, you need to calm down bc you're pregnant.... Grandpa, I need you to calmly go to your medical bag and get a pregnancy test"

"Oh God... Okay" said Liam

"Pooh bear, you & Becca take Momma to the bathroom and stay with her till the test is done please" I said 

"Okay" said Mack "Come on Mommabear... I got ya darlin" and picked up Momma "Shh... I know... I know"

"Matt, help me with Niall" said Garrett as they walk-dragged Papa to a chair and set him in it... I grabbed the bottle of smelling salts and waved it under Papa's nose

"Ugh" said Papa "Oh God" and held his head

"Welcome back Papa" I said softly "Are you Okay?"

"Tell me that was a dream" said Papa

"Afraid not Papa" I said and whispered in his ear

"Thursday night" said Papa" but we used a condom... we use one every single time"

"Did it break?" asked Alex

"I don't think so" said Papa "I know the others didn't"

"How many times Papa" I said softly

"In the past 3 weeks?" said Papa and started counting on his fingers

"Jesus Christ Ni" said Haz "You gotta count?"

"Oh bugger off Haz... I'm Irish" said Papa and continued counting "Oh kiss my ass ya wanker... 19 times"

"No thanks mate" said Haz "I'll pass"

"GOD DAMN DUDE" said Davis & Louis together

"How many souls were there Jessie?" asked Haz

"Three" I said "Just breathe Papa.. slow & easy, in thru your nose and out thru your mouth... that's it, just keep breathing"

"Oh God... I gotta call Dad" said Papa and pulled out his phone

BOBBY: Hello?

NIALL: Dad?

BOBBY: Niall... What's wrong son?

NIALL: Pamela's pregnant

BOBBY: Oh Niall... Are you Okay?

NIALL: I think so... I think I'm still in a bit of shock

BOBBY: Just breathe Niall, I know this is a pretty big hiccup, but you'll be fine son... How is Pamela taking this?

NIALL: I don't know yet... she's in the bathroom

BOBBY: Okay, when we hang up, you need to call a doctor and make an appointment, then you go to Pamela and hold her... If she cries, let her bc she may be scared and that's okay, just be there for her and then call me after you've been to see the doctor... You hear me?

NIALL: Okay Dad... You're not mad?

BOBBY: Why should I be mad? You are still going to marry the girl.. right?

NIALL: Of course I am

BOBBY: Then I have no reason to be mad Niall... We all have plans for how we want our lives to go, but not all things go according to plan, just relax & be happy... The Good Lord has given you a precious gift... Now go to Pamela and you call me anytime son

NIALL: Okay, Thanks Dad... We'll see you soon

BOBBY: You're welcome Niall... See you soon son

and hung up as Momma, Becca & Mack came out of the bathroom and Papa went to Momma and held her.

"Good job Bobby" said Gran "He may have been a hard ass to those boys, but he just performed a miracle"

"Bobby wasn't always a hard ass when it came to Niall" said Maura "It was Bobby who got Niall to calm down after he & Greg had their fight"

"Mack" said Mary "I know Pamela wants to wear my dress, but we may need another dress in case mine doesn't fit her in the next 6 weeks"

"Yes ma'am" said Mack "Don't worry, I'll take care of that darlin"

"Hey Dr. Carlisle, its Jessie Horan" I said "I'm good... I need to make an appointment for my Momma & Papa please... as soon as possible... Tomorrow's great, What time?... Noon is perfect... Pamela Williams & Niall Horan.... Thanks Doc... You too" I hung up and walked over to Momma & Papa "Momma... I called Dr. Carlisle and you & Papa have an appointment tomorrow at noon"

"Okay baby" said Momma "Thank you"

"You're welcome" I said "How are you?... Mentally?"

"I'm okay baby" said Momma

"Good" I said "Bc you have a call to make"

"Who do I have to call?" asked Momma

"You need to call Nana Kaye" I said "This cant wait till she gets here"

"Oh God... She's gonna flip" said Momma as a phone rang

"Speak of the Devil" said Garrett "Its Momma" and put it on speaker

GARRETT: Hello?

NANA KAYE: Oh gosh... Where's Jessie?

JESSIE: I'm right here... How do you feel?

NANA KAYE: I feel amazing... I took a nap and haven't slept this good in decades... Thank you

JESSIE: You're welcome... Are you sitting down?

NANA KAYE: Oh Lord... I am now... Why?

JESSIE: Bc Momma has something to tell you

NANA KAYE: Pamela? What is it sweetie?

PAMELA: I'm pregnant Nana... I took a pregnancy test, and we just found out 5 minutes ago

NANA KAYE: Oh honey.. Are you Okay?

PAMELA: Yeah, I'm Okay... I was scared shitless a while ago, but I'm doing better

NANA KAYE: Oh honey, I'm so happy for you... Garrett told me about the scare you had a while back... So you be scared, be happy & excited all you want... God has blessed you with a precious gift, now you take it easy and I'll see you soon

PAMELA: Okay Nana... See you soon

NANA KAYE: Garrett, tell Matt that Mimi & I will be there on Wednesday... She's all settled at work and misses him, so we'll be leaving in a few days

GARRETT: Okay Momma... We're in Holmes Chapel with PJ and her family, so call me before you take off so that we know when to expect you

NANA KAYE: Yes sir... Have a good evening.. I need to go see in what state my kitchen's in... Those boys make more noise than you & your brothers ever did.... WHAT IN THE BLOODY FUCKING HELL HAVE YOU TWO SHITHEADS DONE TO MY KITCHEN!!!

DUNCAN: We've been cleaning Nana... Gee whiz, take a Valium and calm down

NANA KAYE: *crying* Garrett... you better find a way to rescue these boys *crying & hiccupping* before I find that ball-peen hammer and crack their heads open

DUNCAN: Nana, Pops told us to clean the kitchen, if you think you can clean behind the refrigerator & stove without moving them, then enlighten us... Otherwise, leave this area or we'll tie you to a chair and tape your mouth shut... please

"Uh-oh" said Sarah and covered her ears

DUNCAN: POPS.. HELP!!... NANA STOP!!... OW!! OW!! MY ARM... GET THAT SKILLET AWAY FROM HER MAX *I'm trying but she's too fast... OW... NANA STOP PLEASE*

NANA KAYE:GET YOUR BLOODY HANDS OFF OF ME!!!... WHEN I GET FREE, I'M GETTING MY SHOTGUN AND I'M PUTTING 2 ROUNDS IN EACH OF YOUR ASSES FOR THIS!! *muffled crying*

DUNCAN: Ow... Sir, we'll call you back in a couple of hours, bc we're going to the E.R.... I think she broke my arm and Max's nose is bleeding like Niagara Falls

GARRETT: Oh dear God... Okay boys... You're on your own with her, no one's getting you out of this mess

DUNCAN: Yes Sir... bye Sir

and hung up "What did she hit them with?" asked Haz

"A cast iron skillet" said Bo "I'm surprised she didn't go off before now... they must've done some serious damage... Dad's gonna be pissed"

"I told them to clean" said Garrett "Not once did I tell them to move anything... As I said, they're on their own... You better call the others and tell them to stay away from Momma till tomorrow"

"Okay" said Bo and pulled out his phone "Dex, its Bo... Momma's gone ape-shit on Duncan & Max so stay away from Momma till tomorrow... pass it on" He hung up and made another call "Paul, its Bo... Momma's gone ape-shit on Duncan & Max, so stay away from Momma till tomorrow... pass it on" and hung up "They'll call the others, I'm calling Dad" and put it on speaker

BO: Hey Dad

GARRETT SR.: Bo... What's up son?

BO: Momma's gone ape-shit on Duncan & Max with Big Bertha

GARRETT SR.: What did they do?

BO: I guess they tried to make dinner and destroyed the kitchen.. Garrett told them to clean it up with their toothbrushes and bleach, but when Momma went to see how they were doing, she lost it... They're on their way to the E.R. bc Duncan thinks his arm is broken and Max"s nose was bleeding bad... I think they tied her to a chair bc she threatened to shoot them when she gets free

GARRETT SR.: Oh shit... Okay Bo, thanks for telling me... I'll call your Mother and talk her off the ledge... Did you call your brothers?

BO: I called Dex & Paul, they'll call the others, so I called you

GARRETT SR.: Okay... I have a couple of hours before my flight, so I'll call her now... I'll see you boys in a few weeks... Take care of our girls

BO: We will Sir... Have a safe flight and we'll see you soon

and hung up "I like your Momma" I said "She sounds like me" and chuckled

"Yeah, no kidding" said Louis


	145. Chapter 145

Chapter 145

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"Momma doesn't usually get that bad" said Bo "But when she does, we've all learned to give her 24 hours to calm down bc when she gets mad, shit starts flying... literally" I looked at Sarah and shed looked at me, then we looked at Garrett... he nodded

"Oh crap" said Sarah as Bo's phone rang

"Hey honey, what's up?" said Bo "Why?... oh crap.. don't go over there honey, I'm serious... aw damn.. okay honey, do what you can and try and keep her calm... I Love You too" and hung up "Well, Momma got free and called Lydia crying, bc those two destroyed the floor"

"How did she get free?" asked Garrett

"She dislocated her arm and untied the knots" said Bo "Lydia's on her way over to reset her arm and to see how bad the floor is... I hope Duncan & Max have their Wills in order, bc they are dead men walking"

"What kind of floors does she have in the kitchen?" asked Louis

"Oak hardwood" said Garrett "Our Dad had the kitchen redone while Momma was at a spa for her birthday last year.. that's why she was so upset"

"Damn" said Louis "Where do they live?"

"Alexandria Virginia... Why?" asked Garrett

"Bc I have a buddy that restores hardwood floors" said Louis "I can call him and have her send him a picture of the damage and he can let her know how much it'll cost and if it can be saved or need to be replcaed"

"Go ahead and call him" said Garrett and walked over to Louis "Here's her number"

"Okay" said Louis and pulled out his phone "Hey Derek, its Lou... I'm good... I have a possible client for ya.. Alexandria Virginia, you in?... Okay, her name is Kaye Johansen... her number is 506-428-0432... when you talk to her, tell her that her son Garrett told you to call regarding her kitchen floor & have her send you a picture of the damage... Thanks Derek, you're the best man.. yeah, I'll call ya in a few days *laughing* oh kiss my ass you shit... later man" and hung up "Your Mom is in good hands"

"Thanks Louis" said Garrett "If you need anything, just ask"

"You're welcome" said Louis "How are you at gutting bathrooms?"

"Not very, but Matt & Roger are... Why?" asked Garrett

"Bc Mom's shower took a shit last Friday" said Louis "When the house was built, they used drywall in the shower and its full of mold, but its not in the walls, so Li & I are gutting the bathroom & redoing it while Mom & Haz are in Ireland for 2 weeks.. Y'all want to help us?"

"Hell yeah we'll help" said Roger & Matt

"Where is everyone staying while its being done?" asked Roger

"Liam & Zayn are staying with Gem & I and Ni, Pamela, Jessie & Marcus are staying with Mack & Jimmy along with the the dogs" said Louis

"Okay good" said Matt "We're gonna need a dumpster, protective clothing & bags to put the moldy drywall in"

"Yeah, I know" said Louis "I'm getting all of that in the morning and I'll drop it off with you, bc Davis & I have to go take a look at the van at the senior center first, then I'll be back to help with the demo"

"Sounds good" said Matt "Once its gutted, we can decide if you want to make any changes"

"Don't change anything" said Mary "I like it the way it is... please"

"We wont change anything, I promise" said Matt "I was thinking more of the paint & tile Mary... If you could repaint & tile the bathroom, what color would you like?"

"Oh" said Mary "I don't know, I'm not very good at picking that stuff... John always did that, bc I could never decide"

"Okay... lets do this" said Matt "We'll toss a coin to pick the color... Don't think about it, just say 2 colors off the top of your head"

"Oh gosh" said Mary "Black & Burgundy"

"Okay... Heads is Black & Tails is Burgundy" said Matt and tossed a coin in the air, caught it, slapped it on his hand and looked at it "Burgundy it is"

"Oh wow... that was pretty easy" said Mary "I cant wait to see it"

"Mimi has the same issue" said Matt "When we bought our house, we flipped a coin for each room except the bedrooms, bc she wanted to keep them white so that when we finally had kids, we could pick the colors then"

"Yeah.. that's a better idea than Dad had" said Kyle "He painted our rooms in camouflage... it took me 2 weeks to cover it up with white paint, just so that I could paint it gray"

"I'll have you know, that was your Mother's idea... not mine" said Garrett "She took one of my shirts and got the exact colors that were on it, and SHE painted your rooms"

"Mom said that you did it when she took me to get the paint" said Kyle

"Nope... that was all her" said Garrett "I wanted your rooms painted dark blue & off white.. she said that dark colors make the rooms look like a cave, so what does she do? She made them look like a damn bunker" as I checked the dinners

"Okay y'all, dinner is ready" I said as I took the pouches out of the bonfire and took the to the table & opened them as I set them on paper plates and handed them out

"There's one in there, that's got just beans & potatoes munchkin" said Louis "That one is for Cece"

"Okay" I said as I continued opening them "found it" and gave it to Cece, then we said Grace and had dinner

"Are you okay poppet?" asked Papa

"Yeah... I was just thinking about the Wedding" said Momma "I'm not going to be able to wear Mom's dress"

"Don't think about that Momma bear" said Mack "I'm working on it... We'll know 2 weeks before the Wedding if it still fits, and if not, I'll work my magic on it, so that it fits... I promise"

"Are you sure?" said Momma

"Absolutely darlin.. you let Pooh bear do the worrying young lady" said Mack "just relax.. alright?"

"I'll try" said Momma and looked at Papa "Are you okay with this Ni?"

"Of course I am" said Papa "Like my Dad said, not all things in life go according to plan... so what if you're pregnant on our Wedding day? That doesn't change the fact that I Love You & want to marry you... You are the air that I breathe & we can do this Pamela, I know we can... Do you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you" said Momma

"Then relax and lean on me" said Papa "and know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you... okay?"

"Okay" said Momma and hugged Papa "I Love You Niall"

"I Love You too Pamela" said Papa as tears ran down his face "To the Moon & and back and around again, till we're old & gray" and kissed Momma's hair as he wiped his eyes "Now eat your dinner.. our babies are hungry" that made Momma laugh

"Yes sir" said Momma & smiled

"Its a good thing we got that second coffee maker" said Zayn "Pamela would go completely mental without her coffee for 9 months"

"Oh God" said Momma "What about my job?... Tomorrow is my first day and the babies will be born before I have a year in"

"Calm down Pamela" said Steven "I'm not going to fire you for being pregnant, just relax... that's an order"

"Okay boss" said Momma

"How do you feel about working with me at Internal Affairs?" asked Jordan

"Seriously?" said Momma in disbelief

"Yeah" said Jordan "with the department going thru an overhaul, the Internal Affairs Chief cleaned house and has 2 openings.. He offered one to me, if my partner could come with me... its 12 hours a day, 4 days on & 3 days off, and we're home every night by 6:30... What do you think?"

"Oh Hell yeah, I'm in" said Momma "When do we start?"

"We don't have to be there till you & Niall get back from Ireland" said Jordan "I told the Chief that you needed the time off for your trip, and he that was fine with him, so this week, we'll be doing ride arounds, talking to the cadets at the academy, and helping the Commissioner re-do the academy application & classes to your specifications"

"My specifications?" said Momma in shock

"Of course" said Jordan "He was impressed with the way you got the boss someone who could train a tactical team, and how you handled Wexler & Kirby the night Jessie's dog died... Nothing gets by him... He knows everything"

"Then why wasn't Montgomery fired?" I asked

"Bc until Des came into the picture, he had no reason to fire her" said Steven "It wasn't till Duchess died, that he put her under surveillance, but she came after you before he could fire her"

"I see" I said "So what's going on with her case?"

"She pled guilty and was sent to prison" said Steven "She was given Life without parole"

"When?" asked Momma

"Friday morning" said Steven "I didn't say anything bc I knew it could wait and Harry & Mary didn't need to think about that on their Wedding Day"

"Thank you Steven" said Mary "Everyone raise your glass... Pamela, Niall, you are embark on the biggest journey of your lives... My Mother said that children are an extension of ourselves... Pamela, it has been my greatest joy to watch you grow into a beautiful, confident & smart young woman... Niall, you are going to be a great Dad and I Love You both so much... To Pamela & Niall"

"HERE, HERE" cheered everyone

"Oh my God" said Maura

"What is it Mom?" asked Papa

"I'm gonna be a Grandma" said Maura, looking at her phone "Denise is pregnant too... with twins" and looked at Papa "You're gonna be an Uncle again"

"Oh Wow" said Papa and went to his bag to get his phone "Greg called & left a message" and put it on speaker 

GREG: Niall.. Oh God, I need ya bro... Denise is pregnant... Call me back as soon as ya get this

Papa called Greg on speaker

GREG: Niall?

NIALL: Hey Greg.. Ya okay?

GREG: No... I'm scared bro.. Denise locked herself in the bedroom, she wont come out & she wont even talk to me

NIALL: Okay, calm down, put the phone on speaker and slide it under the door

GREG: Okay *muffled noise*

NIALL: Niecie?... Ya okay darlin?

DENISE: Niall?

NIALL: Yeah, its me darlin.. pick up the phone off the floor

DENISE: Oh Niall *crying* I'm pregnant with twins... What am I gonna do?

NIALL: Shh... ya need to calm down & unlock the door so Greg can make sure yer alright

DENISE: *sniff* Okay

GREG: Are ya okay Niecie?

DENISE: No *crying*

GREG: Shh... don't cry Niecie, it breaks me heart when ya cry darlin

NIALL: Niecie, why are ya so upset darlin?

DENISE: Bc I'm pregnant, we have ta find a bigger place, I lost my job and I miss Nana & Mom

NIALL: Oh Niecie... well, I bet I can make ya smile

DENISE: How?

NIALL: How do ya feel about being an Aunt in 9 months?

DENISE & GREG: WHAT!?

NIALL: Ya heard me... Pamela's pregnant too... with triplets

GREG: Holy shit... Ya alright?

NIALL: Right as rain bro... Pamela's not keen on the timing, with the Wedding being in 6 weeks, but we're excited about it

DENISE: Damn, and I thought I had problems... What are ya gonna do about University?

NIALL: I'm still going.. Pamela is insisting that I go, so don't worry about that darlin... When are ya due?

DENISE: Mid-February... around Valentine's Day

NIALL: Oh wow.. Pamela's due around the end of April... We've got babies popping up all over here

GREG: Who else is pregnant?

NIALL: Ms. Mary is pregnant with twins... My Father-in-law & his husband are expecting triplets at the end of March... Pamela's best friend's Mother is pregnant with 4 babies and her Aunt is pregnant with twins

GREG: Oh dear God... Talk about a population boom

NIALL: Yeah, no kidding... Hey Greg?

GREG: Yeah?

NIALL: Ya remember what Mrs. O'Rourke told us? anout how when we met the one that was meant for us, that we would reverse?

GREG: Yeah, I remember... Why?

NIALL: Gran found him and it happened... A full-on total reversal bro

GREG: Are you kidding?

NIALL: Nope, I'm dead serious bro... Ya should see her, she's a knock out mate

GREG: Watch yer mouth.. That's our Nana

NIALL: Hey, I already had a full-on mental stroke when I saw her Greg... Find Gran & Gramps's Wedding photo

GREG: Okay, I'm looking at it

NIALL: Now picture Gran with red hair down to her ass as ya look at that picture

GREG: Holy damn

NIALL: Exactly bro

GREG: How far did she reverse?

NIALL: I'd say she looks about 30?.. maybe 35?

GREG: No way... bro, send me a picture cuz I don't believe ya

NIALL: I will, as soon as we hang up... Ya gotta do me a favor Greg

GREG: What do ya need?

NIALL: Everything Mrs. O'Rourke said is true.. every single word, so ya need ta prepare Dad for it, bc if he doesn't have a heads up, he's gonna stroke out when he hears this

GREG: Oh man... Okay Niall, I'll tell him, I promise... should I have him call ya? or wait till ya get here?

NIALL: Whichever he wants is fine, I'm off work for a while, so I have time to talk if he calls... I gotta go Greg, so call me if ya need me... You too Niecie

GREG: We will... Thanks Niall

NIALL: You're welcome... Relax Niecie, everything will work out... you'll see

DENISE: I'll try... ya take care of me sister

NIALL: I will... see ya soon

and hung up "Okay Gran, lets take this picture so Greg can see I wasn't lying" said Papa

"Okay Niall" said Gran "Come on Simon"

"Yes ma'am" said Simon as they got up and went near a tree to take the picture

"Got it" said Papa "Man.. I wish I could see the look on his face when he sees this" as Papa sent the picture and they sat back down and finished eating

"Oh my God" said Kara "This potato salad is incredible"

"Thanks" I said "Its my Grandma Maggie's recipe... its the sweet pickles that make it taste so good"

"Huh... I never thought to put pickles in it" said Kara "When I make it, I usually eat it with a jar of olives"

"Yuck" said Matt "I cant stand olives... unless they're on pizza"

"Oh really" said Kara "You sure liked them last week when you & Mimsie came over for dinner"

"We didn't have olives last week" said Matt

"Yes we did... they were those big black things in the Greek Salad" said Kara "and you ate every single one of them"

"Those were olives?" said Matt

"Yep" said Kyle

"Greek Olives are the best" I said "They're sweeter than green olives"

"Damn... I had no clue" said Matt

"I know... Mimsie told me not to tell you" said Kara "bc she wanted to see if you'd notice or not"

"That was sneaky sis" said Gary as Garrett's phone rang

"Its Duncan" said Garrett and put it on speaker

GARRETT: What's the verdict boys?

DUNCAN: 1 dislocated arm, 1 dislocated nose, and 3 missing teeth, but we're okay otherwise

GARRETT: Sweet Jesus... Are you sure?

DUNCAN: Pretty sure... We found the missing teeth, and Max is getting ready for oral surgery to have them reattached... they're molars, so he shouldn't look any uglier than he does right now... Nana fucked him up with that skillet, the whole left side of his face is swollen black & purple

GARRETT: Damn

DUNCAN: I called Mom and she's on her way bc Max was wigging out

GARRETT: Why?

DUNCAN: The Doc gave him Novacaine for the surgery and he started hallucinating, just like he did when he had to get braces, so they had to sedate him... I told them not to give it to him, but they didn't listen, so now Mom's coming to do a body cavity search on that Doc with her foot... I sure hope he heals fast, bc Mom got pulled over for speeding and she is so pissed right now

GARRETT: *chuckling* Your Momma wont do that much damage, she's mostly worried about your brother

DUNCAN: Me too Pops, it was really bad this time... He was yelling at me in Italian... When the fuck did he learn Italian? He can barely handle English as it is

GARRETT: Are you serious?

DUNCAN: Pops... Have I EVER in 25 years lied to you?

GARRETT: No, you haven't... Did you record it?

DUNCAN: Hell no, I was trying not to shit my pants and call Mom... Read Pops

GARRETT: Oh God *and crossed himself* ... just breathe Duncan, its alright... sit down and wait for your Momma and have her call me when Max is out of surgery

DUNCAN: Yes sir

and hung up, then made another call

"Hello?" said a woman

GARRETT: Lydia? Where's Momma?

LYDIA: She's on the phone with Papa

GARRETT: Is she alright?

LYDIA: No... those boys severely damaged the floor, but the guy you had call said that it'll only cost $300 to fix it, and he'll be here on Monday bc he's coming from Michigan... How are Duncan & Max?

GARRETT: Duncan has a dislocated arm and Max has a dislocated nose & 3 missing teeth

LYDIA: GOD DAMN!!... What did she do?

GARRETT: Momma went ape-shit with her cast-iron skillet on them... Max is having oral surgery right now and Gayle is on her way to the hospital

LYDIA: Oh no... How bad did Max flip out?

GARRETT: Really bad... He scared the shit out of Duncan and nothing scares him

LYDIA: Poor kid... just a sec Garrett *Nana, Garrett's on your cell* *Thanks sweetie*

NANA KAYE: Yes?

GARRETT: Hey Momma, are you alright?

NANA KAYE: No, but Lydia reset my arm, and I talked to your Daddy... How are the boys?

GARRETT: Duncan has a dislocated arm, but you need to sit down Momma 

NANA KAYE: Oh God... okay, I'm sitting down

GARRETT: Max has a dislocated nose & 3 missing teeth

NANA KAYE: Oh no *crying* my poor babies... Is Max alright?

GARRETT: He's having oral surgery now and Duncan said the whole left side of Max's face is black & purple

NANA KAYE: *crying* Jessie, turn it back on sweetie... please

JESSIE: Yes ma'am, but you need to calm down first, bc if I turn it on right now, you'll pass out... shh, come on Nana, deep breathing.. inhale on 1.. hold it on 2 and exhale on 3... that's it, one more time... there ya go, now just relax *and closed my eyes*

NANA KAYE: *sighing* Thank you sweetie

JESSIE: You're welcome Nana, now go easy on the reading for a few hours, pour yourself a glass of iced tea and just relax

NANA KAYE: *chuckling Yes doctor... I'll see.... Pamela Jane Williams

PAMELA: What? I didn't do anything

NANA KAYE: Triplets?

PAMELA: Oh... I haven't had it confirmed yet Nana, I'll find out at noon tomorrow

NANA KAYE: Alright, call me, and I'll see everyone soon

GARRETT: Okay Momma... send me the pictures of the floor please

NANA KAYE: Okay honey... bye now

and hung up "Poor Momma" said Bo "this is gonna mess her up when she finally sees Max" as Garrett's phone buzzed

"Yeah, I know" said Garrett "Oh damn" Louis came over to Garrett to see the pictures

"Sweet Jesus... How did they move that fridge?" said Louis "They're lucky to still be breathing... My Mom would've snapped my neck if I fucked her floors up like that" and Liam walked over to Lou and gave a low whistle

"No shit" said Liam

"Is it that bad Louis?" asked Mary

"Yeah, it looks like 4 - 1/2 inch gouges in the floor, and that's just from the fridge" said Louis "the scratches from the stove aren't as bad"

"Come on Charlie" said Becca "Lets go for a swim"

"Okay pretty lady" said Charlie as they tossed their plates in the bonfire and headed down to the lake

"Is Becca alright?" asked Bo

"Yeah.. she's fine" said Momma "They just need to talk privately for a bit"

"Oh" said Bo "Well given what's happened today, talking is good"

"Oh for God's sake Bo" said Kara "He's only 12 years old... they aren't even at that stage yet"

"Kiki... Seriously?" said Bo

"What?" said Kara "They aren't"

"Kiki, the average man looses their virginity between 10 & 16" said Bo "and that's a fact... Ask your husband and any man in this family, or at this table"

"Kyle?" said Kara

"He's right sweetie" said Kyle

"Oh dear God" said Kara and laid her herad in her arms

"Don't worry Ms. Kara" said Mack "Becca knows the ramifications if they were to be intimate right now... Charlie needs to be aware of them, so that they don't give in too soon... just relax ma'am, they'll be fine... I promise"

"Once Charlie knows that and they work out a plan together, things will get easier for them" said Momma "You'll see" and smiled

"I hope so, bc I really like him" said Kara "and he makes her happy"


	146. Chapter 146

Chapter 146

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"I know Mom" said Momma and chuckled "Did Garrett tell you what happened when I told Becca about Charlie?"

"No.. What happened?" asked Kara

"When I called Becca, she was on herf morning run" said Momma "and instead of stopping, she kept running and stepped in a chuck hole & wrenched her knee... that was when they talked on the phone for the first time"

"Oh gosh" said Kara "When was that?"

"Wednesday night, here" said Momma "Charlie was on cloud 9.. right up till Becca called back and said that she was on her way, and that she would be here in 24 hours... then he was a nervous wreck"

"Poor guy" said Matt

"What's wrong Doc?" I asked

"Huh?... Oh sorry, I was just thinking" said Alex

"About?" I said 

"Why you didn't tell me you were a reader" said Alex

"Bc you & Maura needed to get to know each other before you knew about me" I said "I have no problem helping people find/meet their soulmate, but I've found it goes easier, if they don't know I can read before hand"

"I see... that makes sense" said Alex "How long have been able to do that?"

"Since birth... in 1901" I said 

"1901?" said Alex "You're joking.. right?"

"No, she's not joking" said Papa "Jessie is a reincarnated soul"

"Oh my God... that's why you look so familiar" said Alex "It didn't make sense before"

"What didn't make sense?" I asked

"When you brought Liam to the hospital last week, you looked like a woman I saw once" said Alex "you were taller, and you were wearing a white lace dress and you said 'not yet little one, go back' "

"I remember... you were lost" I said "What happened?"

"I was in an accident and when I woke up, I sdaw you" said Alex "the next time I woke up, I was in the hospital and thought I had dreamed seeing you"

"Ahh okay" I said "I wondered why I never saw you again" and smiled "and now you've found your soulmate... Its nice to see you happy" Alex came over and hugged me

"Thank you for sending me back" said Alex and kissed my cheek

"You're welcome" I said 

"PUT ME DOWN" yelled Becca as Charlie jumped in the water with Becca in his arms, and came up couching "OH.. YOU'RE A DEAD MAN NOW CHARLIE!!" and ran out of the water, grabbed a box of water balloons and ran back down to the dock as Charlie hopped up onto the raft

"YEAH, RIGHT REBECCA" yelled Charlie "GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT GORGEOUS"

"Oh, she's gonna nail him" said Roger as Becca threw 5 balloons and hit Charlie in the face & chest "Told ya"

"WHATCHA GONNA DO ABOUT THAT HOT SHOT?" yelled Becca as Charlie dove in, hopped up onto the dock, threw Becca over his shoulder, carried her back to us, opened the cooler, grabbed a soda, shook it up, sety Becca down and sprayed her in the face with it

"Beat that lovely lady" said Charlie and kissed her

"Oooo Go Charlie" said Meghan & Sarah in unison and laughed

"Damn Charlie.. let the girl breathe dude" said Louis and chuckled as they parted

"oops... sorry" said Charlie

"Oops? Understatement of the Century dude" said Louis as Becca grabbed two sodas and shook them "You better run Charlie"

"Oh shit" said Charlie and ran for the dock, with Becca right behind him, and sprayed him with soda

"Looks like their talk went well" said Haz and chuckled as Charlie slid off the dock and into the water, then Becca jumped in right after him

"Yeah" said Papa as Momma laid her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes & sighed "Are you tired poppet?"

"A little, but I'm fine sunshine" said Momma "its just nice to see Becca happy and having some fun"

"Didn't you have fun at school?" asked Papa

"Yeah, we hadf fun" said Momma "but Becca was more quiet & reserved then... since she met Charlie, Becca's been more active and almost bubbly"

"huh" said Papa as Becca & Charlie came back, grabbed their towels and sat down "Feel better Becca?"

"Much better" said Becca "What time are we going shopping tomorrow Jess?"

"10:30... I want to sleep in" I said "I've been going non-stop for the past 10 days, so when we get home, I'm putting my phone on silent and I'm crashing till 9-9:30"

"Lucky you" said Becca "I've never been able to sleep in... It doesn't matter what time I go to bed, even if I'm sick, I'm up at 5am every day... I'm running on 4 hours sleep, 5 cups of coffee and an adrenaline chaser right now"

"Damn girl, try cutting back on the coffee" I said "Momma has 2 cups, maybe 3, but no more than that... and since I came here, I've had coffee once, that Gem made for me, bc I couldn't shut my brain off and I was out cold 45 minutes later and slept all night"

"Yeah, I know" said Becca "Why don't you drink coffee?"

"I cant handle caffeine" I said "If I drink too much, I get the shakes & migraine's till its out of my system, so I drink lots of juice & water"

"Holy cow" said Becca "Have you tried decaf?"

"Nope" I said "That's also why I run, and since Mack got here I'm running farther and sleeping better"

"What are you up to?" asked Matt

"I was running 10 miles with Momma, but now I'm holding steady at 30 miles" I said 

"You've got me beat" said Matt "When I'm at home, I run 15 miles"

"That's pretty good, for your age" I said "I ran the Boston Marathon with my Mom & David when I was 6"

"No way... What was your time?" asked Kyle

"3hours, 42minutes, 28seconds" I said "36.8 miles" as I went to my bag and put on my hoodie with my shorts

"I like your hoodie Jess" said Gary

"Thanks... the Raiders are my team" I said as I sat down

"No one likes the Raiders, they suck" said Matt

"That's not why I like them" I said "I like them bc they work as a team and don't give up... even when they loose, they act like they just won the Super Bowl"

"Huh... I never looked at them that way before" said Matt

"Jessie knows her College Football too" said Momma "well, the best ones, any way"

"Whose your top 3 College teams?" asked Kyle

"U of M... Notre Dame... Texas A & M" I said 

"What about the soutghern teams?" asked Gary "LSU & Old Miss both had a pretty good season last year"

"That was a fluke dude, bc southern teams suck swamp water" I said "The coaches are so Hell bent on winning, they push their players to the point of injury... How do they expect to win, if half of the team & reserved team are on the injured list? And if you're an injured player & cant play, How do you expect to go pro, if you're always injured?... No one is going to sign a player that's always injured on the side lines"

"Damn... She got you there Gary" said Roger

"Do you play football?" asked Bo

"I used to before I moved here" I said "but no one plays American Football and I cant kick a soccer ball to save my life"

"We should plan for a football game on Sunday afternoon after Ni & Pamela's Wedding seeing as we'll have the whole family here" said Matt "You in?"

"Oh Hell yeah" I said "we can play in the field next to the house"

"Sounds good" said Matt "What position do you play?"

"Quarterback" I said "and I'll work with Haz & Papa, so they'll be fairly up to speed by game day"

"Sounds good" said Kyle as Haz added more wood to the bonfire

"Oh shit" said Momma

"What's wrong Momma?" I asked

"We need 12 more silver-blue ties" said Momma "and Meghan & Cece need dresses"

"Okay" I said as I pulled out my phone "Who all needs a tie Momma?"

"Alex, Tom, Brian, Steven, Jordan, Evan, Charlie, Andrew, Damian, Davis, Collin & Stuart" said Momma as I typed

"Okay Momma, I got em, now just relax" I said "and we'll get Meghan & Cece's dresses tomorrow when we go shopping... no more thinking about the Wedding Momma, you'll make yourself sick with worry.... You hear me Captain?"

"Yes ma'am Admiral" said Momma

"Good" I said and put my phone away "Its a good thing I ordered 20 sets of accessories"

"What vare the accessories?" asked Kara

"A blue topaz pendant necklace & earrings and a blue topaz & diamond ring" I said "Sarah's set has a diamond & blue topaz bracelet, bc of her age, and Momma is wearing my Grandma Maggie's pearls & earrings"

"Oh wow" said Kara as I pulled out my phone

"Hey Theresa, its Jessie" I said "The Wedding was amazing... KI need to add 3 more wrist corsages & 12 boutineers to the Williams & Horan Wedding please... Okay, do I need to come in and settle up the bill?... Are you sure?.... Okay Theresa... I don't think so, but I'll call if there is... Thanks lady, you rock... Jave a good night... bye" and hung up "that's all set" and rubbed my temples, then cracked my neck "Oh God... that feels better"

"Do you need to go re-center angel?" asked Marcus

"Yeah... but I don't want to get up" I said 

Marcus chuckled "Go on angel" said Marcus "and while you're gone, the boys & I will load up the cars so that we don't have to haul as much when we get ready to leave"

"Oh alright" I said and headed down to the dock

NIALL'S POV

"You were right Simon" I said "She will make herself slow down"

"I told ya" said Simon "She may run around like a mad woman, but she knows when to say 'I've had enough' and close up the shop" as my phone buzzed

"Hey Gran" I said 

"Yes?" said Gran 

"Denise just texted me.. Greg passed out when he saw the picture" I said and chuckled "He just woke up"

"That boy" said Gran and chuckled "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's good" I said and put my phone away "How long has it been Haz?"

"30 minutes" said Haz "Hey.. you want to get her?"

"No way mate" I said "she's been quiet... Don't make her blow up on ya, you're leaving for your honeymoon in 2 days.. Do ya really want to go with a black eye, or worse?"

"Good point" said Haz "Never mind"

"Smart man" mumbled Pamela and went back to sleep.. I chuckled and kissed her hair

"Did Jess tell PJ?" asked Becca

"Yeah, and she took it really well" I said "Jessie promised to help her shut it down, if its to be too much to handle... That recording William made, flipped a switch in her head and made the gray area easier to understand"

"Why did he call her Dixie?" asked Gary

"William used to say that if Jessie were alive during the Civil War, the South would've won" chuckled Jimmy "and after what happened this morning, I'm starting to think he was right"

"You should've seen her" said Haz "When she gets mad, he eyes turn black, but this time, even the whites of her eyes were black... it was scary"

"Her whole eye turned black?" said Marcus

"Yeah... I thought I was gonna have to slap her to snap her back" said Haz "till she punched me in the stomach, that's when her eyes went back to blue again"

""I told ya boss" said Damian "That's what happened when she blew up on us... Now do ya believe me?"

"Yes Damian, I do" said Marcus "What was the clerk saying Haz?... before she blew up"

"Check out that ass... I could bend her like a pretzel... I bet she's a screamer... I'll bet she could fuck 3 guys all at the same time" said Haz "and it only got worse bc he followed us thru the entire store, so I went to report him to the manager and that's when World War III & the Apocalypse broke out"

"And she let him live?" said Davis

"Only bc I pulled her off of him" said Haz "I swear she broke every bone in the guys face bc it looked like raw burger and then she didn't say a word the whole way home... she just sat there with her knees in her chest and stared out the window, just like she did the night Mary & I brought her home"

Andrew went down to the dock and said something that made Jessie come out of her headstand, then they sat down facing each other.

"Whoa... What in the bloody Hell" I said "They just went dead-air quiet"

"Boss is trying to find out what triggered her blow up with us" said Damian "only a demons eyes go completely black"

"A Demon?" said Pamela and sat upright "Seriously?"

"That's the only explanation we got Pamela" said Davis "Sorry" and we waited & watched... A few minutes later, a thick black cloud appeared over their heads, then disappeared "Damn... I wonder who that was"

"Who do you think?" said Damian

"Oh, is she in deep shit when the big boss finds out" said Davis

"They never think about him when they mess with humans" said Damian "Jess shouldn't blow up much now... I hope"

"Who was it Damian?" asked Stuart

"Sheba" said Damian "She's been missing for a very long time"

"Daaamn" said Collin "He's really not gonna be pleased with her... He should've punched her ticket a long time ago"

"Agreed" said Davis & Damian in unison

"Who's Sheba?" I asked

"Her name is Bathsheba" said Damian "She's been bad news since the Dark Ages... She was Lucifer's right hand and caused most of the problems that led to the Great War... and his death"

"Holy shit" I said and crossed myself as Andrew carried Jessie back

"Is she alright?" asked Pamela as Andrew laid Jessie in her arms

"She'll be fine... It took a lot out of her, to get Sheba out of her head " said Andrew "Sheba was hiding in her subconscious, that's why Jess was having recurring memories of her & Marcus after he gave her back their memories & why her blow ups were so bad... She should be calmer when she wakes up"

"My poor baby" said Pamela and kissed Jessie's hair

"The sink hole closed up too" said Andrew "Once Sheba was gone, all of the damage was healed... She still has a temper, but it should be more manageable now"

"Thank you Andrew" said Pamela

"You're welcome Pamela" said Andrew

"Did she ask for the bad memories?" asked Jimmy

"No, once the sink hole closed, we put her memories to bed, as she likes to say, and then she passed out" said Andrew "She went 20 mental rounds with Sheba, so she may be out for a bit"

"She looks so peaceful" said Kara "Poor thing... How long was she in there?"

"That I don't know" said Andrew "I suspect since 1987, when she was in Germany, the cycle before this one... that's when she went off on the boys"

"Sweet Jesus" said Becca "That was 24 years ago" and crossed herself

"I'll be back soon" said Andrew and disappeared

"Breathe Alex" said Mom softly "I know... its a shock at first, just breathe"

"How?" said Alex in shock

"He's an angel" said Mom "So is Davis, Damian, Collin & Stuart"

"I know how you feel Alex... It was a shock for me when I found out too" said Kara "You're not going crazy, just listen to Maura and breathe" Alex nodded as Pamela started humming a song to Jessie

"Please don't take... my sunshine... away" mumbled Jessie "Hey Momma"

"Hey baby" said Pamela softly "How do you feel?"

"A little dizzy, but I'm fine" said Jessie and kept her eyes closed "Where's Andrew?"

"He had to go upstairs for a bit" I said 

"Ooo Sheba's a dead woman" said Jessie "God is beyond livid with her... and there she goes... another ticket punched" and whispered in Pamela's ear

"JESSIE" said Pamela as Jessie started laughing

"Oh, live a little Momma" said Jessie "Life is too short to play it safe all of the time... I told you 'paint the walls in wild colors, make new memories, try new things so you can look back and say 'damn, that was wild.. lets do it again'... remember?"

"I remem-" said Pamela and stopped "Oh my God" then looked at me "Ni... the night we stayed here all night in the truck... 11 days ago"

"Are you serious?" I said 

"That's the only night it could've happened" said Pamela "unless it happened the morning we got engaged"

"That was 4 weeks ago poppet" I said 

"I'm aware sunshine" said Pamela "but those are the only times I can think of when it could've happened"

"I know I'm gonna regret this" said Jessie and closed her eyes "4 weeks ago Momma" and opened her eyes "you'll be due the same time as Izzie"

"Are you sure?" asked Pamela

"Yes, and don't make me go back in Papa's head to double check" said Jessie "I gotta scrub my brain with bleach now" and closed her eyes and stuck her fingers in her ears & went quiet

"Oh God" I whispered, crossed myself and closed my eyes

"Just breathe Niall, and just listen" said Garrett softly as he put his hand on my shoulder "You're alright son, just remember what your Dad said 'things in life don't always go according to plan'... you & Pamela have been given a gift that you didn't think would happen for a while, but you can do this and in 9 months, you & Pamela are going to be parents to 3 beautiful babies... Do you see them?"

"Yeah... They all look like Pamela" I said and looked at Pamela "I see 2 girls & a boy... they're so beautiful poppet"

"Oh wow" said Pamela as Jessie put her hand on Pamela's belly & closed her eyes

"Damn Papa... He's right Momma" said Jessie and opened her eyes "2 are talking up a storm and the third is quietly listening"

"Oh wow" said Kyle "Kiki... lets find out"

"Are you sure honeybee?" said Kara

"Yeah, I'm sure... please?" said Kyle

"Okay" said Kara "Jessie.. could you tell us?"

"Sure" said Jessie and walked over to Kara, touched her belly, closed her eyes and listened "2 girls & 2 boys.. 2 are talking, and 2 are sleeping... Oh wow, they're hearts are all beating in sync"

"Oh wow" said Kyle softly as tears ran down his face "2 of each"

"You'll find out for sure in 3 months Kyle" said Jessie "they may all be girls.. bc 2 of them are sleeping, I cant tell for sure, so I'm guessing that they're boys"

"Yes ma'am" said Kyle "but 2 are definitely girls, right?"

"Yes, 2 are definitely girls" said Jessie "oh lord... just a sec y'all" and closed her eyes "Calm down Gramps... don't make me have Andrew tie you to a tree... that's better... What was that?... you're killing me Gramps... okay, but if I get yelled at, I'll make Damian punch you in the mouth.. ya hear me?" and opened her eyes "Papa, Gramps says, all babies are beautiful and that you need to be your own man when it comes to your children... You deal with your son or sons, and let Pamela deal with your daughters... be firm, but fair... and don't be a hard-ass like Bobby"

"Gee Gramps... tell us how ya really feel about Dad" I said and chuckled

"Gee thanks Papa" said Jessie "Damian, go calm him down please... Papa done pulled his chain"

"Yes ma'am" said Damian and disappeared

"What'd he say?" I asked

"Ya don't want to know Papa" said Jessie "it wasn't good and I refuse to repeat it, bc I enjoy being able to sit" and sat down "so don't ask me again" as Damian returned

"He's quiet now boss lady" said Damian "Man... when Shawn gets on a rant, his accent gets so thick you cant hardly understand him"

"I know" said Jessie "It gets worse when he's excited bc then he starts bouncing around like a damn ping-pong ball"

"Jessie... I have never hit a girl in my entire life" I said "and I don't intend ta start now"

"Never say never Papa" said Jessie "bc I've learned that when a person mentally snaps, no one is safe"

"What does that mean poppet?" I asked, confused

"It means, that if a stranger, someone you know or your family is in harm's way, it doesn't matter if that threat is male or female, bc your first instinct is going to be to keep them safe, regardless of your own personal safety" said Jessie "If you had been here when Montgomery came after me, you would've killed her.... maybe not literally, but you definitely would've given her a beating"

"I see your point" I said and thought about it "You're probably right poppet"

"Now... lets make some s'mores" said Jessie "and yes Grandpa, you can have 2... Dr. Carlisle said that was fine"

"Oh yay" said Zayn "Thanks princess"

"You're welcome" said Jessie and got out the candy, marshmallows, graham crackers & peanut butter

"What's the peanut butter for?" asked Becca

"I don't like chocolate" said Jessie "bc it gives me acid reflux & stomach cramps, so I use peanut butter"

"Then how can you eat tiramisu?" asked Becca

"Oh, I'll suffer thru it for tiramisu" said Jessie "not for s'mores"

"Oh okay" said Becca and chuckled "its nice to know you have your priorities straight"

"You want one Momma?" asked Jessie

"Yes please baby" said Pamela

"How do you want your marshmallow?... light, medium or burnt" asked Jessie

"Burnt please" said Pamela

"You got it... Papa?" said Jessie

"Medium please poppet" I said 

"One medium & one burnt, coming up" said Jessie and put 2 marshmallows each on 2 skewers "Come on y'all, I ain't making all of them" and put one skewer in the fire, and pulled it out while it was burning, blew it out and put it between two cracker & chocolate, then put in the other one, turning it slowly, then put it between the cracker & chocolate "Here ya go Momma, Papa" 

"Thanks baby" said Pamela & I as Pamela took a bite

"Oh my God" moaned Pamela "Its perfect baby" Jessie chuckled

"Ya cain't mess it up when its burnt Momma" said Jessie "Haz.. Izzie? ya want one?"

"No thanks sweetie" said Mary

"Yes please peanut... medium please" said Haz

"You got it Haz" said Jessie

"Oh my God" said Damian "How did you guys learn to make these?"

"I learned in Girl Scouts" said Becca 

"Mom used to make these when I was little" said Jessie "but when the chocolate made me sick, she used peanut butter"

"I don't remember" said Davis "but once you know how to make them, you never forget"

Once we all had our fill of s'mores, we relaxed and visited while Jessie & Becca hung out around the bonfire.

JESSIE'S POV

"Look who's talking crazy now" laughed Becca "When I get married, it'll be one and done... no repeats"

"Yeah, me too" I said "I've been in love with Marcus for so long, I cant see getting remarried... He's got my heart & soul for all eternity"

"Yeah" said Becca "I felt the same about Charlie, the first time I saw him when I was 8"

"Did you two talk?" I asked

"Yeah... and Mack was right" said Becca "Charlie knows what could happen if we were to be intimate before my enlistment ends... How do you & Marcus handle it?"

"We have the rule 'No sex till marriage' " I said "its working pretty well... we give each other privacy and try not to cross the line in regards to personal space... and it helps that we talk about everything... sex, children, how we'd handle hypothetical situations, how we're feeling... Marcus is my whole world"

"Don't your memories of the past get in the way?" asked Becca

"Sure they do" I said "but we talk about it... You & Charlie don't have a past relationship to hang you up, like Marcus & I do, and that's a good thing... yeah, you'll miss each other in 6 weeks, but you don't have the intimacy to make it 10 times worse to contend with"

"Yeah, good point" said Becca "I guess I'm jealous of PJ& Niall, bc they get to be together"

"Yeah, well don't forget, they're pregnant too" I said Momma & Papa used condoms religiously and Momma STILL got pregnant 6 weeks before their Wedding"

"Yeah, I know and we talked about that too" said Becca "bc I absolutely CAN NOT get pregnant till after I get married... 1) Daddy would kill me... 2) I'll dishonorably discharged for getting pregnant... and 3) Charlie needs to finish school and get a degree"

"Yeah, Papa does too" I said "I know they're scared shitless right now, but I know they'll make it... I just need to get Papa thru the delivery without passing out.. Momma can handle it"

"What did you say to PJ?" asked Becca

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about getting pregnant any more" I said and chuckled "you & Papa can have all the sex you want now... Go with God Momma"

"Oh my God" laughed Becca "you are so bad"

"Yeah, I know" I said "that's what happens when I go running thru Papa's head... that's why I don't read Momma & Papa too much.. there are some things about them I SHOULD NOT know about"

"Amen sister" said Becca as the others joined us "Hey.. what's up?"

"The adults are talking so we thought we'd come join you two" said Brian

"Ahh got it" said Becca


	147. Chapter 147

Chapter 147

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

Then Mack came over and joined us "Hey Pooh bear... What's up?" I asked

"Everyone's splintering off into different conversations" said Mack "Gem & Jimmy are discussing the pending lawsuit... the parents are giving Ni advice... Liam, Louis, Matt & Roger are talking about the bathroom... its driving me bonkers trying to keep up with them all"

"Ahh okay" I said "What's your plan for tomorrow?"

"Not a damn thing... why?" asked Mack

"You want to come with us shopping?" I said "Beth & Cece need some clothes & things and we're getting Meghan & Cece's dresses for the Wedding"

"Absolutely" said Mack "Who all's going?"

"You, me, Becca, Sarah, Beth, Meghan, & Cece" I said "Becca's driving my car and we'll be dropping Sarah off at the music shop on our way home"

"Why isn't Mary & Pamela coming?" asked Mack

"Bc Mary & Haz need to pack, and Momma & Papa have their Dr.'s appointment at noon" I said "and I want them to get as much sleep as possible"

"Oh yeah... sorry" said Mack "Pamela's minor melt-down has me worried... I've been keeping an eye on her ever since"

"That's okay Pooh bear" I said "I've been worried about Nana Kaye, Ellie & Edgar, and my brain still isn't clean from running thru Papa's head"

"How are you feeling, now that Sheba's out of your head?" asked Davis

"Better" I said "but how is it, that I didn't know she was in my head?"

"She was in your subconscious" said Andrew "She was the reason you went ape-shit on Damian & the guys, the clerk earlier, your verbal melt-down on Des, your anger issues, the panic attacks, & your recurring dreams... Her goal was to drive you insane"

"But why?" I asked "I didn't even know her"

"Bc you're a reincarnated soul" said Andrew "She saw you as her chance to live again and cause more chaos upstairs... She's also the reason you ripped God several new asses"

"Sweet Jesus" I said "I'm gonna be apologizing for all of eternity for that"

"No you aren't" said Andrew "Once God figured out what was going on, he helped me get her out of your head, then punched her ticket... your mind is 100% completely healed"

"Oh thank God" I said "wait... Did the scarring heal too?" and Andrew closed his eyes

"Holy shit" said Andrew and opened his eyes "Yeah.. that's healed too"

"Why did you say Holy shit?" asked Marcus

"Bc that's a reproductive thing" said Andrew "I didn't think it was healed" and put Marcus's hand on my belly

"Listen and make sure... please my love" I said as Marcus closed his eyes & listened

"No angel.. there's nothing there" said Marcus and opened his eyes

"Oh thank you Jesus" I sighed and crossed myself "Where's Damian, Collin & Stuart?"

"They went back upstairs" said Davis "Catherine & Stacey were waiting for them, and Collin went to see Jenny" my phone rang

"Its Sister Grace" I said and put it on speaker

JESSIE: Hello?

GRACE: Hello Jessie, its Sister Grace... May I speak to Marcus please

MARCUS: I'm here Sister... What's up?

GRACE: I spoke to Father Donnelly and the other Sisters about your offer, and after a lot of discussion & prayers, we'd love to accept your offer

MARCUS: Excellent... When do you want to get started?

GRACE: We're going to be interviewing builders on Tuesday, so could you come to the rectory at noon?

MARCUS: Absolutely Sister, I'll be there

GRACE: THank you Marcus... You have a good night

MARCUS: You as well Sister

and I hung up "I'll be right back" said Marcus "I need to talk to Liam & Louis"

"Okay" I said as he ran over to them "Thank you Grace... Now he has a new project to occupy his mind for a while"

"Is he having issues with nothing to do?" asked Andrew

"A little... He's been on edge since Thursday waiting for their decision" I said "and the money from his parents estate, is making him feel like they're still trying to control his life" as Marcus came back "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's great" said Marcus and smiled "Louis is going to come with me, so that I know if the cost for the rebuild is right or not, and Louis doesn't trust other contractors to do the job right"

"That's great" I said and smiled "its nice to see you smile again"

"Its nice to have something to do" said Marcus "If we can get this started soon, would you be upset, if I didn't go to Ireland with you?"

"Marcus, if the work is going on when we get ready to leave, then stay... IK wont be mad or upset" I said "This is important to you, and this project is your baby... You'll meet Papa's family at the Wedding... relax my love"

"Thank you angel" said Marcus and kissed my ring

"You don't have to thank me Marcus" I said "This is a partnership... what makes you happy, makes me happy, and vice versa... We have our whole lives to go to Ireland and other places together, so just have fun my love and make the new senior home as beautiful as you imagined it would be"

"God, I Love You" said Marcus and kissed me, then parted

"I Love You too" I said as Damian appeared

"Jess... I need your help" said Damian

"What's up Damian?" I asked

"Can we talk privately?" asked Damian

"Sure" I said as we walked down to the lake "What's on your mind?"

"Um... Catherine & I... um" said Damian, nervously

"Damian, relax" I said softly "just say it... go ahead"

"We want to take the next step" said Damian "and I want to make it special for her... help me please"

"Alright, just relax" I said "You know where the house in Savannah is.. right?"

"Yes ma'am" said Damian

"Go to the rose garden in the back yard, and find the white roses with pink edges on the petals, and pick 6 of them, then pick 2 roses from each rose bush and scatter those rose petals on the floor of the cabin and make a path that leads to one of the bedrooms.. each room has a closet full of bed linens... there's a drawer full of candles & candle holders in the kitchen, along with a box of matches" I said "then go to Mary's and get 2 champagne flutes, a bottle of sparkling cider & a bucket of ice... take them to whichever room you pick, set the bottle of cider in the bucket of ice and set the glasses next to it, and make tomight memorable... for both of you"

"Thanks Jess" said Damian and hugged me

"You're welcome Damian" I said "now go.. do exactly as I said and relax"

"Yes ma'am" said Damian and disappeared as I walked back to the bonfire and sat down

"What was that about angel?" asked Marcus

"Damian & Catherine" I said "He's taking her to the cabin for the night"

"Good for him" said Marcus

"Where's the cabin at?" asked Charlie

"Alaska" said Marcus "I built it for Jessie & I a long time ago... That's where we lived before Jessie left to be reborn"

"Oh wow" said Becca "Do you think you'll ever go back?"

"Yes, one day" said Marcus "till then, I'll continue to work on the plans for the new one I'll build for Jessie & our family here"

"HEY JESSIE" yelled Haz

"Yeah?" I said

"TELL US A JOKE" yelled Haz

JESSIE: What's the difference between a Northern fairy tale & a Southern fairy tale?

"I don't know" said Roger

JESSIE: A Northern fairy tale starts 'Once upon a time'... A Southern fairy tale starts 'Y'all ain't gonna believe this shit'

"Damn.. that's a good one" said Gary as everyone laughed "Tell one more Jess"

"Okay" I said 

JESSIE: A brunette, a blond & a redhead are in the third grade... Who has the biggest boobs?

"I don't know" said Bo

JESSIE: The blond.. she's 18

"Oh Damn" said Matt as everyone laughed

"I'll give y'all one more" I said 

JESSIE: How do you get a sweet 80 year old lady to say the F-word?

"How?" said Papa

JESSIE: Get another sweet 80 year old lady to yell BINGO

"Oh God" laughed Garrett "Where'd you find these?"

"I got Father Flannery a case of Irish whiskey for Christmas pone year and he ended every mass with a joke" I said "If you can get a Catholic priest drunk enough, you'll hear the best jokes & stories ever"

"Are you serious?" said Kyle

"Yep" I said "I got jokes for a lifetime bc of Father Flannery... may he rest in peace" and crossed myself "He was a trip when he was drunk" and whispered "watch Simon"... "Hey Simon?"

"Yeah?" said Simon

JESSIE: Why is air a lot like sex?

"I don't know... why?" said Simon

JESSIE: Bc its no big deal unless you're not getting any

Simon choked on his soda as everyone laughed

"JESSICA!" said Simon

"Oh get a grip Dad, its a joke" I said "Okay, this is the very last one and if I offend y'all, I apologize now"

"Go ahead baby" said Momma

JESSIE: Where does an Irish family go on vacation?

"Where?" said Haz

JESSIE: A different bar

Gran laughed "Oh, that's a good one Jess" said Gran "Tell Bobby that one when you meet him... He loves Irish jokes"

"Yes ma'am" I said 

"Hey PJ?" said Becca

"Yeah?" said Momma

"Did you show Ni your new tattoo yet?" asked Becca

"Not yet.. I just took the bandage off this morning" said Momma

"You got a new tattoo?" said Papa "When?"

"Last Thursday, after I took Charlie to work" said Momma and lifted her leg "Its yours"

"Oh poppet" said Papa as he touched it "Did it hurt?"

"Nope" said Momma "George told me what to do to take care of it while it healed, then I put in my earbuds and relaxed while he worked"

"Its beautiful poppet" said Papa and kissed her ring "Thank you"

"You're welcome sunshine" said Momma

"Howe many tattoos do you have Pamela?" asked Kara

"3" said Momma and showed Kara the ones on her back

"Oh wow" said Kara "They're so detailed... How long did it take to have them done?"

"A month" said Momma "I kept them covered with make-up bc Dad & Pops didn't know I had them... I showed them to Ni the morning after we got engaged, bc I didn't want to hide them from him"

"They're beautiful Pamela" said Kara "I keep mine covered too"

"MOM!" said Becca "You have tattoos?"

"Yes.. I have 4 of them" said Kara "one on my right wrist, one on my left ankle, and 2 on my hips... your Dad did those"

"Damn... what are they of?" said Matt

"The ones on my wrist & ankle, look like bracelets with Becca & Jeremy's birthday on them and the other 2 are identical to the ones Kyle has on his arm" said Kara

"You know how to do tattoos?" said Haz

"Sure" said Kyle "doing tattoos isn't that hard, you just need a steady hand and the proper equipment"

"Oh wow" said Haz as Kyle showed him his tattoos "When did you get them?"

"I had them done after I graduated from the Marines" said Kyle "I did Kiki's after she graduated from the Naval Academy"

"That's cool" said Haz "I started getting mine after Ni & I got our jobs... I've always liked them"

"Other than liking them, what made you decide to get them?" asked Mack

"I don't know" said Haz "I guess the fact that I didn't have to ask for the money to get them bc I had a job"

"Ahh okay" said Mack "Why did you get yours Pamela?"

"Becca & I had a friend that needed to show their work for a class project, so I volunteered and picked the two that are on my back" said Momma

"Why did you get the one on your ankle?" asked Haz

"Bc I wanted one that was Niall's" said Momma "The phoenix, looking back now, is Catherine's... the Marine coat of arms is Becca's... and now I have a four leaf clover with Ni's initials, that's his... I look at tattoos like a photograph... a moment in time that I will always remember... I don't plan on getting any more tattoos right now, but you never know"

"I never thought of tattoos like that before" said Haz and looked at his arm & chest "Oh wow, I sort of did the same thing... I got the 'A' for Mom, the butterfly for Gem, the birds for Mary, then there's the two that Sarah picked, the cross on my hand I got after God punched Des's ticket, and the rest just looked interesting"

"Which ones did Sarah pick?" asked Garrett

"The rose & the ships anchor" said Haz 

"The anchor is to keep you grounded to our family" said Sarah "and the rose is your children that grow from you & Mary's love... all symbols have a meaning, just like the candle Jessie had us make on your Wedding Day & what it represents"

"Oh okay" said Haz as I pulled out my phone to check the time

"What time is it baby?" asked Momma

"Its 9 o'clock" I said.. I put my phone in my hoodie pocket, ate a spoonful of peanut butter and laid my head on Marcus's shoulder

"Are you tired angel?" asked Marcus

"No, I'm just going over my mental checklists" I said "I know there's something I'm forgetting for tomorrow" and put the lid on the peanut butter

"Just relax angel, you'll remember what it is" said Marcus as I closed my eyes

"Oh my God" I said as my eyes flew open "The safes are being delivered tomorrow"

"Oh damn" said Jimmy "I completely forgot about them coming tomorrow"

"Calm down you two" said Mary "Haz & I will be home tomorrow when they arrive and we'll make sure that we get the combinations, so just relax"

"Yes ma'am" said Jimmy & I


	148. Chapter 148

Chapter 148

JESSIE'S POV (Continued)

"I'm beginning to think Sheba kept me organized" I said as I looked thru my lists on my phone "bc I'm drawing a blank as to why I made some of these lists... Why do I have a list called 'Master Plan'?"

"I thought it was a list for Mack & Jimmy's Wedding" said Louis "but you didn't exactly say what that list was"

"Can I see it?" asked Andrew

"Sure" I said and handed him my phone "Here ya go"

"Hmm... this list makes no sense" said Andrew as Garrett & Momma walked over to see the list "why would you have 'more target practice' on here?"

"I don't know" I said "its not like I cant hit a target, if that was the case, I wouldn't have passed my exam"

"This could be one of Sheba's lists" said Davis "if she was trying to drive Jessie insane, that could've been part of her plan"

"Give me my phone please" I said as Andrew gave it back to me "I'm not keeping this list" and deleted it as I looked thru them all "God damn.. she was busy... I've found 12 more lists that I don't even remember making" and checked the time stamps on them "these were all made when I was supposed to be sleeping... that bitch" and deleted them all

"Calm down Jess" said Andrew softly "just breathe, its alright, she cant follow thru on those lists ever again... all getting angry will do it give you a headache and make you want to get drunk"

"He's right baby" said Momma and knelt in front of me "You need to move past this, one day at a time.. if you try and rush it, it'll only frustrate you, and you've done all you can do for today... just try and relax.. please?"

"Okay Momma" I said and put my phone away "I'm gonna go for a swim" Momma stood up

"Okay baby" said Momma as I headed down to the dock, took off my hoodie & shorts and dove in the water

MARCUS'S POV

"Is Jessie gonna be alright?" I said and looked at Andrew "be honest boss"

"Jessie will be just fine Marcus" said Andrew 

"Its a good thing we hid all of the alcohol" said Ni "at least we don't have to worry about her getting drunk for a while"

"Yeah... till she finds it" said Pamela "now that you & I can read, its only a matter of time before it happens again"

"Where did you hide it?" asked Davis

"In the shed over at Mack's place" said Ni

"Okay" said Davis "I'm gonna go get it all and take it to the cabin"

"Hide it in the bath house behind the cabin" I said "DON'T go in the cabin Davis"

"Yes sir" said Davis and disappeared

I watched Jessie swimming, then went down to the lake to join her.

PAMELA'S POV

"God, help my baby get thru this" I whispered as one of the babies started babbling

"What's that sweetie?" said Hannah "alright... Pamela, Jordan says he misses you... would you like to hold him?"

"Of course I would" I said as Hannah came over and laid him in my arms "Hey little man, what's up?" Jordan started babbling "Yes, I'm gonna have 3 babies... I'm not sad sweetie, I'm just concerned about Jessie... you think so? *chuckling* thank you sweetie" and kissed Jordan's head "Did you have a good week?... you did?... oh wow, did you have fun seeing your Grandma?" Jordan smiled and he babbled "That's great, did Mommy take you?... Ah okay, well I'm glad Amelia made sure you had a good day... yes, we had a good time at Mary & Haz's Wedding... I wish you could've seen it too sweetie, but you'll be at Niall & I's Wedding, right?... oh good, then I'll save you a special dance... I promise" that made Jordan smile really big "yes, I'll be wearing a pretty dress... Niall will be wearing his suit... okay sweetie... Hannah, can you hand me a bottle please, Jordan;s hungry again"

"Sure" said Hannah and brought me a bottle

"Thanks" I said and fed him "there ya go.. slow down sweetie... that's better... okay, sweetie, go ahead and close your eyes"

"I cant get over how big he's gotten in a week" said Ni

"I know" said Steven "He eats more than Stephanie too... She drinks her bottles, but he sometimes drinks double what sher drinks"

"Dr. Carlisle says that's normal for twins" said Hannah "especially when they're born early, bc their bodies need the added weight to boost their immune system"

"Oh okay" said Ni "When is their first check up?"

"Wednesday" said Hannah "we'll find out how much weight they've gained in 10 days, then they wont have another check up till October, when they'll get their first immunizations"

"Oh wow" said Ni "May I hold Stephanie?"

"Sure" said Steven and brought the baby over and laid her in Ni's arms

"Oh wow" said Ni "She's so tiny compared to Jordan, and she's so beautiful & delicate... like a little angel"

"She may be tiny, but she's got a grip" said Becca "She grabbed my finger at the bridal shower and wouldn't let go till she fell asleep"

"Really" said Ni as Stephanie shifted in his arms and grabbed his shirt and pulled it to her chest and sighed in her sleep "wow, you're not kidding... she's got a death grip on my shirt" and chuckled

"She does that a lot" said Steven "Hannah had to give her one of my t-shirts bc she wouldn't let go when I tried to put her in their bed, so now she holds the shirt when I feed her so that I'm not held prisoner if she falls asleep"

"Good idea" said Ni and chuckled as he rubbed her hand with his thumb.. Stephanie let go of his shirt and grabbed his thumb and opened one eye and looked at him "Hey there poppet, I didn't mean to wake you up... go back to sleep darlin" she closed her eye and went back to sleep "She doesn't like to be woke up.. does she?"

"No.. she'll wake up if Jordan talks to her too much" said Hannah "That happens a lot when he's hungry, so she just lays there till Steven or I come into the room, then she goes back to sleep when we feed them"

"That'll change when she gets older" said Kara "Becca was the same way... Gary woke her up once when she was 6 months old and she hit him in the mouth, rolled over and went back to sleep"

"Yeah.. I never did that again" chuckled Gary

"I don't think Stephanie will ever hit Jordan or Steven, but she may throw a temper tantrum if she gets woke up too much without waking up on her own" said Kara

"Jessie was a sleeper till she was 2" said Mack "once she learned to walk, she was a never ending ball of energy"

"She wasn't a cryer?" asked Mom

"Nope, not till she was 2 and had her first hospital stay, then she cried for 5 days, so they sent her home" said Mack "Jessie told Catherine that the doctors & nurses scared her and that her room smelled like rotten eggs & death"

"Damn" said Ni "no wonder she hates hospitals"

"Hospitals also scare her bc of all of the voices" said Jimmy "they make it difficult for her to block them out" Jessie ran up, grabbed her towel and ran to the bathroom without saying a word

"What in the Hell?" said Mack as Marcus headed to the bathroom "Do you want me to go see what's wrong with Jessie?" and looked at me

"No, if there's a problem Marcus will ask for help" I said "She wasn't angry or upset, so we'll let her be for now"

"Okay Mommabear" said Mack as Marcus came back and sat down "Is Jessie alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine" said Marcus "we were getting up on the raft to take a break, when she lost her grip on the ladder and smacked her nose, so she's in the bathroom cleaning the blood off of her bathing suit"

"Oh gosh" said Mack as Jessie came back with a wad of paper towels in her hand and another wad under her nose "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine.. its not broken, I just whacked it on the ladder" said Jessie and sat down "You okay Papa?"

"I'm fine poppet" said Ni as he put his nose closer to Stephanie's hair and inhaled "I'm holding Stephanie and cant plug my nose"

"Oh.. sorry Papa" said Jessie and went and sat by the bonfire while her nose bled

"Mack can you hold Stephanie for a minute?" said Ni "I need to talk to Jessie"

"Sure Ni" said Mack "Come to Pooh bear darlin" he whispered as he took the baby out of Ni's arms and sat down as Ni went over and sat next to Jessier by the bonfire

NIALL'S POV

"Hey poppet" I said "you didn't have to come sit over here"

"Its alright Papa" said Jessie as she tossed her bloody paper towel in the fire and got a clean one "I know you & blood don't get along, I just didn't want you to pass out bc of it"

"Its not that bad if I can smell something else to cover up the odor" I said "How are you feeling otherwise?"

"I don't know" said Jessie and blew her nose, then tossed it into the fire "I guess I'm fgeeling kinda stupid for not realizing that Sheba was in my head this whole time, but I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about what I did to that clerk this morning"

"I see... you're not stupid poppet" I said "I think bc she was in your subconscious, she may have wanted to drive crazy, but she also kept you safe bc she knew if anything happened to you, that would be the end of her plans... Does that make sense?"

"Huh... yeah, it does" said Jessie "What about that guy tho?"

"That guy deserved what he got" I said "Any man who would degrade a woman, of any age like that, deserves to get his ass kicked... Don't you ever feel anything but proud for defending yourself"

"How can you say that Papa?" said Jessie and looked at me confused "I could've killed him if Haz hadn't pulled me off of him"

"That wasn't you poppet, and that wasn't you that beat up on Damian & the guys" I said "That was all Sheba's doing"

"Are you serious?" said Jessie in shock

"That's what Andrew said" I said "and I have to believe him bc he's never lied to us"

"Hmm... so bc Sheba was controlling my mind & body the 2 times I was in a fight, its not my fault?" said Jessie

"Exactly" I said "If you look back on every fight, every verbal blow-up, all of it, you'll realize it was all Sheba's doing... yes, you have a temper, nut you know what that temper looks like... think back poppet"

Jessie closed her eyes and went thru her memory as I sat there and waited. After a few minutes, Jessie slowly opened her eyes as tears ran down her face.

"I'm so sorry Papa" cried Jessie and hugged me tight

"Shh, its alright poppet" I said and held her as she cried "let it out baby, don't hold it in" now she was sobbing, so I picked her up and set her on my lap and just held her "Shh.. its alright baby" and kissed her hair

MACK'S POV

"Well whatever they were talking about looks like it went okay" I said and then we heard Jessie crying "then again, maybe not... poor carebear"

"She's alright honey" said Jimmy "Ni isn't mad, he's just letting her cry"

"I think Jessie should talk to Mom" said Kara

"You think so?" said Pamela

"It couldn't hurt Pamela" I said "the only people Jessie's ever talked to, other than you & me, is Maggie & William... maybe Charlotte could help"

"Okay" said Pamela as Davis returned

"Well, its done" said Davis "Why is Jess crying?" asked Davis

"She & Ni were talking, then she started crying, but Jimmy says she fine, Ni's just letting her cry" I said

"Oh okay" said Davis and sat down

"Thanks Davis" said Pamela

"You're welcome" said Davis and leaned back in his chair

"Is everything alright Davis?" asked Marcus

"Yep, its all good boss" said Davis "I had to put it all in the cabin bc the bath house was occupied"

"Ahh... I see" said Marcus and silently chuckled

"Don't laugh boss" said Davis "You know how being in the shadows is like being a fly on the wall?"

"Yeah... why?" said Marcus

"Lets just say, I am NEVER working the shadows EVER again" said Davis "There's somethings not even a fly should know... now I know what Jess means when she says she needs to scrub her brain with bleach" everyone started laughing

"Damn Davis" said Louis "Seriously?"

"Dude, I've never felt more like a peeping Tom, than I did a while ago" said Davis "and I didn't have to see anything to know what was going on in the bath house"

"Geez Dude, go jump in the lake" chuckled Louis "it'll help.. trust me"

"No it wont" said Davis "I took a detour to the Arctic and jumped in the water.. that didn't work either, that's why it took me so long"

"Holy shit" said Liam & Louis in unison

"Yeah tell me about it" said Davis and shuddered "Its a good thing angels cant get hypothermia or I'd be dead right now"

"Here Davis" I said and laid Stephanie in his arms "She'll occupy your thoughts"

"Oh wow... she's beautiful" said Davis as Stephanie opened her eyes and smiled at him "Hey little one, did you have a nice nap?" she started babbling "I do? well thank you... I'm an angel... Davis... yes, Meghan & I are soulmates" Stephanie frowned "I know.. everyone has a soulmate little one, you'll find yours when you grow up... I know so and when you do, you'll be as happy and in love as your Mommy & Daddy are" that made her smile "I 100% promise... Are you hungry?... alright... Hannah can you hand me a bottle please"

"Sure" said Hannah and gave Davis a bottle

"Thanks" said Davis and made a buzzing noise as he put it in her mouth "pop" and smiled "You like that?... my Mommy used to do that when I was little too... Okay little one" and she closed her eyes "Thanks Mack, I needed this"

"You're welcome" I said "there's nothing like holding a baby to make you relax"

"Yeah, I know" said Davis and kissed her head as he started humming softly

"I remember that song" said Meghan

"I sang it to you a couple of times" said Davis "Lullaby, and goodnight... go to sleep, my baby... go to sleep, go to sleep... go to sleep my baby doll" and hummed it over & over as Stephanie snuggled into his arms and sighed "Works every time" Meghan laid her head on Davis's shoulder and sighed

"I love that song" said Meghan softly as Davis kissed her hair, then she closed her eyes "I Love You Davis"

"I Love You too Meghan" said Davis softly

"How long have you two been dating Davis?" asked Kara

"5 days" said Davis "I fell in love with Meghan in 1968... her name was Daisy then and she was the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen" and looked at Meghan "Jessie helped Meghan get rid of her nightmares and when we found out she was my Daisy, Louis & Jessie helped us fall in love" and looked at Kara "I've been looking for her for 43 years, not knowing she had been reincarnated"

"Amazing" said Kara "How old was she when she passed away?"

"She was 8 months old" said Davis "I died 6 months later from a broken heart, then I spent every moment looking for her... when we finally found each other, I couldn't tell herbc every time I saw her, my hands would sweat and I couldn't breathe, let alone talk, so Louis said I should write her a letter, then we talked and here we are"

"Oh gosh" said Kara "what happens now?"

"Well for now, we're dating" said Davis "We haven't talked about the future yet, bc of Meghan's age, but I have a plan, and when the time is right, we'll talk about it, then I'll talk to Evan & Charlie.. but we have time before that happens... I don't want to rush Meghan into something she's not ready for... I've waited so long for her, I can wait a while longer"

"You sound like our Dad" said Kyle Davis chuckled

"I know" said Davis "I was born in 1950 and died just after my 18th birthday... of the 5 of us, I'm the baby of the group" and looked at Meghan and kissed her hair as she held onto his arm and chuckled "my beautiful Daisy... the prettiest flower ever... she used to say 'beep, beep' every time she saw me bc I would honk my car horn if she was in the yard with her Mom"

"Oh gosh" said Mary and wiped her eyes as Stephanie started fussing

"Shh... alright little one" said Davis softly and put the baby on his shoulder and rubbed circles on her back till she burped "oh good job Stephie" then laid the baby on his chest and she went back to sleep with his shirt in her hand

"You're really good with her" said Becca

"Thanks" said Davis and smiled "Babies will try your patience when you're sleep deprived, make you feel silly, make you laugh, make you cry, and make you feel like everything you do is wrong... then the minute they see you, they smile like you've got the biggest bowl of ice cream they've ever seen and all they want is for you to hold them forever so they can sleep in your arms and hear you breathe... in that moment, you feel as if you're floating on clouds" he kissed Stephanie's head, then tilted his head so he could whisper in her ear

Hush, little baby, don't say a word  
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird

If that mockingbird don't sing  
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring

If that diamond ring is brass  
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass

If that looking glass gets broke  
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat

If that billy goat don't pull  
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull

If that cart and bull turn over  
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover

If that dog named Rover don't bark  
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart

If that horse and cart fall down  
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town

"Where did you learn that song?" asked Steven

"My step-Dad would sing it to my little sister when she would get sick" said Davis "Bianca had cystic fibrosis so when she got sick, he'd sing that song to her to make her smile and she'd fall alseep in his arms... She died when she was 6"

"Was she reincarnated?" asked Pamela

"No.. she's a watcher" said Davis "I see her every now & then... she chose not to be reborn bc she said that she needed to be there when Mom & her Dad arrive... Her Dad arrived a while back, but Mom is taking her time"

"Your Mom is still alive?" asked Becca

"Yeah.. she's like Charlie" said Davis "we talk all the time... I told her about finding Daisy and she's happy for me, but she's not ready to come home yet"

"How old is she?" asked Becca

"She'll be 80 in October" said Davis as he put his hand on Stephanie's back and took a wallet out of his pocket and showed a picture "That's my Mom & Bianca in 1958.. Bianca was 4"

"She's gorgeous" said Becca "What's her name?"

"Anne-Marie Lynn Spencer-Robinson" said Davis and put his wallet back in his pocket

"Did your Mother have any other children?" asked Simon

"Yeah, I have 2 little brothers" said Davis

"Where are your brothers now?" asked Mary

"They grew up and got married" said Davis "Danny has 7 kids, all girls and Donnie has 4 kids, 3 girls and a boy... I think that's why Mom hasn't come home.. bc of the grandkids"


	149. Chapter 149

Chapter 149

MACK'S POV (Continued)

"Pamela" I said 

"Yeah?" said Pamela

"Ni & Jessie fell asleep... look at them" I said as she looked over at the bonfire

"Oh gosh" said Pamela and went over to the bonfire and took a picture of them, then came back and sat down "Here Simon, send this to your phone and put it in the video please" and gave her phone to Simon

"Alright" said Simon and started typing, then his phone buzzed "all set" and handed Pamela her phone, then looked at the picture "well I'll be"

"What is it Simon?" asked Jimmy

"Look at how Jessie is sitting on Ni's lap" said Simon and showed Jimmy "she's listening to him sleep... she's never done that with anyone.. except William"

"You're right" said Jimmy "they've finally bonded.. its about time... sorry Simon"

"Its alright Jimbo" said Simon "Jess & I will bond in a different way when she's ready, no rush... Ni & Pamela are her parents, she should bond with then before she & I do" and put his phone away

"Today has been an odd day" said Marcus

"I agree" said Alex "Do things like this always happen?"

"Yeah, pretty much" said Pamela "there's never a dull moment around here... especially since Jessie came to live with us"

"Amazing" said Alex and looked at Jessie "Jessie is a unique young lady" and held Maura's hand

"Yes she is" said Maura "when she found out I had gone on a date with you, that's when she called you"

"She made several valid points" said Alex and chuckled "I heard about the nickname she gave me... Ms. Amelia couldn't stop laughing anytime I was around and told me"

"Oh gosh" said Maura 

"Its fine darlin" said Alex "kids her age tend to be brutally honest... I like that bc it gives you a different perspective on things... Jessie made me slow down and re-prioritize how I do my job"

"How so?" asked Garrett

"I'm a doctor in the emergency room" said Alex "When I met Jessie, I was asking the family a lot of questions about Liam, and she was not in the mood for questions... she kept saying things like 'you writing a book? Shut up and do your job Doc'... 'heads are gonna roll and this jackass's is gonna be the first one to roll'... 'I'll sue you & this hospital for neglect, attempted murder, and medical malpheasance'.... after they had left, KI sat down and thought about what she had said and that's when I decided to treat the patient first, ask relevant questions to their treatment, and get their medical history after and its made my job much easier"

Oh wow" said Kara "What's the nickname she gave you?"

"Dr. Talks-too-much" chuckled Alex "I like it.. its cute"

"Oh gosh" chuckled Kara

"When Jessie was brought into the emergency room last Monday, I got to see her vulnerable side" said Alex "When she woke up, she was adament about being told the truth.. without the sugar-coating"

"Jessie has a severe dislike of lies when children are involved" said Simon "to her, lies are unforgiveable and thinks that if you tell a child the truth, they'll trust you more"

"I see" said Alex "So who lied to her?"

"Who didn't" said Jimmy "Me, Simon, her mother, Catherine, her Grandfather, William, David, the man she thought was her Dad.... Her Grandmother Maggie & Mack, I think are the only people who never lied to her before she moved here"

"Its not been easy for her to confide in us" said Pamela "its also getting easier for her to know that she can trust us to be honest with her"

"Ahh... That's why William's recording hit her so hard" said Alex 

"David messed with Jessie's head" I said "He drilled into her, that if you break a promise, in any way, that its the same as telling a lie... right is wrong, and wrong is right, and there is no in-between"

"Oh dear God" said Matt and looked at Jessie "she definitely needs to talk to Mom... I just hope Mom can get thru that horse-shit he told her"

"Jessie was hurt too?" said Cece as Louis took her hand and touched his face

"Yes she was" said Louis "You remember when Jessie helped you yesterday?" Cece nodded "Jessie needed you to understand that what happened wasn't your fault and to know that you can trust all of us to take care of you"

"Oh" said Cece and dropped her hand "so you & Gem are adopting me out of pity?" and looked at Louis "Be honest please"

"No sweetie" said Louis "We're adopting you bc you need a home with a family that loves you and can keep you safe" Cece looked at Jessie

"Did she have a baby too?" asked Cece

"No" said Sarah "She had a miscarriage"

"What's that?" asked Cece as Mary took her hand

"A miscarriage means that the baby died before it could grow and be born" said Mary

"Oh okay" said Cece "so Jessie & I are the same?"

""In what way sweetie?" asked Mary

"We were mistreated and ended up with babies without being in love" said Cece

"Yes sweetie... you're the same" said Mary

"I see" said Cece and looked at Marcus "Are you & Jessie going to have babies?"

"Yes" said Marcus "Aftert we get married... you will too one day, when you're married and ready"

"Hmm" said Cece and looked at her hands as tears ran down her face and fell on her hands.. Brian lifted her face to look at him

"What's wrong?" said Brian "please don't cry"

"I don't know if I want to have any babies" said Cece softly

"Shh.. don't think about that right now" said Brian "We just met and I'm not ready to be a Dad yet, and you're not ready to be a Mom" and wiped her eyes and kissed her cheek "besides, we have to finish school, get jobs and grow up before we'll be ready for that... okay?"

"You mean it?" said Cece in shock

"Of course I mean it... I wouldn't lie to you about something like this" said Brian

"Oh gosh" cried Cece and hugged him "Thank you"

"Shh... You're welcome sweetie" said Brian and held her as she cried

"Be patient with her Brian" said Tom "she has a lot to deal with right now"

"Yes sir" said Brian and wiped his eyes "May I go shopping with them tomorrow?"

"Sure you can" said Tom "you can meet them at the department store.. okay?"

"Okay" said Brian "Thanks Dad"

"You're welcome" said Tom as Brian & Cece parted, then he wiped her eyes and smiled at her

"Are you alright?" asked Brian

"Yeah" said Cece and kissed his cheek, then laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes

"Good job Brian" said Garrett

"Thanks" said Brian "Is she gonna be alright?"

"She'll be fine Brian" said Mary "Just do as your Dad said and be patient with her... what she went thru after the baby died, scared her, so give her time to work past it"

"Yes ma'am" said Brian and looked at Davis "Man, Davis is out cold... looks like everyone's getting tired" I pulled out my phone

"Its almost 11" I said "we should head for home.. we still have to unload the cars before we can go to bed"

"yeah okay" said Haz and walked over to Ni & Jessie

HARRY'S POV

"Ni.. Jessie, wake up, we're getting ready to head home" I said 

"Huh?" said Ni "Oh God my back... waked up baby... Jessie, come on poppet, wake up"

"Don't wanna Papa" mumbled Jessie

"I know, but you fell asleep on my lap and this chair is killing my back" said Ni

"Oh gosh" said Jessie and quickly stood up "You want me to pop your back before we leave?"

"Yes please" said Ni as he slowly got up and went over to the grass and laid down and I went and sat down

"Is Ni's back hurting again?" asked Pamela

"Yeah, so Jessie's gonna pop it before we go" I said

"Okay" said Pamela "come on little man, lets go see your Daddy" and walked over to Steven and laid Jordan in his arms "I'll get Stephanie"

"Thanks Pamela" said Steven as she walked over to Davis and loosened her grip on his shirt and picked her up

"Come on honey, its time to go home" said Pamela "I know, and you can go back to sleep in a few minutes... I promise" and laid the baby in Hannah's arms

"Thank you Pamela" said Hannah

"You're welcome" said Pamela

"Momma, can you come hold my hands please" said Jessie

"Sure baby" said Pamela and went over to Jessie and held her hands while Jessie worked out the muscles on Ni's back with her feet

"Damn.. she knows how to do a shiatsu massage?" said Garrett "I used to get those in Seoul during the war"

"William was a chiropractor and showed her how to pop & align someone's back" I said "She worked on my back 2 weeks ago and I haven't had any pain since and I'm sleeping better too"

"No way" said Gary as Jessie sat in the grass to do an alignment

"Here we go Papa" said Jessie "just breathe normal"

"Okay poppet" said Ni

"There ya go Papa" said Jessie "How's your back?"

"Better" said Ni and stood up "Thanks poppet"

"You're welcome Papa" said Jessie "I'll be right back, I need to go get my clothes & phone off the dock"

"Okay baby" said Ni as Jessie ran down to the dock and he came over to us

"Are you feeling better Ni?" asked Pamela

"So much better poppet" said Ni as Jessie came back and put her clothes on

"Are we all set?" asked Jessie

"We just need to gather up the chairs and bags" I said "and wake up the old people" and chuckled

"Oh shut up Haz" giggled Jessie and walked over to Davis and tickled his nose till he moved "Davis.. wake up Dude"

"What... I'm sleeping Bea" mumbled Davis, but didn't open his eyes

"Davie... Mommy says to get up, you gotta go to school" said Jessie in a little girl's voice

"Ugh... I don't wanna" mumbled Davis "tell her I'm sick today" Jessie covered her mouth and silently laughed

"Davis Allen Spencer, you get out of that bed and get ready for school" said Jessie as Davis sat up fast and everyone started laughing

"Dude... Damn Jess, that wasn't funny" said Davis and scratched his head.. Jessie was laughing hard

"Dude... the look on your face" laughed Jessie and held her stomach "Come on Dude, we're getting ready to leave"

"Oh okay" said Davis and woke up Meghan "Sweetie.. wake up, its time to go home"

"Hmm.. okay" said Meghan and rubbed her eyes "Oh God... How long was I sleeping?"

"About an hour" I said "Davis started singing and you fell asleep"

"Oh wow" said Meghan and stretched as Brian took Cece's hand and touched his face

"Cece.. wake up darlin, its time to go home" said Brian softly as Cece woke up, rubbed her eyes and looked at him

"How long was I asleep?" asked Cece

"About 30 minutes" said Brian

"Oh gosh" said Cece as they stood up and started helping gather things up, I packed up the play yard and untied the dogs

"Hey pretty babies.. wake up, its time to go home" I said as they yawned and came with me to the car, everyone followed and put the chairs & bags in the tank, then went back to the table to grab more stuff as Jessie took care of the grill coals and put out the bonfire, then we cleaned up the picnic site, headed to our cars and headed home. We pulled in the drive ways and unloaded the cars, the girls unloaded the coolers, then Marcus and the guys dumped the melted ice into the field, then set the coolers upside down on top of the trampoline to air out. We got everything put away, then everyone went their separate ways and we all went to bed.

"Are you alright princess?" I whispered

"I'm fine Haz" whispered Mary "I was just thinking"

"About what?" I asked

"Cece... Pamela & Ni... Jessie" said Mary and sighed "Its going to be hard leaving after everything that happened today... I feel like I'm abandoning them when they need me most"

"I know it feels that way, but you aren't abandoning them, and we'll be back in a couple of weeks" I said "If anything serious happens, Mom, Pamela, Jessie, someone will call us and we'll come back... I promise... try and relax princess"

"I'll try" said Mary softly and touched my face "Did you have a good time today?"

"It was great princess" I said "I wish the water fight had lasted longer, but it was fun... Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, I did" said Mary softly "Haz?"

"Yeah?" I said 

"Make love to me" said Mary softly as she kissed me and put her leg over my hip

PAMELA'S POV

"Ni?" I whispered

"Yeah?" said Ni

"I want to feel you" I said "make love to me" and we took off our clothes, then Ni carried me to our bed "Don't rush Ni, go slow... please"

"Okay poppet" said Ni

****** Sorry y'all, feel free to use your imagination here ******

IN THE MORNING....

I woke up, still in Ni's arms and kissed jis neck.

"Ni" I said softly "wake up Daddy" Ni opened one eye and looked at me, then smiled

"Hey baby" said Ni "How are you feeling?"

"Buzzed" I said "but in a good way... What time is it?" Ni grabbed his phone

"Its 10 o'clock" said Ni

"Oh wow" I said "lets go take a shower... our appointment is in 2 hours and I'm starving"

"Okay poppet" said NI as we got out of bed, put on our pajamas, grabbed our toiletries & a change of clothes and went over to Mack's to shower. We showered quickly, got dressed and went back to our house

"Morning Momma" said Jessie "Morning Papa"

"Morning baby" said Ni & I as we poured ourselves a cup of coffee, got some breakfast and sat down

"Oh God, I'm starving" I said as we ate breakfast, then I got up and got more "Why am I so hungry?" then Ni whispered in my ear

"Multiple rounds of sex will do that poppet" whispered Ni and smiled when I blushed.. I felt my core tingle for the sex we had and had to close my eyes

"Are you alright Pamela?" asked Mack

"Mhm" I said and held up a finger as I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, shuddered, then opened my eyes

"Holy shit Pamela... your eyes are bluish-purple" said Jimmy

"No way" I said and looked at Ni "Niall.... yours are too!"

"Whoa Dude... that's creepy" said Louis as Becca & Meghan came thru the door

"Morning everyone" said Becca

"Morning Becks" I said 

"Damn PJ... You two need to ease up" said Becca

"Becca! Really?" I said 

"Hey... I'm not the ones with the matching eye color PJ" said Becca "Now that you two can read each other, you need to ease up or that eye color could end up permanent"

"Oh my God.. would you be quiet?" I said blushing

"Mommabear, you need to calm down" said Mack softly "your face is beet red darlin"

"Oh God... someone just kill me now" I said and buried my face in my arms

"Its alright poppet" said Ni and touched my back

"Oh my God" I said.. I could feel myself cum from his touch "oh god.. oh god.. oh god" and ran upstairs

HARRY'S POV

"Is she alright?" I asked and looked at Ni

"I don't know mate" said Ni

"Ni.. you need to calm down" said Jimmy

"I am calm" said Ni "Why would you think I'm not?"

"Papa, I don't mean to embarrass you, and I know I'm gonna regret this" said Jessie "How many times did you & Momma have sex last night"

"Oh dear God" said Ni and covered his eyes "3 times"

"Okay" said Jessie "Did you & Momma make promises to each other?"

"Yeah" said Ni and showed us a necklace he had on "Pamela said that cops make special promises with their spouses before they start their job.. she has one too, we made our promises and sealed them with a kiss... why?"

"When you & Momma made your promises and sealed them with a kiss" said Jessie "you basically bound yourselves to each other... its like getting married, but this union goes deeper than exchanging rings & wedding vows... you've been joined on a level so deep,that not even God, Time & Fate can break it, that's why your eyes changed colors... don't worry Papa, its not permanent, they'll change back in about 24 hours"

"Okay poppet" said Ni as Pamela came back down to the kitchen "Are you alright poppet?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" said Pamela and smiled as she drank her coffee "I heard what Jessie said"

"Then what's wrong Momma?" asked Jessie as Pamela looked at her "Its alright Momma, its always intense after you've joined on a level that deep... trust me... been there, done that, got the trademark on the t-shirt" and smiled

"You & Marcus made promises like that to each other?" asked Liam

"Yes" said Jessie "we made those promises bc at the time, we knew we couldn't have children... angels cant have babies, only humans can"

"Ahh okay" said Liam

"Well, we better get going y'all" said Jessie "I'll be right back" and ran upstairs, then came back down with her purse "Just relax Momma, you're about to have the most amazing experience of your life" and kissed Ni & Pamela "we'll be back in a dew hours"

"Okay baby... Have fun" said Pamela

"You got the keys Jess?" asked Becca

"Yeah" said Jessie and gave them to Becca "Come on Pooh bear"

"Coming carebear" said Mack and took care of his plate & cup then left with Becca & the girls

"Where's Dr. Carlisle's office?" asked Ni

"First floor at the A&E... suite 1103" I said 

"Okay" said Ni and drank his coffee

"Mom can we borrow your car?" asked Pamela

"Sure sweetie, the keys are by the door" said Mary

"Thanks" said Pamela as Davis showed up

"Hey Davis" said Louis

"Hey Louis" said Davis "You ready?"

"Yep.. I need to go to the hardware store before we go look at the van... you okay with that?" said Louis

"Sure, no problem Dude" said Davis "What are ya getting from there?"

"The stuff to do Cece's room and the stuff for the guys to do the bathroom" said Louis 

"Oh okay... What color are you painting Cece's room?" asked Davis

"Red... its her favorite color" said Louis

"Oh wow" said Davis "well I'm ready when you are"

"Okay" said Louis "Good luck at your meeting honey" and kissed Gem "We'll see ya after work"

"Okay... Have fun" said Gem

"You too" said Louis as he & Davis left, then Pamela's phone rang

"Its Jordan" said Pamela and answered it "Hey Jordan, what's up?... its at noon, Dad says it takes about an hour... I can be ready by 3, if that works... sounds good... What should I wear?... Okay, see ya then" and hung up "We're meeting the Commissioner this afternoon and then the cadets at the Academy"

"What time will you be home?" asked Mary

"I don't know, but I'll text Ni when I know" said Pamela

"Okay sweetie" said Mary

"I'll go get my purse" said Pamela

"Okay poppet" said Ni as she went upstairs, then came back down with garment bvags & boxes

"Can you make sure these get put in Mack's work room... in case they get back before we do?" asked Pamela

"Sure Peaches" said Zayn "Why does he need them?"

"Its Gem & Becca's dresses for the Wedding" said Pamela "Becca needs to see if her dress fits, bc if it doesn't, then she can either exchage it, or Mack can fix it"

"Oh okay" said Zayn "I'll make sure they get taken next door"

"Thanks Pops" said Pamela "Are you ready Ni?"

"Ready poppet" said Ni and grabbed the keys "we'll be back soon"

"Good luck Ni and relax" I said "Go out to lunch after you're done at the doctor's"

"Thanks mate" said Ni as they left the house


End file.
